Every marriage has its strengths and weaknesses.  Every marriage experiences peaks and valleys.  Christians are not immune to all of the challenges marriages face.  Issues related to communication, conflict resolution, intimacy, finances, parenting, and sometimes loss of trust due to infidelity.

When Christian couples experience hard times they often seek help by turning to their pastor or church.  This is a great resource and relying on your faith community is needed.  There are some limitations to consider.  Most pastors can provide support, guidance, and biblical insight.  However, most pastors are not trained marriage therapists who can navigate the complexities of relational dynamics.  Additionally, you may not want your personal and private information shared in your community.

There are pastors who will meet with a couple in conjunction with the couple participating in marriage counseling or for a few visits before referring them to a licensed Christian marriage therapist.  This is when a couple may participate in traditional Christian marriage counseling.  You and your spouse may go to see a therapist once a week, once every couple of weeks, or sometimes even once a month.  This approach is helpful and effective for some couples, however, there are other times and situation when more time and focus is needed.

What is a Christian Marriage Intensive?

A Christian marriage intensive is the intervention of choice for couples who are in crisis and need help immediately.  It is the best choice for couples who are or have attended traditional marriage counseling but are not seeing the desired results.  It is also for couples who have a good marriage and want to learn how to grow together into deeper intimacy.

In our marriage intensive program you and your spouse will meet with a Christian marriage therapist privately.  It is not a group experience, unless it is our Hold Me Tight weekend, meaning it is you and your spouse with one therapist.  Most of the time sessions are with all three participants together working towards goals that have been established in the consultation call and the pre-intensive meeting.  There are some instances when the therapist will meet with one spouse individually for further evaluation.  This is especially the case when a couple is engaged in a process of discernment.  To learn more about Discernment Counseling click here.

There are two, three, and four day options.  Determining how many days to meet is decided during the consultation and pre-intensive meetings.  We encourage couples to get away from their normal routine by staying in a hotel or another place where they can not be distracted.  In this way, our marriage intensives can be like a marriage retreat.  Taking the time to focus on your marriage, your spouse, God, and yourself in a Christian marriage retreat setting allows the space and time that is needed for deeper healing and connection.

Intensive marriage counseling is effective.  Many couples will experience healing in their marriage.  However, as powerful and as helpful as they can be we recommend that couples continue to engage marriage therapy and individual therapy after the intensive is completed.  If you are working with a couples therapist, individual therapist, pastor, or faith community we want you to continue with them.  We can coordinate with your therapist before and after the intensive which allows for continuity of care.  Finally, there is a post-intensive session where you will meet with your therapist to talk about progress, challenges, and next steps.

Reach Out and Get Help For Your Marriage Now…

If you and your spouse are ready to experience growth and healing in your marriage please reach out.  We will walk with you through the dark, broken, and scary places of your relationship that are in desperate need of grace and truth.  We offer a 20-30 minute consultation to talk about your situation and how we may be able to help.  Contact us by calling 623-680-3486, texting 623-688-5115, or emailing info@crossroadsfcc.com and mention your interest in a Christian marriage intensive.

Maybe a marriage intensive is not right for you.  If you are looking for more traditional weekly marriage counseling for your Christian marriage or even individual counseling to learn how to better deal with trust issues in your marriage please visit our website for Crossroads Counseling, click here.