Nothing can bring as much joy—and possible dismay—as marriage.
The challenge of marriage is much like the challenges of cooking. Even if you love it, you’ve got to find the right ingredients. And even when you have them, it tends to get messy. But at least with cooking you have a secret recipe. In marriage there is no clear cut list of steps. That’s why marriage counseling can be so invaluable. It gives you an opportunity to explore all the ingredients that make marriage wonderful, while identifying and reinventing the elements that aren’t working.
To have a marriage that feels like joy, not drudgery, takes a commitment to learning and hard work. There is always work, and sometimes hard-work, in marriage. And then there are the seasons of loving-patient-forgiving-agonizing-soul-stretching work. As a marriage counselor, I will stand with you and guide you through reinventing your relationship, even if there’s a great deal of soul work involved. There may be challenges and heartache along the way, but when we approach marriage with an eye towards what is possible, there can be great fun, great learning, and great hope.
In marriage counseling, we will be aware of the three most common culprits that undermine matrimony: money, sex, and children. We will explore any other wanted or unwanted dynamics at play in your relationship. We will uncover hidden conversations that may be driving unwanted patterns. As we uncover them, we will reinvent them. Therapy, quite simply, can be an effective way of engaging all these conversations in a way that will lead to intimacy and connection rather than anger or frustration.
Marriage counselors have a variety of tools at our disposal, but I particularly like to use experiential, family systems, and solution-focused therapies. That means that we will employ many tools as we create strategies for addressing conflicts, communicating honestly, and expressing love and care.
No matter the current predicament that has left you seeking help, my hope is to rekindle the passion of your relationship, while leaning on the foundation of a life-giving and fulfilling relationship. You fell in love with each other for a reason. My hope in marriage counseling is to find the road back to your original commitment as we move towards the future that you long for.
An article by Chris Roberts: Why Marriage Counseling in Nashville, TN?
An article by Chris Roberts: Marriage Counseling is Hard. Why?
An article by Chris Roberts: How to Help Love Grow in Your Marriage.
