Relationship Risk Assessment Dramatically Reduces Relationship Breaking

Various research has indicated a number of factors that can negatively affect the chances of a couple enjoying a successful marriage or long term relationship: It is believed that the seeds of conflict responsible for the breakdown are often present within the relationship from day one, and are visible if you know where to look, or indeed the questions to ask. Those involved in marriage/ relationship counselling confirm the situation, continuinly reporting their surprise at the number of couples seeking help for problems or differences that were obviously and visible at the outset of the

relationship, maybe confirming the statement “love is blind”

At a small British clinic in Spain they have spent four years developing a package which incorporates a range of quite detailed psychological profiling questionnaires, designed to provide an independent method of screening and assessment of a couple’s likely compatibility in a relationship, in both the short and long term.

The system provides ‘profiling’ of the individual traits of each of the couple, and details areas of potential future conflict; it provides insights into aspects of their personality where future change or adjustment maybe required. The system has been constructed to ensure the couple are aware of the aspects of their relationship that will need the most attention on an ongoing basis and to give them the best chance of a happy and fulfilling long-term relationship.

So how does it work in practice? Each of the couple first completes a detailed questionnaire, following which they visit the clinic individually to undertake their profiling session, which normally lasts a little over two hours. During the session more questions are asked, some obvious, some covert. Techniques such as the use of ‘cluster questions’ are incorporated to ensure the counsellor obtains the real in depth answers required rather than those sometimes offered.

The relevant information from the initial questionnaires is then combined with the data gathered during the profiling sessions, the combined information is then placed in a format capable of being ‘overlaid’ on that of each partner, using a method that highlights differences, areas of conflict or where future change requirements may exist. Martin Shirran, The Elite Clinic, 1,Calle Espana, Fuengirola – Spain, 0034 951 311 591, mail@eliteclinics.com