To answer this question, it’s probably best that I share with you a defining moment, and a resulting “compelling story”, that brought me to where I am today – coaching people like you on exactly how to reclaim the love, passion, and connection in your marriage - even if you think it's over. That defining moment in my life happened in 2009.

Years into counseling couples and families, I started to notice a disturbing trend. The statistics for happily married couples weren't budging. Too many marriages were still ending in divorce, and now, in the wake of the worst financial collapse in decades, people were staying together because it was too expensive to get divorced or because it wasn’t compatible with their faith beliefs.

I got into this field because I was a child of divorce. Not just one - but between my mother and father – several!

I had made up my mind early in my life that I didn't want other children to be in broken homes if it could be helped. I was so passionate about it that I studied it in school, got licensed, and now had a budding marriage and therapy practice.

I loved the opportunity of helping couples experience as much joy, connection, and happiness as the day they said "I do" especially when two people show up to fight for their marriage.

And now, too many couples were coming to my practice where the therapy wasn't working. I was so devastated that I thought I might stop working with married couples altogether.

All I kept saying to myself was: “Do couples just fall out of love? Is it true that marriages CAN last a lifetime? Do people just naturally grow apart? How is it possible, after years of marriage, to find romance again with the same partner? Are there times marriages can’t or shouldn’t be restored?"

I made a decision right then and there that I was going to figure out this whole “marriage recovery thing,” this process that would allow married couples to be as in love as the day they said "I Do" - even if it killed me!

At that very moment, I made a commitment to immerse myself in absolutely everything that had to do with success: I researched the marriage repair interventions and found the one working! I went to the cutting-edge location and was trained - over 100 hours. I entered into my Ph.D. program, incorporated the spiritual component of this intervention, and even conducted the research to test this model scientifically for my dissertation! Talk about a turnaround! I made my intentions to become the best marriage expert in the country, especially for Christian couples.

I presented my research results around the country at conferences and training. I began seeing more and more couples, even providing an intensive format so couples from all over the country could get relief and major results of what was once a four to six-month process in weekly/biweekly traditional outpatient therapy - now in just two days. Couples were coming in hopeless and leaving happy and in love again. I had gone from feeling helpless to seeing incredible results! I felt I was fulfilling my purpose! My practice was thriving with word-of-mouth referrals.

I watched their relationships come back to life, their sense of connection deepens and their confidence with each other and their future SOAR too! I have since made a commitment to dedicate the rest of my professional life to helping other married couples rediscover that the love of their life is very possibly the person they said yes to once upon a time. I teach them to break through their inner blocks, heal wounds of the recent or long-ago past to have the Christian-based marriage of unending love, commitment, fun, and passion they always wanted and have dreamed of since their wedding day and as God designed.

Since then, I’ve worked with many private clients, spoken in front of countless groups. I have created The Marriage Momentum Program highlighting the Marriage Made Whole™ intensive system, a series of 10 important inner and outer steps every married couple needs to apply to get out of their own way and live their own version of happily ever after in record time.

I work with couples just like you who are not ready to throw in the towel on their marriage. The ones that don’t want their marriage to become one of the nearly half that end in divorce. They are willing to do whatever it takes to show that their marriage is worth the investment of time and resources.

I work with couples that are in crisis and need relief fast. Some couples have tried the typical counseling format of one-hour-a-week outpatient settings and haven’t been able to make headway on the core issues creating pain in their relationship.

I work with couples whose faith background informs them that there is more at stake within their marriage than just the two of them. They take their faith beliefs and practices seriously and meant their vows on their wedding day. They desire to work as hard as possible to honor those vows they made before God, family, and friends.

I work with couples who do not present with any of the contra-indicators making couples therapy unrecommended such as domestic violence, unaddressed addiction, unstabilized mental health challenges, or increased infidelity. In these circumstances, the evidenced-based practice would be for the individual to engage in counseling prior to the couples counseling setting, making it emotionally safe for each partner in the room to re-attach to one another.

Starting the process of choosing a marital counselor can be an overwhelming process. In fact, studies show that couples consider making that first appointment for a minimum of four years before actually going. One of the reasons is not knowing who to go to. Considering that your marriage is the most important relationship, you can never be too careful. As a marriage expert, I can help you make a well-informed decision of why placing your confidence and trust in me is the BEST decision.

The approach to counseling can be just as important as the credentials behind one’s name. There are many kinds of licensed professionals that can legally charge for marital counseling. Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Clinical Psychologists (Ph.D./PsyD), and Pastoral Counselors are all “qualified” to charge and these credentials are regulated by one’s state licensing board. However, being legally allowed and actually having the necessary training to be effective are two different things. Many practitioners will use an individual model of counseling for both their couples and individual clientele. Outcome studies show this type of marital counseling is NOT EFFECTIVE. Many of my couples who have tried a variety of counselors prior to coming to me have reported that some of them have allowed them to have the same distressing dialogues in their office as they do at home with relatively little intervention from the therapist. Choosing a therapist that is specifically trained in an effective model of couples/marital counseling is vital to the SUCCESS of finding and repairing romantic attachment again. I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the foundation of my approach. Research on EFT shows about 90% of couples significantly improve, and it is one of the most thoroughly researched couples therapies available. There are others out there that simply call themselves coaches without any educational or professional training at all. The coaching industry is not currently governmentally regulated so be careful!

