PRE-MARITAL/MARRIAGE COUNSELING
Since Adam and Eve, there has been conflict within marriage. Paul exhorts in Ephesians, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Although this encouragement is meant for all believers interacting within the body of Christ, we may most frequently and consistently need to apply it within our marriages and our families. In our current “cancel culture,” bearing with one another in love, seeking peace and unity, taking responsibility for our actions, and extending forgiveness are not popular narratives - however it is what is commanded of us.
Although the Scriptures should be our primary means of evaluating and strengthening our marriages and families, we also will consider some components of the The Gottman Method of couples counseling in our work together. In doing so, we will be able to seek what it means to pursue being “one flesh” - gaining an intimate knowledge of each other in a way which we would not seek in other human relationships. The Gottman Method evaluates many things, including the “friendship” in your relationship, whether you have a generally positive or negative perspective of each other, how you move through conflict (along with practical conflict resolution skills), intimacy/connection, how you honor life dreams together, and how you create shared meaning in your relationship based on values and beliefs. We also look at the levels of trust and commitment in your relationship, working through any betrayals of trust and/or questions of commitment.
Gottman Method Couples Counseling can be beneficial to both married couples as well as pre-marital couples who are looking to build a solid foundation for their relationship. Pre-marital counseling may also include other resources/activities meant to prepare the couple to take the next step in marriage.
“One of the great gifts of relationship and marriage—and there are many—is the ability to see the world through the eyes of another person, intimately, deeply, profoundly, in a way we’re almost never able to do with another human being.”