Learn more about the SYMBIS Premarital Counseling Assessment!
/Earlier this month, I posted a blog letting you know all about the key benefits of the SYMBIS. Today I wanted to provide you with an inside look at what each SYMBIS report details about your relationship. Just for those who may be reading about the SYMBIS for the first time, it is an evidence-based report created to fit your specific relationship. SYMBIS stands for Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts! The SYMBIS is a great tool for premarital education and counseling that can help you in maintaining those wonderful feelings you have been experiencing during your engagement process.
How does the SYMBIS work? Well, you and your partner are provided a 30-minute assessment that you complete separately. The SYMBIS then uses the information provided from both partners assessments to make a report on the relationship. For those who are remarrying and or already married you will receive the SYMBIS+ report, which is another version created to fit your specific needs. The SYMBIS or SYMBIS+ report that is created is divided into five distinct sections, with additional sections on the SYMBIS+ specific to those who are married or remarrying. Each report also has a specific section related to spirituality which can be reviewed if desired by the couple. Now that you understand the foundations of the report let’s take some time out to discuss each section, so you know just how detailed and individualized each SYMBIS report is.
About Us/Marriage Momentum
The SYMBIS assessment begins with the About Us section. This section provides brief demographic information about you and your partner that you can compare and contrast. The second part of this section is the Marriage Momentum portion. Each couple is provided an overview of their momentum heading into marriage. This is displayed by a rating of low, moderate or high on the marriage momentum meter, which is based upon information provided by each member of the couple. It also provides a quick view into the remaining four parts of the SYMBIS report, which are Mindset, Well-being, Context, and Dynamics.
Mindset
Marriage mindset is the second section within your report. Each person brings a different mindset to marriage in regards to what they say, think, or believe when it comes to tying the knot with their partner or about marriage in general. Each partners attitude and concept of marriage will be described in this portion. The SYMBIS report Identifies each individual partner as having one of the five types of marriage mindsets. An individual can fall in the categories of resolute mindset, rational mindset, romantic mindset, restless mindset, or reluctant mindset. The description of these mindsets will be individualized to each partner and you will be provided a description of how well the two mindsets mesh heading into marriage.
Well-Being
The third section of the report is the well-being section. This section has to do with individual readiness for marriage and highlights issues that could be valuable to explore. Within this section, each partner has a generated individual score for their self-concept and their level of self-esteem. Both partners maturity within the relationship is also addressed in this section, along with each partners independence from their parents. This is also the portion of the assessment where caution flags are highlighted. These caution flags are topics that should be discussed within the relationship before moving toward marriage, as they could be significant issues that have not been addressed. Finally, at the end of this section is your overall marriage well-being score. Which is produced after gathering information regarding each partner’s reports in the areas of trust, stability, and similarities within the relationship.
Context
The Context section is about what surrounds your relationship and exploring the bigger picture of your relationship to help you mesh your two worlds as best as possible. Within the context portion of the assessment, you will learn how each partner relates to current social supports such as in-laws, friends, family relationships, and faith community relationships if applicable. Financial context is also provided within this section. Each partner’s financial approach, skills, and fears are presented and discussed. At the end of the context portion is the expectation section. This section reviews all the reported expectations from each partner and identifies which expectations have and have not been communicated that should be discussed before entering into marriage. For those who may be remarrying or starting a blended family, this is where you will have an extra portion to your context section that addresses your readiness to remarry, your readiness to manage blended family dynamics, and your overall motivation to remarry.
Dynamics
The final section is the Dynamics portion which has to do with your unique personalities and is a major portion of your SYMBIS report. This section will inform you of how you can leverage your uniqueness as people and as a couple. This section will take a deep dive into how your different personality types affect multiple areas of your relationship. There are six main areas that are addressed within this portion such as love and sex, attitudes towards challenges, communication, bridging the gender gap, and conflict management. Spiritual intimacy is also addressed in this portion of the assessment if couples identify Faith as a major part of their relationship. The dynamics portion also provides recommendations and skills to help improve in the areas listed.
The SYMBIS assessment is a great tool to give you the boost you need headed into lifelong happiness in your marriage. It is used in premarital counseling to provide structure and insight to premarital sessions. Also, this report is information you can come back to early in your marriage as a reminder of how you and your partner can get the most out of your union. It is recommended that you meet with a certified SYMBIS premarital counselor to help you in the interpretation of the assessment and to help coach you and your partner on the skills needed for growth throughout your premarital process. If you’re interested in premarital counseling and would like to utilize the SYMBIS Assessment, feel free to contact us to schedule your first-time appointment to work with Dominic, our Certified SYMBIS premarital counselor who has extensive training in marriage and family therapy.
Premarital counseling isn’t the only service that we offer at The Counseling Collective.
The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.