Evidence-Based Premarital Counselling: A Clinical Guide for Practitioners

Abstract

Objective: To determine a suitable content for Premarital counselling (PMC) programs in Kenya.
Background: PMC is associated with positive marital outcomes, like stability, quality, and satisfaction. Yet, PMC effectiveness and utilization remain low globally. Inadequate training of the PMC practitioners and inadequate content coverage are contributing factors. No Kenyan study has explored contextually relevant content for PMC.
Method: The research was qualitative, guided by interpretivist and constructivist paradigms of Grounded Theory. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving twelve PMC counsellors, male clergy members offering PMC, and twenty PMC beneficiaries married for 15 to 28 years. The couples and the clergy were conveniently drawn from four churches in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties, while counsellors were recruited from Nairobi County. The data were collected in April 2025 through clergy in-depth interviews, self-administered couple questionnaires, and counsellor-focused group discussions. Data cleaning and frequency analysis were conducted in R, followed by thematic analysis.
Results: Ten themes emerged, comprising: marriage institution and legislation; creating self and spousal awareness; family roles and responsibilities; communication skills and conflict resolution; personality and character; religion, Christianity, and spirituality; financial management; tradition and cultural dynamics; sex, sexuality, and family planning; and social life and modernism.