Predicting Divorce

Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain. (SANEPR.com) November 20, 2007 -- “Together Forever” - Relationship Risk Assessment

The cost of the average wedding is £15,000; the cost of a divorce is nearly double at £28,000. In 2003, there were 180,000 first marriages and 126,000 second marriages; in the same year there were 155,000 divorces. Of course the very real and sometimes dramatic emotional effects of a relationship break down often overshadow any financial implications.

Research by phsycologists and other professionals 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 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 probably visible at the outset of the relationship, “often love really is blind”.

At a small British clinic in Spain they have spent four years developing a service which incorporates a range of quite detailed psychological profiling questionnaires and techniques, designed to provide a highly accurate independent process of screening and assessment regarding 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; providing insights into aspects of their personality where future change or adjustment maybe required and highlighting the areas requiring initial attention.

So how does it work in practice? Each of the couple first completes a detailed questionnaire, following which they visit the clinic to individually undertake profiling sessions, each 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, question threads and loop questions” are incorporated to ensure that only reliable and truthful data is gathered.

The relevant information from the initial questionnaires is then combined with the data gathered during the profiling sessions, the collective information is then placed in a format capable of being ‘digitally overlaid’ on that of each partner, using a method that highlights differences, areas of conflict or where future change requirements may exist. Finally a written report is prepared and either mailed to the couple or presented to them at the clinic if they wish to re visit, either way they each have a chance to question the facilitator regarding the findings.

Pre marriage questionnaires, designed to assess a couples likely hood of long term ‘relationship bliss’ have existed for many years. This system however offers couples a professional and clinical assessment, one that incorporates a range of physiological techniques designed to ensure that the results presented offer an acceptable level of accuracy, all results of course being facilitator assessed. It is hoped that this new couple profiling method will dramatically reduce the chance of a relationship breaking down due to existing or future incompatibility issues.

The Elite clinic in Spain has provided relationship counselling for a number of years, helping clients from around the world. Now in addition to providing Relationship Risk Assessment Elite will be exclusively undertaking the training of RRA counsellors/facilitators intending to offer the specialised service under licence worldwide.