Frequently Asked Questions about Transformational Marriage® Counseling

  • Both partners are given the chance to share their concerns and perceptions of the
    marriage.
  • Spouses are asked to respectfully listen to each other and attempt to understand
    what concerns their partner has.
  • Focuses on rebuilding the marriage with a very positive, future focus.
  • Both partners must want to participate and want to rebuild the marriage. In marriage counseling, both partners are given the chance to share their concerns and perceptions of the marriage. Spouses are asked to respectfully listen to each other and attempt to understand what concerns their partner has. Marriage counseling focuses on rebuilding the marriage and has a very positive, future focus. In order for marriage counseling to be helpful, however, both partners must want to participate and want to rebuild the marriage.
  • Both partners are given the chance to share what they see as the strengths and challenges that their unique relationship presents.
  • All 10 Choices Successful Couples Make are addressed, with at least a full hour devoted to each of the choices
  • Skills such as disengaging from destructive conflict cycles, understanding different communication styles, and identifying when family of origin issues are affecting the marriage are all addressed.
  • Pre-marital counseling includes aspects of cognitive psychology, family systems theory, and spirituality.
  • Both partners are asked to respectfully listen to each other and attempt to understand what concerns their partner has.
  • Pre-marital counseling focuses on building strong relationship skills and has a very positive, future focus.
  • Although the principles of Transformational Marriage® are completely consistent with principles of Biblically-based Christian theology, they are also applicable to people with a variety of spiritual belief systems.

This approach involves:

  • Changing the thoughts and expectations of both partners in terms of hope, forgiveness, selflessness, and praise.
  • Aspects of cognitive psychology, family systems theory, and spirituality.
  • Focusing on the 10 Choices successful couples make

Absolutely.
The principles of Transformational Marriage® are completely consistent with principles of Biblically-based Christian theology.
However, they are also applicable to people with a variety of spiritual belief systems. — My Christian faith is a part of who I am as a person, but I do not impose that faith on my clients in any way.
If you would like spirituality to be a part of the services you receive, this is available, but only if you so choose.

I do not participate with or accept any payment from insurance companies at this time.

Yes.  In the following situations, a different referral might be indicated:

Domestic Violence

    • If there is a risk of domestic violence based on current or past behavior of either spouse, marriage counseling may not be clinically indicated.
    • A referral for domestic violence offender and victim assistance treatment may be appropriate in such cases, as bringing up difficult issues in a counseling setting, when there is already an unstable and potentially dangerous environment, may not be appropriate.

Divorce Mediation 

    • I do not offer divorce mediation services.
    • Divorce mediation services focus on issues such as child custody mediation and resolution of divorce issues.

If these services are desired, I would need to refer the couple to professionals who are trained in this specialty service.

Marriage Counseling

    • We will schedule an initial intake session (and possibly 2-3 more sessions) so that we can get to know each other and determine if we both feel that I am the right person for you to work with.
    • I recommend weekly sessions in the initial stages of treatment, with the possibility of less frequency later in the process
    • The length of treatment will depend on you, your spouse, and the issues you are dealing with in your marriage.

Pre-Marital Counseling

    • We will schedule an initial intake session (and possibly 2-3 more sessions) so that we can get to know each other and determine if we both feel that I am the right person for you to work with.
    • I recommend an initial set of six sessions to cover some basic issues that all couples should discuss before getting married. After that, ongoing sessions are recommended to address specific relationship issue unique to each couple
    • The length of treatment will depend on the issues each couple is facing prior to marriage.
    • I highly recommend that couples continue in counseling after the marriage with sessions every other week or at least once/month, as the reality of marriage is often different than the perception beforehand.

Communication between a client and a psychotherapist is confidential and written permission is required for such information to be released, unless:

    • There is a perceived risk of danger from a client towards him or herself or others that could indicate any risk of harm to a child, adult, or elderly person.
    • There is a perceived risk of potential child abuse or elder abuse by a client or reported by a client.
    • There is a court subpoena or other court order requesting or requiring release of information.
    • There is a lawsuit or worker’s compensation claim filed by a client regarding or involving a therapist.
    • There is a government request for health oversight information.

You should know that email communication is at your discretion, as this is not seen as a confidential form of communication.

At the start of any marital counseling process, I will require that both parties sign releases of information to allow me to share anything one partner shares with me with the other partner. This prevents any “secrets” in the therapeutic relationship in marriage counseling.

My usual client hours are:

Mondays – 1:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Tuesdays – 1:00 to 9:00 p.m.

My current fee for services is $200 / clinical hour

A “clinical hour” in the counseling field is usually considered 50 minutes in length