6 Distinctions From Other Marriage Counselors
1. Our Session Length
Our weekly sessions are two hours in length. Scott reviews the previous week at the beginning of each session, and the remaining time is divided equally between the spouses to address one or two issues they want resolved. This allows each partner a significant amount of time to address their own individual issue.
2. No issues are left unresolved
Every concern is addressed and resolved, and a commitment is made by both spouses to do the work necessary to solve the issue. Growth assignments are provided to enable healthy changes to take place. Most couples have 12-18 presenting problems, and finish in 10 weeks.
3. The past is handled quickly
We discuss, but don't dwell on the past. The goal is to create a New Reality in the present in which each partner is becoming the Man or Woman of their Spouse's Dreams.
4 . We come from a Christian Perspective, but also provide counseling to those who are not Christian
We believe God is the author of marriage, and He desires every couple to grow closer to Him and to each other. We find a Christian perspective helpful in resolving a whole host of issues, including forgiveness, motivation, decision-making, sacrifice, etc. And, we bring that perspective into our counseling sessions when we are counseling Christians.
However, we also counsel non-Christians where we do not refer to the Bible, etc. Instead, we tackle the same issues from a different perspective and have seen very good outcomes.
5. Weekly email correspondence
After every session, an email is sent to both partners as a reminder of the commitments and decisions that were made during the session. This weekly communication keeps the couple focused and on-task, so they are more likely to keep the commitments made during the session.
6. We won't break the bank.
At $49 per hour, we've tried to make this affordable for every couple. And because we're solutions-focused, most couples (even affair situations) are finished by session 10. We also offer a An Introductory Special for only $ 69 to help the couple decide if this program will work for them (see the "Intro Offer" tab above).
Our Perspective
Scott and Cindy are evangelical Christians who believe that the Bible is God's handbook for dynamic living.
According to Scott, "For Christian couples, the biblical themes of forgiveness and hope represent foundational themes in our counseling. As Jesus Christ has forgiven us, we (his children) are called to exhibit similar forgiveness in our marriages."
Scott continues, "Furthermore, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the transformation He can bring, NO CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE is without hope for dynamic and lasting change. We have seen God do absolutely amazing things in the lives of Christian couples and we expect Him to work in every marriage for His glory".
Scott continues, "We can and do counsel people who are not Christians. In our preliminary meeting, we ensure that the couple is aware of our Christian perspective and establish guidelines as to what is acceptable for both parties. We have seen wonderful results in non-Christian marriages as well."
CAN YOUR MARRIAGE BE SAVED?
The simple answer is "YES"!!
Scott says that, "In our experience, we have seen a significant number of marriages pulled back from the brink of divorce on more than one occasion".
Scott continues, "In one instance, the spouse was one day away from calling a divorce lawyer. In a second circumstance, the wife was dealing with an alcoholic husband who would not admit to his issues. In a third instance, an affair had taken place with one of the partners. And, in a fourth situation, one spouse was already living with another person and had filed for divorce. In all four instances, the marriages were not only saved, but they were put back together in such a way that their marriages were better than they had ever been before".
The reality is that men and women really do want a mountaintop marriage. But, contrary to what we might see in the media, getting to the mountaintop does involve some ongoing work for EVERY couple.
If both partners are willing to put a little elbow grease into it, we wholeheartedly believe that ANY marriage can reach the mountaintop. In all the years that Scott and Cindy have been doing marriage enrichment, Scott says that "we can't remember one couple who did not improve when both partners were willing to work at the relationship in a steady and systematic fashion".
Yes, your marriage CAN be saved if both of you are willing to at least give it a try.
What Makes Us Unique?
In addition to a Christian perspective, our approach is to quickly identify the root causes of issues in the relationship. Once those are determined, a solutions-based approach is employed. Most couples are finished in as little as 8-10 weeks.