PREPARE/ENRICH vs Gottman vs SYMBIS: Which Assessment Is Right for Your Couple?

Three Assessments, Three Philosophies

If you are a premarital counselor — whether a licensed therapist, a pastor, or a marriage coach — you have likely been asked: "Which assessment should we use?"

The three dominant options are PREPARE/ENRICH, the Gottman Relationship Checkup, and SYMBIS. Each takes a fundamentally different approach to evaluating a couple's readiness for marriage.

This guide compares them head-to-head so you can make an informed choice for your practice and your couples.

Side-by-Side Comparison

| Feature | PREPARE/ENRICH | Gottman Checkup | SYMBIS | |---------|---------------|-----------------|--------| | Developer | Life Innovations (David Olson) | The Gottman Institute | Les & Leslie Parrott | | Years in use | 40+ years | 15+ years | 10+ years | | Research base | 1,000+ studies | Decades of Love Lab research | Growing evidence base | | Assessment time | 35–45 min per person | 40–60 min per person | 20–30 min per person | | Cost per couple | ~$35 | ~$50–$75 | ~$40 | | Facilitator cert required | Yes (~$200) | No (but Gottman training recommended) | No | | Dimensions measured | 30+ | 40+ | 15+ | | Faith version | Yes | No | Yes (designed for churches) | | Report style | Data-rich, clinical | Research-focused, detailed | Visual, accessible | | Best for | Clinical/comprehensive | Evidence-maximizers | Churches/accessible |

PREPARE/ENRICH: The Clinical Gold Standard

What it measures: Communication, conflict resolution, financial management, leisure activities, sexual expectations, spiritual beliefs, family and friends, relationship roles, personality, and more. Over 30 dimensions with growth area identification.

How it works:

1. Each partner completes the assessment independently online (35–45 minutes)
2. A certified facilitator receives a couple report with visual scales
3. The facilitator uses structured exercises to debrief each growth area over 4–8 sessions

Strengths:

• Most extensively researched couples assessment in existence
• Used by over 4 million couples worldwide
• Custom report is genuinely useful for structuring sessions — you do not have to guess what to focus on
• Faith-integrated version available for religious contexts
• Accepted in most states for marriage license discount programs

Limitations:

• Requires facilitator certification ($200, online, self-paced)
• Report can feel clinical — some couples find the data overwhelming
• Assessment is longer than SYMBIS
• Interface is functional but not visually modern

Ideal for: Licensed therapists, counselors, and serious pastoral programs that want the most comprehensive, validated assessment available.

Learn more about PREPARE/ENRICH →

Gottman Relationship Checkup: The Research Powerhouse

What it measures: Based on the Sound Relationship House theory — Love Maps, fondness and admiration, turning towards, positive perspective, managing conflict, making life dreams come true, creating shared meaning, and trust/commitment.

How it works:

1. Each partner completes the checkup independently online (40–60 minutes)
2. A detailed report maps the couple against Gottman's research-based relationship dimensions
3. A therapist (ideally Gottman-trained) uses the report to guide sessions

Strengths:

• Built on the most rigorous longitudinal couples research in history
• John Gottman can predict divorce with over 90% accuracy based on these dimensions
• Identifies specific destructive patterns (the "Four Horsemen") before they become entrenched
• Detailed enough to use as a therapeutic tool, not just an icebreaker

Limitations:

• Most expensive assessment
• No formal faith integration — secular by design
• Works best with a Gottman-trained therapist (certification is significant investment)
• Can feel heavy or intimidating for couples who just want a "quick check"
• Not specifically designed for premarital (adapted from general couples work)

Ideal for: Licensed therapists in clinical settings, evidence-focused couples, and situations where existing conflict patterns need to be identified early.

Find a Gottman-certified therapist →

SYMBIS: The Church-Friendly Option

What it measures: Well-being, social cognition, emotional intelligence, love styles, financial philosophy, communication patterns, and spiritual intimacy. About 15 core dimensions.

How it works:

1. Each partner completes the assessment online (20–30 minutes)
2. A facilitator receives a visual, graphically-designed couple report
3. The facilitator walks through the report over 4–6 sessions

Strengths:

• No facilitator certification required — any pastor or counselor can use it immediately
• The visual report is the best-looking of the three — couples actually enjoy receiving it
• Designed specifically for church and ministry contexts
• Quickest assessment — low barrier for couples who are skeptical about counseling
• Pairs naturally with the Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts book/curriculum

Limitations:

• Fewer dimensions than PREPARE/ENRICH or Gottman — less depth
• Less research validation than the other two
• May not be accepted for state discount programs in some states
• Can feel surface-level for couples with complex dynamics

Ideal for: Pastors, church-based programs, and couples who want an accessible entry point to premarital preparation.

Learn more about SYMBIS →

Decision Framework

Choose PREPARE/ENRICH if:

• You want the most comprehensive, research-backed assessment
• You are a licensed therapist building a clinical premarital program
• You want structured exercises paired with each assessment dimension
• Your state requires a validated assessment for marriage license discounts
• You plan to do premarital counseling regularly (certification investment pays off)

Choose Gottman Relationship Checkup if:

• You are already Gottman-trained or plan to pursue certification
• Your couples value scientific evidence above all else
• You want to identify specific destructive patterns early
• You work in a clinical (non-church) setting
• Your couples may have existing conflict that needs assessment

Choose SYMBIS if:

• You are a pastor doing premarital counseling occasionally (1–4 couples/year)
• You want no certification barrier
• Your couples are young, church-going, and may be resistant to clinical approaches
• You want a visually engaging report that builds excitement
• You plan to pair the assessment with a curriculum (SYMBIS book)

Can You Use More Than One?

Yes. Some facilitators use SYMBIS as a pre-screening tool (quick, accessible, engaging) and follow up with PREPARE/ENRICH for deeper exploration. Others use PREPARE/ENRICH for the core assessment and supplement with Gottman's specific conflict tools.

The assessment is not the counseling. It is the starting point for productive conversations. Any of these three will get you there.

Bottom Line

All three assessments are legitimate tools that make premarital counseling more effective. The right choice depends on your context:

• Clinical practice → PREPARE/ENRICH or Gottman
• Church ministry → SYMBIS or PREPARE/ENRICH (faith version)
• Limited time/budget → SYMBIS (no certification, fastest, lowest barrier)

What matters most is that you use something to surface the conversations that couples need to have before they walk down the aisle.

Find a counselor who uses these assessments →