وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا لِّتَسْكُنُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةًۭ وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (30:21)
And it is among His signs that He has created for you wives from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them, and He has created love and kindness between you. Surely in this there are signs for a people who reflect — Maarif-ul-Quran.
“Happy marriages are based on a deep friendship. By this I mean a mutual respect for and enjoyment of each other’s company”. John Gottman
According to our Prophet pbuh, marriage is half our deen and therefore can be the most nourishing, healing and enduring of all human relationships. However, sometimes couples enter marriage with false assumptions and expectations. Such misunderstandings often result in growing differences that eventually affect marital satisfaction and quality of life, many times leading to divorce. For this reason, marriage can also be the most disappointing, frustrating and conflicted of all human relations.
Rahma Center Pre-Marital Counseling Program
To help Muslim couples experience spiritual uplift, serenity, love and compassion through their marriage, Rahma Center has thoughtfully developed a premarital counseling program to identify, understand and address issues prior to getting married. The program combines evidence-based psychotherapy along with certified premarital curricula and fiqh of marriage to prepare couples with skills and education to create Islamically grounded, sustainable and healthy marriages (Insha’Allah).
The sessions utilize fun and engaging activities and exercises where couples get to learn about themselves and their partners-to-be through various lenses. The program is designed to be delivered either in person or via zoom for up to 6 sessions. However, it is flexible and can be adapted to the needs and preference of the couple as they best feel fit.
What is included?
All aspects of married life are discussed during the sessions including:
- Religious/spiritual aspects of marriage
- Communication
- Personality tests
- Trauma (including attachment and adverse childhood experiences)
- Family history
- Relationship dynamics
- Conflict resolution
- Finance management
- Intimacy and sexuality
- Parenting and step families
What you Get?
- 9 hours (total of 6 sessions) of premarital sessions (presented in an interactive and engaging style).
- All material and discussions are well rooted in Islamic tradition.
- Integrates two certified pre-marital curricula with evidence-based couple counseling techniques (PREPARE/ENRICH and Gottman and Enhanced Focused Therapy (EFT)) presented through an Islamic framework by professional certified counselors. Optional more detailed marriage Fiqh topic discussion delivered by masjid imam (upon request).
- Numerous research-proven assessments and an individualized detailed couple report identifying strengths and areas of growth (View a Sample report).
- Couple workbook with exercises.
- Interactive activities and skill-building discussions that help foster communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Summary of session and homework provided at end of each session for an engaging discussion.
- Referral to in-house counseling services provided as supplemental service, if need is detected.
- At the conclusion of each session, electronic material will be provided for ongoing marital development.
- Follow up at 3-, 6- and 12-month checkpoints to ensure things are going well or if further sessions are needed.
Fees
The collected fees are mostly used to support our counseling program and enable us to provide high-quality professional counseling services to those who cannot afford it. The fee is also tax deductible.
· Option 1: $500 bundle deal covering 6 sessions
· Option 2: Customized as needed session-by-session basis at a rate of $100/session
We request everyone to please keep Rahma center and the facilitators of the program in your prayers.
While Pre-marital counseling does not always guarantee a stable marriage; however, it should make couples aware of what they can expect during their married life and will help prepare them for successfully working their way through its ups and downs thereby making marriage a true source of spiritual and psychological harmony, compassion and happiness as it’s meant to be (Insha’Allah).
“Connecting is not magic. Like any other skill, it can be learned, practiced and mastered”. John Gottman
