Premarital counseling?

Lonelilly

Curious if any of y'all know of a good therapist/psychologist/counselor who specializes in premarital counseling? I live in the Lakes Region area but am willing to travel! Really just interested in one or two sessions. Thank you!

vikinganna87

Hi Lilly!

I see that you posted a while ago, so I hope this response doesn't come too late.  I did some research a couple of weeks ago and came across David Tomkinson in North Hampton.  He's a retired minister who does pre-marital counseling in 3 sessions and either he or his wife (a justice of peace) can perform weddings as well.  I was interested in someone who could provide guidance and get to know us as a couple before the ceremony and a person we could turn to for counseling after the wedding.  

We will have our first pre-marital session next week, so I can provide an update then.  Over the phone, however, David seemed very pleasant and I liked the approach he outlined.

http://www.pathwaysnh.com/weddings.html

Good Luck!

vikinganna87

Update: Our first session with David Tomkinson went very well. He's a warm, kind counselor with a lot of experience and his approach is rational. David spent the first part of the session getting to know us and our individual and combined backgrounds - finding out about how we met and what was going on in our lives when we first starting dating. Then he discussed the various stages of relationships and ended with some helpful communication techniques, particularly to diffuse a discussion before it turns into a conflict. We will have two more pre-marital sessions in the coming months and then use David as a minister for our wedding next winter.