Many couples make a long-term commitment this time of year.

For this reason, the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Iowa State has created an inexpensive way to help couples: a premarital therapy clinic.

“It’s just a continuation of the services we offer here as part of the marriage and family therapy clinic,” said Marcia Michaels, assistant professor of human development and family studies. Michaels is one of the people responsible for initiating the premarital counseling service at ISU.

“We want people to know this is a place they can go,” she said.

Michaels said the premarital clinic is for couples in relationships who are thinking about marriage or have made some kind of commitment to each other, not just for couples with problems.

“It’s for relationships that don’t have problems because we want to prevent the problems,” Michaels said.

Michaels said therapy is offered to students, faculty and staff.

Sarah Gellhaus Thomas, a premarital counseling therapist, said premarital therapy is becoming popular and more successful at preventing relationship problems.

“There is evidence of premarital therapy decreasing divorce and increasing satisfaction for marriage,” said Thomas, teaching and research assistant of human development and family studies.

Kimberly Scott, sophomore in sociology and pre-advertising, said she would probably go to premarital therapy simply because she knows it will help out with later problems she and her boyfriend may encounter. Scott has been dating her boyfriend for a year and a half.

“It might help with future problems, help us understand each other more and benefit our relationship,” she said.

Typically, Thomas said the couples will participate in three different 50-minute therapy sessions. The first session will concentrate on each partner taking a multiple-choice questionnaire, which will be evaluated with the couple during the second session.

During the second session Thomas said she’ll go over the results of the questionnaire with the couple. The third session concentrates on the expectations and resolutions the couple has for their future relationship, Thomas said.

Each of these sessions, which Thomas said can continue past the usual three, costs $5.

The sessions take place in the clinic offices of the Palmer Building on campus. Thomas said appointments can be made for days or evenings by calling 294-0534.