3 Key Benefits To The SYMBIS Assessment
/To SYMBIS or not to SYMBIS… that is the question.
(spoiler alert... the answer is yes)
It is that time of year again! Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and love is in the air! Many people are deciding to make lifetime commitments. Some of us will be popping that big question to that special someone. For others, you may have recently changed your Facebook status from “In a relationship”, to “ENGAGED”. Getting engaged is such an exciting moment in your life that can bring hope and joy even in tough times such as these. Preparing for marriage can feel overwhelming with all of the decisions you will have to make. One of the best decisions you can make as you prepare for marriage is getting the proper premarital support and education you need to ensure lifelong happiness.
You may have heard of premarital counseling, but did you know that there is an assessment tool that is specifically designed to help you prepare for marriage, and get the best out of your union? This useful tool is known as the SYMBIS Assessment. The SYMBIS is an evidenced based report created to fit your specific relationship. SYMBIS stands for Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts! SYMBIS assessment is designed for those who are newly engaged or couples who are within the first 2 years of marriage. 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. The SYMBIS report can promote insight and guide you on your premarital journey. The SYMBIS is also compatible for those who may be remarrying, and the report provides extra materials to help you transition into your new marriage in a healthy way. The SYMBIS provides an initial 30-minute online assessment, where each partner answers individual questions about themselves and the relationship. A 16 page report is then created based on the findings in both you and your partners assessments. I would then walk with you both through this journey and guide you through the steps of interpreting your report while incorporating the skills necessary to help you set your marriage up for success. Okay, I am sure you are wondering how can this assessment really help my relationship? What are the benefits of investing in our relationship in this way? Let’s get into it!
What are the Statistics??
The current divorce rate is between 30-50% and rising, and 41% of those couples say their lack of pre-marriage preparation contributed to their divorce.
76% of married couples say they wish they had pre-marriage education.
Couples who do not receive pre-marriage education are more likely to see their problems as atypical and unsolvable.
Pre-marital reduces the risk of divorce by 31%.
That is a big deal!! Taking this critical step in your pre-marital journey is setting your marriage up for success before you even walk down that aisle!
Here are three key benefits of the SYMBIS Assessment:
1. You are setting a firm foundation.
Think of your marriage as a house. To ensure the house is safe, you must lay down a strong foundation. To lay strong foundation, you must dig deep first. If you miss this step, what you thought was once a secure home, could quite possibly collapse. The same goes for your relationship. The SYMBIS assessment is a tool that lays the foundation. It helps you dig deep and discuss potentially tough subjects in a way that will ultimately increase intimacy, connection and understanding.
2. You will enter your marriage without the blinders.
Like I stated earlier, 76 % of married couples wish they had pre-marriage education. This is because you can’t always see the person you’re with for who they really are. Sometimes we love someone so much, that we ignore important details that could negatively affect our marriage. With the SYMBIS assessment, these things can be brought to light. You will get a clear picture of your personal and relational momentum for marriage.
3. SYMBIS gives you a roadmap to your partner.
This is not the roadmap that you spread across your dashboard and miss the exit anyway, after finally figuring out where you are. This roadmap allows both of you to gain insight into each other’s personalities and how they work together. The SYMBIS will help you learn to embrace your partner’s unique view of life and give you new skills to strengthen your relationship for lifelong love.
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 a lifelong tool that 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 marriage. 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. To SYMBIS or not to SYMBIS… is that still a question?
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.