Pre-union counseling: A call to action

Premarital counseling with heterosexual couples has been discussed with frequency in the counseling literature; however, little has been written about strategies and practices to serve same-sex couples planning to enter life partnerships. This article provides an overview of pre-union counseling, a new specialization designed to provide preventive, relationship-enhancing counseling to same-sex couples who are planning to marry or partner. A review of the premarital counseling and same-sex couples counseling literature serves as a foundation for pre-union counseling recommendations (content areas, goals, and format) with gay male and lesbian couples. Future research and scholarship needs regarding pre-union counseling also are discussed.