ACU’s Counseling Center and Marriage and Family Institute are sponsoring the second Premarital Counseling Chapel Series on campus. The six-week series starts Thursday in the Campus Center Living Room.
Dr. Jaime Goff, one of the founders of the Chapel series, said the series started when both the Counseling Center and department of Marriage and Family Studies were brainstorming ideas for Sacred Relationships Week.
“We wanted to provide a meaningful service to our students, and a premarital Chapel seemed like a positive way to do that,” said Goff, chair of the Department of Marriage and Family Studies. “Couples do not have to be engaged to participate, but they should at least be seriously dating and thinking about the possibility of marriage.”
“Premarital Counseling can be misconstrued as trying to point out everything wrong with a couple and ultimately trying to break them up,” said Cindy Gravitt, office manager of the Medical and Counseling Care Center. “ACU is doing this so the couples can grow together and become stronger while preparing them for their life together.”
In addition to the six-week Chapel series, each couple signed up will receive a two-hour follow-up session with a counselor and a Twogether in Texas certificate. This course costs $35 per couple but that shouldn’t deter anyone from signing up.
“The 35 dollars is paid directly to PREPARE/ENRICH and includes the PREPARE/ENRICH Inventory and a workbook for each person,” said Tim Ehrhart, one of the counselors at the Counseling Center and a founder of the Chapel series. “Upon completion of the Chapel series and the follow-up sessions, couples will be eligible for a $60 discount off their marriage license from Twogether in Texas.”
The Chapel will discuss topics such as communication, conflict resolution, sexual expectations, gender roles, spirituality and family of origin issues. Dr. Goff said to determine the areas of strength and growth each couple will take the PREPARE premarital assessment.
“I’m really excited about this premarital counseling Chapel series this year as a part of our Sacred Relationships Week,” Ehrhart said. “We have a strong group of therapists who will be facilitating the series, and I’m confident that the couples who attend will be blessed.”
