Discover more about your relationship and how to make it stronger.
Every relationship has its own strengths, challenges and patterns. Sometimes we understand each other well in one area but find ourselves struggling to communicate or agree in another.
PREPARE/ENRICH helps couples look more closely at their relationship, understand what is working well and identify areas where they could grow together.
It provides a structured way to have conversations that couples may not have considered, even after many years together.
What is PREPARE/ENRICH?
PREPARE/ENRICH is an internationally recognised, research-based relationship assessment and education program developed by psychologist Dr David Olson.
It helps couples explore their relationship through an individual online assessment, personalised feedback and practical relationship-building exercises.
The assessment is tailored to each couple's circumstances and stage of life.
It is not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. Its purpose is to help you understand your relationship more clearly and identify opportunities to strengthen it.
Who is it for?
PREPARE/ENRICH can be valuable for couples at many different stages of their relationship.
- Dating and committed couples who want to explore their compatibility, expectations and future together.
- Engaged couples preparing for marriage who want to build strong foundations before their wedding.
- Newly married couples learning to navigate shared responsibilities and life together.
- Long-term couples who want to reconnect, strengthen communication or better understand patterns that have developed over time.
- Couples experiencing change such as becoming parents, blending families, changing careers, retirement or other major life transitions.
You do not need to be experiencing relationship difficulties to benefit. Many couples use PREPARE/ENRICH simply because they want to keep building a healthy relationship.
What does it explore?
Depending on your circumstances, the assessment looks at areas such as:
- Communication: How you express your thoughts, feelings and needs, and how well you listen to one another.
- Conflict resolution: How you manage disagreements, respond under pressure and work towards solutions.
- Personality: How your individual personalities influence your relationship and the way you respond to each other.
- Financial management: Your attitudes towards money, spending, saving and financial decisions.
- Intimacy and affection: Your expectations and experiences of emotional and physical closeness.
- Family and upbringing: How your family backgrounds and earlier experiences shape your relationship today.
- Roles and responsibilities: Your expectations about decision-making, household responsibilities and working together.
- Stress: How personal and shared pressures affect your relationship.
- Children and parenting: Your expectations about raising children and balancing family life.
- Values and beliefs: The beliefs, priorities and spiritual perspectives that influence your decisions and shared life.
The purpose is to develop a better understanding of each other and encourage constructive conversations about the things that matter.
How does the process work?
Step 1. Complete the online assessment
Each partner completes their own questionnaire independently.
The time needed varies, but the online questionnaire is usually completed in around 30 minutes per person. You answer questions about your experiences, perspectives and expectations within your relationship.
You do not need to prepare or study beforehand. Just answer openly and as accurately as you can.
Step 2. Understand your results
Your responses are used to prepare a personalised relationship report, highlighting areas of agreement, strengths and potential opportunities for growth.
The results can reveal where you understand each other well and where you may have different expectations or perspectives.
Step 3. Explore your relationship together
With your counsellor or trained facilitator, you work through the results in a supportive and structured setting.
This provides an opportunity to explore topics you may not have discussed in depth, recognise patterns in your relationship and gain a better understanding of each other's experiences.
Step 4. Develop practical relationship skills
PREPARE/ENRICH includes exercises and tools designed to help couples put what they discover into practice.
These can include improving listening skills, communicating more clearly, managing disagreements, exploring expectations and setting shared goals.
The number of sessions and areas of focus can be tailored to your relationship.
How many sessions will we need?
Most couples attend between three and five sessions to explore their PREPARE/ENRICH results and work through the areas identified in their assessment.
The number of sessions depends on your relationship, the topics that emerge and how much you would like to explore together.
There is no fixed number of sessions required. We can discuss what would be most helpful for you and adjust the process as needed.
Sessions are charged at our standard couples counselling rate.
What can we gain from it?
Couples often discover that the greatest benefit comes from the conversations the assessment creates.
PREPARE/ENRICH can help you:
- Understand each other's perspectives more clearly.
- Recognise and appreciate your existing relationship strengths.
- Identify recurring patterns that create misunderstandings.
- Discuss important expectations before they become sources of conflict.
- Develop practical skills for handling differences.
- Make informed decisions about your future together.
- Set meaningful goals for your relationship.
For couples preparing for marriage, it provides an opportunity to explore important issues before beginning married life.
For established couples, it offers a structured way to check in with each other and continue growing together.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to be getting married?
No. PREPARE/ENRICH is suitable for couples who are dating, engaged, married or in long-term committed relationships.
Do we complete the questionnaire together?
No. Each person completes their assessment separately so their individual experiences and perspectives can be reflected in the results.
What happens if our answers are very different?
Different responses can help identify topics worth exploring together. The goal is to understand those differences and find constructive ways to address them.
Can we fail the assessment?
No. There is no pass or fail result. Every relationship has strengths and areas where it can grow.
Is PREPARE/ENRICH religious?
The program is used in both secular and faith-based settings. Questions about spiritual beliefs and values can be included where relevant to the couple.
Is this the same as couples counselling?
PREPARE/ENRICH is a structured assessment and relationship education program. It can be used on its own with a trained facilitator or incorporated into broader couples counselling.
For relationships experiencing significant distress or more complex concerns, additional counselling support may be appropriate.
PREPARE/ENRICH at Providence Counselling
At Providence Counselling, we recognise that every relationship has its own story.
PREPARE/ENRICH offers a practical framework for exploring that story together. It helps us identify the strengths you already share and focus our conversations on the areas that matter most to you.
Whether you are preparing for marriage, navigating a new stage of life or wanting to invest in your relationship, we can discuss whether PREPARE/ENRICH would be a suitable part of your counselling journey.
Interested in PREPARE/ENRICH?
Contact Providence Counselling to discuss the program, the assessment process and how it could work for your relationship.
Further information
For more information about the program, visit the official PREPARE/ENRICH website: