As time goes by, even the best marriage encounters struggles. These marital challenges do not always indicate that your relationship is weak, but just that you are human. If you are willing to work through the problem, many issues can be solved. If you get to a point where there is no progress being made, this is the time to meet with a marriage counselor (also known as love therapy).
These counselors are available to help you and your spouse work through the challenges being faced. They are trained to specifically aid you in your decisions. However, it can be difficult to find the right counselor for you. Not only must they be trained and educated, but you must also feel comfortable and trusting towards them as you will be sharing personal information freely during your sessions. If you are in the Jacksonville area, the following counselors are great options.
Kathleen Estlund has been a counselor for over 10 years. She focuses on helping clients work through transitions in life, ensuring that they are prepared and focused on the future. She has spent time working with clients suffering from a number of different afflictions such as grief, trauma, substance abuse, and other issues that would put strain on relationships. Through this, she has become adept at understanding the desires of the client, and offering solution-based treatment of the problem. As well, she has a legal degree, and is part of the Family Court wing of the justice system, making her a great asset when dealing with divorce and family legal issues.
Estlund uses a number of different therapeutic methods such as coaching and Solution Focus Brief methods to ensure that her clients are focused and prepared on meeting their relational goals in the future. She is available to work with all ages of clientele, and offers reasonable rates. She is open to individual, couple, or group sessions depending on the obstacles being faced,
Mrs. Davis has been a counselor for the past three years. She has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, as well as an undergraduate in Christian Leadership. She has also been married for 28 years. As a counselor, she focuses on solution-based therapies that are achieved through improved self-awareness and introspective examination. Through her mixture of experience and training, she has the ability to lead her couples through their areas of weaknesses and strengths to ensure that they properly understand their relationship.
Mrs. Davis uses multiple therapies including Dialectical and Narrative methods. She offers 7-week programs to diagnose and provide methods of improvement for marriages. As well, she offers premarital counseling sessions, and can officiate weddings if requested. She offers counseling to adolescents, adults, and seniors, and is available for individual, couples, or family sessions in her comfortable and secure office. She offers reasonable rates, and her multi-faceted service allows for efficient, focused solutions and growth in your relationship.
Lifestyle Management Counseling
Ms. Stephanie A. Jones, who heads Lifestyle Management Counseling, is a Clinical Social Worker/Therapist who specializes in marital and familial counseling. She has over 8 years of experience, and works with spouses to achieve their marital relationship goals while helping to reduce the stress and discord on the relationship. Her treatments focus on the strengths of the relationship, with growth moving outward from those strengths. She believes that each situation is unique, and allows her counseling to be completed in traditional sessions or via the internet. She is an expert in web-based therapy, and sees it as a measure to deal with the lifestyle limitations of her clients.
Lifestyle Management Counseling is available for all, but has a specific focus on helping African-American, Hispanic, and Latino couples. Sessions are available in either English or Spanish, and as aforementioned, can be completed in person or via the internet. Ms. Jones uses a variety of therapeutic methods such as Cognitive Behavioral and Family Systems therapy, and uses these methods to reiterate what the clients do well, and encourage them as they grow through their weaknesses. She is available to clients as young as age 11, and offers sessions to individuals, couples, or families.
Marriage Retreats
Marriage retreats are sometimes a viable alternative to scheduled counseling sessions. While they do not offer the extended advice or personal service on the same level as a therapist, they also do not require the time commitment, and are often less expensive. These retreats are designed to create an atmosphere where spouses are able to relax and focus on solving their problems away from their usual life so that when they return, they have grown together and can deal with their everyday life in a healthy way. These retreats are often 2-3 days in length, and offer group and couples seminars with a professional counselor.
In the Jacksonville area, one opportunity like this is The Covenant Gateway Marriage Retreat. This retreat is offered by a non-profit Christian organization with the express purpose of building and strengthening marriage bonds. It works to create an environment where couples can interact in a carefree way, and also reminisce and discuss what drew them to each other in the first place. It is believed that when couples are reminded of why they were initially attracted to their spouse, they will be able to take that understanding and attitude, and be encouraged to grow together.
Read also: There are a number of marriage counselors in the Richmond area, that are available to help.