Premarital Counselling, need of the hour in India
In today’s fast-changing relationship landscape, love alone no longer feels like enough. Across Indian cities, a quiet yet powerful shift is unfolding, more individuals and couples are seeking guidance from professionals, choosing premarital counselling before marital commitment, and as a deliberate step toward healthier, stronger relationships. And the reasons are both cultural and psychological.
Inner Dawn counsellor Kala Balasubramanian’s views featured in Deccan Herald on 21 January 2026.
https://www.deccanherald.com/lifestyle/spike-in-premarital-counselling-3869069
According to a recent Deccan Herald article, therapists in Bengaluru are witnessing a steady increase in demand for premarital counselling from couples, live-in partners, and individuals preparing for first or second marriages who are seeking relationship guidance, either before tying the knot or to resolve issues in their relationships.
Why Is Premarital Counselling Gaining Popularity?
More people are realising that marriage is not just a romantic decision, but a psychological, emotional and practical partnership. But this involves other important conversations and agreements on different topics like money, boundaries, future plans, having children, family involvement, etc. Clients seek the support of the counsellor to facilitate these conversations.
Some key reasons behind this rise include:
- Growing awareness about mental health
- Reduced stigma around therapy
- Increased divorce rates prompting prevention over repair
- Diminishing support from family and friends
- Second marriages bring emotional, financial, and family complexities
- Couples wanting deeper compatibility before commitment
Premarital counselling is no longer seen just as a “problem-solving” tool, but also as a way to strengthen relationships and prepare for the relationship responsibilities.
Who can benefit from this process?
Most folks who seek premarital counselling are between 25 and 35 years, though a growing number of individuals in their 40s and beyond are also reaching out, especially those entering second marriages.
This includes:
- Couples who are in a relationship and considering a live-in or marriage
- Live-in partners who may or may not be planning for marriage
- Engaged couples in a love marriage or arranged marriage setting
- Individuals who are considering marriage but are feeling unsure or unclear about it
- Individuals and couples preparing to remarry
For many, this is about not repeating old patterns and building something healthier this time around.
What Happens in Premarital Counselling?
It is important to get into a marital relationship with expectations that are reasonable and an understanding of what the marital relationship means to both partners. Lack of knowledge about what marriage entails, the responsibilities that need to be managed, may result in disillusionment and failure of the marital relationship itself. Premarital counselling provides a safe space to explore:
- Communication styles and emotional needs
- Conflict patterns and repair strategies
- Financial beliefs and lifestyle expectations
- Family roles, day-to-day sharing of responsibilities
- Intimacy, trust, and long-term goals
- Conversations around difficult topics like money, boundaries, etc.
Rather than avoiding difficult conversations, couples learn how to have them safely before stress and misunderstandings take root.
How can it help Especially for Second Marriages
Second marriages often carry unspoken fears, past wounds, blended family concerns, and financial complexities. Especially when there are children, co-parenting, visitations involved, etc., there will be a need for continued contact with the ex-spouse/ex-partner, which can create insecurities in the new relationship. Premarital Counselling helps individuals heal unresolved emotional baggage, build trust at a realistic pace, clarify expectations and boundaries, and prevent repeating old relationship scripts. Instead of “hoping this time will be different,” premarital counselling helps make it intentionally different.
Is Premarital Counselling Right for You?
Marriage is no longer just about tradition or timing. It is about emotional readiness, shared values, and conscious choice. Premarital counselling offers couples a way to step into commitment with clarity rather than confusion. The rise in premarital counselling is not a sign that relationships are weaker; it is proof that people are choosing to be wiser.
- You may benefit from pre-marital counselling if you
- Want deeper emotional understanding of yourself and your partner
- Struggle to communicate during conflict
- Feel unsure about long-term compatibility
- Are entering a second marriage
- Unsure of commitment/marriage/relationship expectations
Think of premarital counselling as a relationship fitness plan. If you are planning to marry, whether for the first or second time, consider premarital counselling as a meaningful first step.
Because love is the beginning. Understanding and growing together is what sustains it.