Welcome to Your
Exciting Adventure!
Your personalized journey awaits.
Preparing for a strong and fulfilling marriage is one of the most meaningful investments you can make. Marriage United utilizes the proven Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (SYMBIS) program—an award-winning, research-backed approach created by renowned authors and therapists Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. SYMBIS equips you with the tools to build a lifelong love. We're here to walk alongside you on this journey, helping you create a marriage where every moment truly matters.
What is SYMBIS? SYMBIS is a powerful program for engaged couples, newly married couples (or even couples who have been married for a long time). It provides a customized roadmap to help build a strong foundation for marriage. SYMBIS includes an online tool where each person individually takes an assessment that asks questions about psychology, upbringing, views on money, sex, and much more. When completed, SYMBIS provides detailed results of the assessment to your premarital coach. The coach will discuss the results with you during your scheduled sessions (approximately seven) regarding strengths, flaws, or potential red flags that the assessment tool discovers - and about areas of individual growth or improvement that each person needs to work on. Sessions also include discussions on ways to blend your results within the confines of your relationship. SYMBIS can be used for second marriages and blending families as well.
overview
The program is led by certified SYMBIS coaches who will guide you through a personalized pre-marriage journey, featuring an assessment, video lessons, a book, and workbooks—offering insights into how your personalities align.
session info
Each session features insightful video lessons from Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott, with facilitators helping you interpret your personalized assessment and providing practical tools and advice that coincide with your assessment.
schedule
The SYMBIS program consists of 7 sessions (following an initial "Get Acquainted" meeting with your facilitators), with each meeting lasting approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
confidentiality
Couples can speak freely, knowing that their information is kept confidential, except in crises where disclosure is necessary to protect life or meet legal requirements (e.g., threats of suicide, homicide, or abuse).
Where We Serve
Marriage United is partnered with SYMBIS coaches across Frederick, Carroll, and Howard counties in Maryland. While most coaches prefer in-person sessions, virtual sessions are also available. If all of our partner coaches are unavailable or if you are outside these areas, you can easily find a certified SYMBIS coach near you using the SYMBIS online search tool.