Couples Counseling

Prepare/Enrich
In addition to providing couples counseling, Laura also offers a specialized educational component, PREPARE/ENRICH.

The PREPARE/ENRICH is a program based on a set of five inventories that examine major relationship issues a couple may experience.  These inventories must be administered by a trained PREPARE/ENRICH Counselor and include 4-6 feedback sessions in which the counselor facilitates discussion between the couple based on their inventory results.  

The five PREPARE/ENRICH inventories include:

*    PREPARE - Pre-marital couples
*    PREPARE-MC - Pre-marital couples with children
*    PREPARE-CC - Cohabiting Couples with or without children
*    ENRICH - Married couples with or without children
*    MATE - Couples over the age of 50

What are the major goals of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program:

There are six goals of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program.  In order to achieve these goals there are also six corresponding couple exercises designed to help couples improve their relationship skills.  The six goals are:

1.    To explore Relationship Strengths and Growth Areas
2.    To learn Assertiveness and Active Listening Skills
3.    To learn how to resolve conflict using the Ten Step Model
4.    To help the couple discuss their Family-of-Origin
5.    To help the couple with financial planning and budgeting
6.    To focus on personal, couple and family goals

What relationship areas are assessed by the Inventories?

Following are the relationship areas assessed in each of the five 'Couple Inventories':

A. Focuses on Significant Issues for Couples (14 scales)

Communication
Conflict Resolution
Personality Issues
Financial Management
Sexual Expectations
Marital Satisfaction
Leisure Activities
Children and Parenting
Family and Friends
Expectations/Cohabitation Issues
Idealistic Distortion
Role Relationship
Spiritual Beliefs

B. Personality Assessment (4 scales):

Assertiveness
Self Confidence
Avoidance
Partner Dominance

C. Couple and Family Map (4 scales):

Family-of-Origin Closeness
Family-of-Origin Flexibility
Couple Closeness
Couple Flexibility

An important strength of the PREPARE/ENRICH Inventories is their strong psychometric properties. High levels of reliability and validity have been found for each instrument, making them valuable tools for research as well as clinical use.