An Attempt of Premarital Counseling Applying Sager’s "Marital Contracts"

Abstract

　The Purposes of this study were (1) to examine the clinical usefulness of premarital counseling which had been gradually introduced to Japan in recent years, and (2) to discuss the difficulties in practice of premarital counseling.

　Premarital counseling in the form of application of Sager’s (1981) "Marital Contracts" was attempted to two couples who are going to marry in the near future. In the premarital counseling, conscious and unconscious expectations, needs and desires for their marriage and mate were examined in detail.

　The procedures of premarital counseling were discussed in comparison with Markman’s PREP (Premarital Relationship Enhancement Program; 1986). In addition the low motivation of the premarital couples to take advantage of premarital counseling and the negative effects of premarital counseling were also discussed.

　It was confirmed that Sager’s "Marital Contracts" provided the premarital counseling very useful framework. It is expected that premarital counseling will be more available to many couples who are going to marry in order to examine their mate selection processes.