Have you and your spouse become that couple that you promised yourself you would never become before you were married and became one? That couple that’s always bickering. That couple that no matter what they do, they just cannot seem to find peace. The kind where it’s completely apparent that they’re always frustrated with one another. The flame is out and the spark that was once there is gone.

It's unfortunate, but this type of relationship is more common than we'd like to admit. As Christians, our divorce rate is above 50% which is the same or higher than that of non-christians. For the first time in the history of our country we have more single parent families than families where there is both a mother and a father in the home.

So what's really wrong?

Why are we still facing an epidemic of divorce in the Christian church when there are all these books, sermons, programs who knows what else all promising to teach you how to make your marriage succeed? Let us become the ones to make a difference in our society and work to put an end to this vicious cycle. Christian Counseling through Belief Therapy can be the answer to the challenges you are currently facing in your marriage.

To fully understand Christian Counseling we must first understand that God is our counselor, Jesus is the wonderful counselor and the Holy Spirit is our counselor. Mature Christians are exhorted to encourage others, warn the idle and help the weak. (1 Thess. 5:11;14). Most Christians who counsel believe that God is the author of all truth and that the Bible is the authoritative guide in the counseling process. Sound psychology is used to promote change and wholeness in the counseling relationship when it supports scripture, such as holding people responsible for their behavior and helping people change their thinking and behavior to coincide with truth. Christian counseling evaluates and considers the mental, physical and spiritual needs of people using a process in which the Bible is the authoritative guide.

As Christian counselors we recognize our work as redemptive and restorative in character. We bring the entire counseling enterprise under the lordship of Christ. The core issues addressed in helping your marriage are:

• exploring personal problems, purpose, significance and longings
• establishing meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ and with others
• developing biblical self-worth, thinking, choices and behavior experiencing a wholesome emotional state.

Christian Counseling - The Differences

As a general rule, both Christian counseling and secular counseling share the same desire to help people overcome their problems, find meaning and joy in life, and become healthy and well-adjusted individuals, both mentally and emotionally. Most counselors have graduate degrees and have spent years learning their craft.

The word "counseling" can have multiple meanings, including offering advice and encouragement, sharing wisdom and skills, setting goals, resolving conflict, etc. Counselors usually probe the past (whether the problem happened a week ago or during childhood) in an attempt to repair the present. Sometimes they explore possible affects of physical and chemical imbalances that can cause physiological problems. A major part of counseling is resolving and restoring conflicts between people.

The C.A.R.E. Technique of Counseling

There are as many various techniques of counseling as there are counseling theories. Each technique emphasizes whatever a counselor theory is trying to achieve with a client. In the case of Belief Therapy the emphasis is on what one believes and doesn’t believe. As Certified Belief Therapists we find the C.A.R.E. technique to be most effective. It’s fundamental objective is to assist a client to change what they are believing that is keeping them from finding the “peace of God, which passes all understanding” (Phil 4:7), believing the LIE. to believing the TRUTH that sets them free (John 8:32) from the bondage of the LIE. All problems in life become bondage to a person as long as that person believes the lies of Satan concerning themselves, others and God. Therefore, Belief Therapy assists a client to learn and appropriate the TRUTH found only in Jesus Christ. C.A.R.E. is the implementation of this process. People do what they do because they believe what they believe.

• Clarification
• Assessment
• Resolution
• Experience

WHAT IS MARRIAGE COACHING?

We believe that most marriages have a good foundation! After all, you did fall in love with each other! You married your spouse because you were in love and knew that nothing would ever separate you. Many times it is not so much about going back to discover what it was like when you first met but just fine tuning the basic core principles of relationships. Marriage Coaching helps you rediscover each other and what drew you to each other in the first place. It also helps you to learn, or perfect, the skills you need to keep the love you have for each other alive and growing!

Marriage Coaching is a professional client-focused service where the couple is assumed to be healthy, powerful, and able to achieve relationship goals with effective support, information and guidance. As Marriage Coaches, we don’t give advice! We come along side of you in a purposeful manner, which helps you to see difficulties in a different light. We provide the support, encouragement, and accountability to help you accomplish the goals you set for your marriage!

Our coaching process is a faith-centered approach that helps you to live God's plan for a joy-filled marriage while developing practical skills to keep your marriage relationship strong. You and your spouse will be coached as a couple. We help you to identify, set and achieve your personal goals for your marriage. We come to you with an Apostolic approach helping to set things in order. Our plan is to lead your marriage to the final victory. We will even share practical insights from our marriage when beneficial. You should expect to receive the following from us:

• Structure: Goals, actions, covenant, clear expectation
• Relationship: Change comes through people not programs
• Peer: Not an authority relationship but a friendship
• Coaching Approach: Drawing out of you instead of telling you or giving advice
• Growth: A strategic relationship with a purpose to grow

We will help you to:

• Obtain a Christian vision about marriage
• Learn practical tools to build and strengthen your marriage
• View problems as opportunities to serve your spouse
• Communicate effectively and manage conflict
• Negotiate hurdles that keep you stuck
• Build or restore trust
• Renew appreciation and affection
• Release and heal old baggage
• Learn to forgive as God forgives
• Build a strong foundation for your marriage

We know marriage is supposed to be full of love through better or worse, richer and poorer and till death do us part. However, most of us don't know how to live this through the realities of everyday life. We are here to help you develop a marriage that will fulfill you for the rest of your life! In a simple and relaxed setting, you are able to focus on how to move ahead rather than dwell on the past. You are able to develop a plan to keep growing personally and together as a couple through honoring, supporting and loving one another.