Nimhans starts centre to prepare couples for marriage

Facility opens today to tackle rising cases of marital discord

 The Centre of Wellbeing at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) is starting a ‘Pre-marriage Preparatory Programme’ to prepare the soon-to-be-married or any adult looking to be in a long-term relationship.

From helping couples understand unreasonable expectations in a marriage to dealing with age difference, the programme aims to minimise conflicts after marriage.

Dr Bino Thomas, assistant professor, consultant, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nimhans, said that with growing numbers of those with marital discord, professionals contemplated introducing a programme to help adults make the right choice.

On an everyday basis, at least five to six clients hit the centre with marital discord issues. Dr Thomas said, “When families look out for a partner, the expectations of the two involved could be different. Younger couples have more expectations and more issues. It is similar with greater age gap between the couple. Problems will aggravate if they marry undermining all this.”

The programme will educate clients on what they could consider while looking for a match, effective communication, preparing themselves for family responsibilities, intimacy and more.

“Some have unreasonable expectations from marriage. They get married without
adequate skills. Just beca-use someone turns 24, it does not mean they are good to get married,” said Dr Thomas.

Underlying troubles
A 36-year-old woman came to Nimhans last week seeking help for her son and an unresolved issue came to the fore. The parents had repeated complaints from school that their child was disobedient and was involved in frequent brawls. On counselling, the psychologists identified a marital snag between the parents and the child had not received due attention.

“About 30 to 50% come with a mentally ill person at home. Children show behavioural problems. This is when the marital discord also surfaces. The conflict between parents could also negatively impact the child. If the couple is unprepared for parenthood, the child is pulled into trouble,” he said. The programme would help one comprehend ill-effects of a compromised choice. 

Help would be extended to the indecisive as well.