My wife and I did it(live together for a year) before getting married. It had NOTHING to do with sex, it was just a matter of seeing if we could tolerate each other. lol as for counseling....never been to one for anything and don't see how a complete stranger can help a couple or anyone. never did and still don't understand how people pay a stranger to listen to their potential problem. I got friends and family that i can talk to if i need to bend someones ear.
btw, I get the point it's not about the sex... and by "counseling" I'm really not talking about paying for it, per se.
I'm involved in a Christian community that involves church, family, my own personal life etc. There is a L O T of wisdom out there that is available for those who seek it. Involving both people, learning what a commitment is, learning what a covenant to each other is. Learning what giving your own word and making a vow is all about. Things like that.
The old concept of being "betrothed" involved exactly what your talking about, where in those old cultures the husband assumed marriage responsibility for the wife without sex. Today the term "courtship" involves the same thing without having to live together. "Tolerate" carries a lot of meaning, but living together is not necessary if you both approach it right.
