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Updated Mar 17, 20257 Premarital Counseling Services Around NYC to Explore
Strengthen your relationship before walking down the aisle.
Photo: Alina Hvostikova / Stocksy
Preparing for your wedding seems like a whirlwind. After all, you want to create the most beautiful and heartfelt ceremony to kick off your journey through life side by side. But don't forget the groundwork for the marriage that follows. Finding a source for premarital counseling in NYC and working with them will strengthen your bond and relationship so you can weather any storm together.
That's why we've gathered a list of premarital counseling resources in New York City to get you started. For more options, visit the officiants and premarital counseling section of The Knot Vendor Marketplace. Filter your search by clicking on "wedding events" and checking the "premarital counseling" box to narrow the list. One key piece of getting ready for your wedding day is to also get ready for the bonds of marriage to make sure you're on solid ground.
Rev. Deborah Roth - Spirited Weddings
Located on Riverside Drive in New York City, Rev. Deborah Roth - Spirited Weddings offers a program for premarital couples called Partners in Life (PIL) to get you ready for life with your spouse. The six-week program empowers couples by giving them relationship tools and skills to increase their connection, identify any troubled spots early and develop a loving, trusting and intimate bond that will last. One great perk for busy wedding planners is that Rev. Roth will work with couples either in person or over the phone. She is also an ordained interfaith minister who can perform your ceremony.
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Shanell Wedding Officiant Notary Services
Shanell Wedding Officiant Notary Services is a business located in the Big Apple run by Shanell, a licensed minister. Not only does she provide interfaith premarital counseling in NYC, but Shanell helps secular couples as well. The minister's services aim to bring you and your partner closer together before entering the world of married life. Shanell is also licensed in several states as an officiant, so if you need those services but are traveling for your wedding, she might be a good fit. The business owner is proud to offer inclusive services to all those on a marital journey.
Cantor Laura Stein
Based in New York City, Cantor Laura Stein specializes in Jewish and interfaith wedding ceremonies and draws on her social work background to offer premarital counseling. However, she can also provide secular premarital counseling in NYC and the surrounding areas. She's available for travel upon request. Cantor Laura Stein works as an LGBTQIA+-focused therapist and is proud to offer inclusion-based ceremonies in both English and Spanish. Stein trained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and works as a spiritual guide for couples, helping them from engagement through to marriage.
Rabbi Hanniel Levenson
Rabbi Hanniel Levenson is a wedding official ordained at The Academy for Jewish Religion but offers his services, including pre-marriage counseling in NYC, to people of various faiths. Those include Jewish, conservative, reform, spiritual, secular, interfaith and Buddhist. The rabbi is committed to helping couples who want his guidance as they move into marriage. He provides mentorship to his clients and is willing to travel around the world, so he could be a perfect fit if you're planning a destination wedding. Previous clients said Rabbi Hanniel's premarital sessions helped them strengthen their relationship before the big day.
Tabitha Gonzalez - Premarital Counseling
Located in the tri-state area, Tabitha Gonzalez - Premarital Counseling offers both group premarital counseling in NYC and private sessions. Tabitha can help her clients either at her office or your home, making the service a convenient option for busy couples. Through counseling, she assists in developing relationship skills through her program before the wedding and afterward. Gonzalez uses research-based tools to help loving pairs form a solid foundation on which their marriage can grow. She believes doing this work can make a big difference in relationships.
Rev. Arden Strasser
Rev. Arden Strasser's business is in the heart of New York City. He is a pastor at St. Luke's Lutheran Church right in Times Square. He officiates Christian wedding ceremonies for all couples of varying faiths and sexual orientations on and off-site. He also offers premarital counseling in NYC to help prepare those ready to make that all-important commitment to each other. Arden has been married for more than 30 years, so he brings experience from his own marriage to the table to guide others.
North Brooklyn Therapy
North Brooklyn Therapy is a group of certified and talented therapists who offer counseling services in the heart of Brooklyn to people of all needs. For their premarital counseling options, the therapists use Prepare Inventory as a guide for couples to have important conversations about their future. Those talks include sensitive issues like family planning, money, lifestyle choices and communication. They believe marriage changes everything and couples swept up in the romance of love and engagement need to do the work and prepare for what life entails to ensure their bonds last a lifetime. The practice has 20 therapists from which to choose.
