# Pre-marital counseling - does it, did it, would it make a difference?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-marital-counseling-does-it-did-it-would-it-make-a-difference/1028750>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 25, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-marital-counseling-does-it-did-it-would-it-make-a-difference/1028750 "2026-03-25T12:38:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 12

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-marital-counseling-does-it-did-it-would-it-make-a-difference/1028750/12 "2026-03-25T17:40:14Z")

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Here is a thread from 2003(!) on a related topic. My first contribution in that thread, post #5, contains an echo of the same issue @Voyager mentions just above.

Namely that if the counselor can’t correctly understand your premarital relationship, it’s a good bet their marital advice will be less than helpful.

> [@Powerful pre-marriage attitudinal test kills 25% of engagments - Will you take it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerful-pre-marriage-attitudinal-test-kills-25-of-engagments-will-you-take-it/213894):
>
> This simple pre-marriage attitudinal test devised by the Catholic Church is apparently so powerful and predictive other non-Catholic denominations are using it. Will you take it before you get married? From Slate [Can the Catholic Church help you find a suitable mate? By Claudia Kolker](http://slate.msn.com/id/2089648/)[The tests are available directly from the Test Company “Foccus” for only $ 3.50 each](http://www.foccusinc.com/products/products.asp?PKID=13&ItemCatID=13)

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