There should be science to match the model of counseling that is used. Unlike times in the past, mental and emotional issues interventions come from well-researched science. It is not necessarily a guessing game or a theory from educated philosophical theorists. The research reveals the science. The science guides and informs the building of the intervention. I am well-versed with the science that came before my model of intervention, as well as, the science on MY MODEL because I conducted the testing research on it. I incorporated this into my approach in my Ph.D. dissertation. In the case of marital counseling, the field of science in the area of attachment and romantic love has grown exponentially in the most recent years. Science shows that reproduced experiences in the counseling room with the appropriate use of emotions, rather than avoidance or destructive use of emotions, are healing and curative. I have seen just that in my many years of experience working with couples through the use of my approach.

As a Christian, the model and science should not contradict Scripture. It is a well-researched fact that most Christian couples desire to choose a counseling environment that incorporates some type of faith-based element to the setting. With that being said, the counseling field is beginning to recognize that addressing the whole person emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually while honoring each person’s spiritual beliefs and values brings more holistic results. I know about and am sensitive to Christian couples, especially in the arena of marriage which brings about a CONFIDENCE that incorporates safety and a working alliance necessary for the work in the sessions. EFT is a model that is not in conflict with Scripture. God reveals himself both through Scripture and Creation (science). He is not confusing. I incorporate the God attachment scientific literature, where God is a part of the marital relationship, to the EFT model. As a board-certified professional Christian counselor, I bring the spiritual objectives into the model, as the couple is comfortable, allowing the sensitivity to couples that they are most looking for.

The therapist is an important factor. Finding the right fit between the therapist and couple is a bigger part of therapy than most understand. Research consistently shows that the relationship between client and counselor is one of the strongest predictors of whether counseling helps. The alliance that is built between the client and counselor, the safety that is felt in the sessions, and the belief in the effectiveness of the professional all provide the necessary basis from which the good work is done. Literature also supports that Christian clients search for like-minded therapists that share their same value set. As a Christian myself, I am comfortable answering any personal questions along these lines that will bring a comfort level to the choice you are making. My style is warm, empathic, directive, non-judgmental with some humor thrown in as well. I know during my call with you that this will ring true.

There should be a specific structure to the course of the counseling objectives. As a 30+ year veteran to this field, I cannot tell you how often I hear from couples that they have been to several other counselors in the past but are not able to answer my questions of what type of treatment they received, what objectives were identified, and how many sessions were recommended. They just simply quit going when things seemed better, or not. I have a clear structure in The Marriage Momentum and The Marriage Made Whole™ intensive program. It specifically maps out how marriages can get through the necessary constructs for overall change and emotional shifts. This program has specific steps that build on one another to a specific destination and end. It ensures that you are moving forward and not just showing up to talk about “issues” for an hour without seeing and feeling results. In fact, the INTENSIVE model where I see one couple for two or three days has been shown as a more EFFECTIVE format. My format allows a couple to see quick results without having to stretch counseling over months at a time, allows for the couple to take the time to just focus on their relationship without having to do other life responsibilities, allows for anonymity by allowing couples to travel to a destination outside their community if applicable, and makes the best use of the counseling time not having to waste time transitioning in and out of hourly sessions.

The Marriage Momentum program is used both as a stand-alone or as the follow-up to the intensive which is fully online, allowing the ease of participation from your own home wherever you live, the busyness in marriages, and the chapter of juggling children. The world of virtual skills we find ourselves in makes this format very popular. The Marriage Made Whole™ intensive component is highly recommended to be in-person.

The Marriage Made Whole™ intensive and the Marriage Momentum program were created for people who are absolutely excited and dead-serious about finding healing from pain from the past, finding a way to communicate that brings deep emotional connection and understanding, and falling in love with their marriage partner again.

It means your searching for the right expert and fit is over. This process was created for you to put the right steps into place so within a few days/weeks will lead you to make your marriage whole and allow you to experience the deep emotional bond you have been desiring.

Being a fellow Christian, I’m known to work best with other couples who are committed to their values and success no matter what, who are super ready to get going, and just want to know exactly what steps to take to make their marriage whole again. My clients often tell me - “just tell me what to do and I’ll do it!” Consider what you’ll do with me to be a high-octane crash course on everything you need to know to find a romantic attachment with your spouse. You will be expected to take serious and consistent action. No excuses anymore, just a very different way of thinking, acting, and full support while you achieve this incredibly exciting goal: making your marriage whole!

Please know I’m very selective in who I work with, choosing to turn away people who aren’t suited for my programs and won’t get the results for which they would have signed up for. I do not want to waste your time or resources. The Marriage Momentum and Marriage Made Whole™ intensive are not for those who aren’t ready to make an investment into healing and recovery of their marriage. If you fall within this category, it’s absolutely OK. Do yourself three favors:

Take some time to make some financial arrangements so that you can, again, place the importance of your marriage on the forefront.

Sign up for the free Facebook group. This community will get you started towards your goals until you’re ready to work with me one-on-one. You can join here.

Make a point to read my e-newsletter. Here is the link to sign-up. The tips will give you LOTS to think about until we are able to work together.

Doing these three things will really help you get primed for our work. When you’re ready, call me and we’ll get you started. I’m in no rush and will be here when you need me.

Congratulations on making a decision for making your marriage your top priority! I’m happy to work with you to achieve your relationship wholeness. The most effective approach to this is working with me in the Marriage Made Whole™ marital intensive setting where you will achieve all of the things in your marriage that other couples have achieved. If you are ready to move forward and secure your dates for this, we can do this after our call. I look forward to working with you!