Preparing to Blend

A Specialized Program for Single Parents Entering New Relationships

Subsequent marriages bring with them many different puzzle pieces. Along with the joy of the parents, there can be grief for children. It's vital that partners creating a blended family understand the complexities involved and build unique skill sets that will provide them with a strong foundation as well as, the tools they need to succeed.

Why Should Step-Couples Invest In Preparing to Blend?

So, you've fallen in love...again.

Since you've done this before, you might be wondering why or how your current relationship is different than those in your past.  Will we work out?  Will the patterns and mistakes I brought to my past relationship(s) continue?  Is my fiance going to change? Did I pick a good match?  Are we doing the right thing for the kids? 

Sometimes, you might even wonder why you're considering getting married again at all.

The short answer to the unspoken question, "Can Second or Third Marriages Be Successful," is yes. Yes, subsequent marriages can be very successful, fulfilling, and stable, if they are done right.

Premarital Counseling is an excellent way to delve into, discuss and get a head start on addressing the common concerns that arise in blended families relationships.  The truth is that couples who remarry face an even greater chance of their relationship ending in divorce than those who are marrying for the first time. 

You, your partner, your children, and your family deserve the tools, support, and education that you can get for the journey ahead.

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What's Included In The Preparing To Blend Program?

Initial Consultation

Your first session with us is always free of charge.  This is a good time for us to meet together to assess where you are as a couple, explore your relationship goals, and format the individualized scope of your premarital coaching sessions. 

Assessments & Workbooks

We provide you with 3 proven relationship evaluation tools that will define your individual strengths, weaknesses and provide a framework for skill-building.

  • Premarital PREPARE® Assessment
  • Affection Mapping Assessment
  • ENRICH® Parenting Styles Assessment

The PREPARE ® Assessment

The PREPARE® couples assessments have been utilized by more than 3 million people to empower, stimulate and encourage growth in their relationships.

As the #1 premarital inventory assesssment, it is an invaluable tool for exploring strengths as well as weaknesses that may exist between two partners.

Our coaches are trained to facilitate using the PREPARE® assessmemn to help you identify your unique strengths while also pinpointing exactly where a focus on growth should start - giving us insight into how best proceed forward together towards building something beautiful.

  • 12 Relationship Scales
    • Communication
    • Conflict Resolution
    • Roles
    • Sexuality
    • Finances
    • Spiritual Beliefs and more
  • 5 SCOPE Personality Scales
  • 4 Couple and Family Scales (based on the Circumplex Model)
  • 4 Relationship Dynamic Scales
  • 30 Customized Scales
**Click here to read about the PREPARE Assessment

8 Coaching Sessions

Your coaching sessions will be individualized to your relationship needs and common areas that tend to divide step-couples and blended families. Each session will be 1 hour in length. 

Sample Blended Family Premarital Counseling Session Format

Session 1

Assess your relationship strengths and growth areas, your family of origin, past relationship trauma, and other issues unique to your relationship.
Homework: Complete your assessments

Session 2

Interpretation and discussion of the assessment findings. All 3 of the assessments that we offer are supported by research that helps couples identify areas to strengthen before the wedding.

Session 3

Self-identity and boundaries. Understanding healthy boundaries, how to build and maintain them is vital to establishing good communication with each other and your children.

Session 4

Communication and conflict resolution skills. Research shows these two topics to be the most important to cover well in premarital programs.

Session 5

Finances, career goals, physical, emotional, spiritual health, and/or other conflict areas that are unique to you and your partner.

Session 6

Parenting styles, effective co-parenting, discipline, family values, and working as a team. At this session, you may decide to have your children present if desired.

Session 7

Sex and sexual intimacy.

Session 8

Connection habits, maintaining intimacy, and sustaining commitment.

Directed Date Night Choice
Ballroom Dancing with a focus on Leading/Following

Directed Family Teambuilding Choice
Escape Room Family Teambuilding with focus on Trust

**Click here to see a sample sessions format

Directed Date Night

As part of your premarital coaching experience, we provide you with several directed options for a date night on us. Each of the date night options is designed to build foundations, sharpen skills and promote relational trust.

Directed Family Team Building

Bringing your children into a new marriage involves pre-existing alliances and extensive family bonds. As part of your program, we offer you a facilitated team building activity that brings you together as a family and strengthens bonds.

First Anniversary Session

We know that the best intentions don't always follow the smoothest path, because of this, we include a check-in session with you 9-12 months after the wedding.  This is a great opportunity to fine-tune your relationship and make sure all is well.

How Much Does Preparing to Blend Cost?

Consider:

  • The average wedding will cost $12,000-15,000. Premarital counseling costs 1-2% of this amount per session
  • The average divorce cost in the United States is 15,000 - 20,000. This does not include child support costs over time.
  • Highest rates of divorce occur within the first three years of marriage.
  • Half of couples who divorce do so within 12 years of getting married.
  • Studies show that couples who underwent counseling before their wedding had a 30% stronger marriage and 50% higher marital success rate than those who did not.

Your Relationship Is Worth It!

Get started today and learn how to forge a lasting intimate marriage and, strong blended family!

Other Coaching Services at Blended Pathways

Our coaching and consulting practice based in Post Falls, ID serves to help blended families and step-couples throughout their relationship journeys. 

We offer premarital counseling, step-parent coaching, blended-family relational coaching, marriage coaching on all topics including infidelity, affairs, sex, and divorce support. 

In addition to personalized relational coaching, we also offer workshops and relationship-building exercises for additional support.

Wherever you are in your journey, we are here to help you with honesty, kindness, direction and support.