What is Catholic marriage counseling?

Catholic marriage counseling may apply to premarital consulting and educational programs offered by the Catholic Church or counseling for couples provided by spiritual or mental health experts. The Roman Catholic Church as an organization is generally very determined to promote the sanctity of marriage and the well -being of families. As a result, in many countries there are Roman Catholics who are planning to marry, to complete the extensive counseling program before marriage. For those couples who are already married, spiritual and religious workers in their local parish can offer informal Catholic counseling to deal with disagreements that may occur. Some couples can also use counseling services offered by mental health experts who integrate their Catholic faith into their counseling sessions. In the United States, the program is called Pre-Cana and consists of individual meetings with a marital advisor, psychological testing and group discussion and educationOutgoing about Catholic family life and social learning. In some parishes are offered specialized versions of pre-can older couples or couples who had previously married to solve their specific needs.

Many Catholic couples prefer to receive advice from a professional who shares his faith and his values. Some psychologists, advisors and clinical social workers offer Catholic marital counseling that combines psychotherapeutic and counseling techniques with Catholic spirituality and the Council that corresponds to the Church's teaching. Given that the Roman Catholic Church does not allow divorce, the goals of Catholic marital counseling may be quite different from the goal of secular counseling. For Example, while secular advisor can focus on whether the couple should stay together, in Catholic marital counseling can be emphasized to find ways to cause reconciliationAmong the martial spouses.

Many parishes offer members of the Church the opportunity to talk to a priest or another employee about marital difficulties. Most of the clergy members acquire training in the field of basic consulting skills in the seminar, although not all spirituals have specialized training in marital therapy. This type of counseling is often short -term and informal and can take place in the church office. The priest or employee often evaluates the situation of the couple and, if necessary, recommends couples or both spouses as an individual to a professional advisor.