Christian Marriage Counseling
Faith based Certified Marriage Counseling for Christian Couples in Southwest Florida with Peg Walsh
How Christian Marriage Therapy Works
If you are having problems within your marriage and are looking for help, I look forward to providing you with a solution. My name is Peg Walsh and I am a Certified Marriage Therapist in Fort Myers, FL. In the "Gottman Method" that I have shared with hundreds of married couples, you will gain concrete, practical tools to help stay in the present and remember that their partner is not the enemy but someone they love who loves them.
When a couple has God in their life they can get comfort in prayer, asking God to open their hearts and minds. They can ask God for patience and grace. Their faith can give them access to a rich legacy of support. It creates the opportunity and requirement for them to give up blame, be humble and look for what piece of the dysfunction belongs to them. It allows them to avoid the place of righteous indignation.
For some people their faith gives them access to kindness and compassion towards their partner that may not come so easily to others. They see their savior as an example of unconditional love and patience.
But what happens when you have faith but feel that you need more? When you need actual help and guidance to getting your marriage back on track?
When a marriage is in risk of failing or already feels like it's ending, it may feel extremely difficult if not impossible to find a solution. Often an intense argument will end with a couple not remembering the issue that caused their fight. When John Gottman was asked what couples fight about, his answer was “nothing”, meaning that the content was frequently unimportant. The issue at stake is often symbolic. In the heat of the moment they are ready to fight each other to the death (not usually physically but emotionally and verbally). This is what we call Emotional Storms.
What causes these "Emotional Storms" and how do I make them stop?
All couples come to their relationship with enduring vulnerabilities - by this I mean old wounds created in childhood or in other past experiences. These wounds have shaped them to be triggered by certain words and actions of the partner or lack thereof. When something reminds them of the painful past their defense mechanisms may automatically trigger. They may begin to scan for danger and their body-mind readies for fight, flight or freeze, the primal defense mechanisms for survival. This often happens without them being aware that they have other choices. It is swift and automatic. It is the primitive body-mind protecting them.
This is where Christian Marriage Counseling can help!
Interested in finding a certified Sex Therapist near you? Fill out our form by clicking the button below or call 718-208-6986 to schedule your free consultation!
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As a certified marriage therapist I endeavor to support faith-based marriages, whatever that faith is even if it's not Christian. I myself was brought up Catholic. I am continually in search of the path that God wants me to follow. I am not a therapist who can quote scripture to you. I am one who can support your spiritual path and your understanding of scripture and the guidance that you get from your God or your spiritual guide.
My own spiritual path has taking me on a 3-day solo Vision Quest in the Colorado mountains fasting, calling out for vision for myself and my people. I have studied different kinds of meditation for many years and obtained a Master in Divinity from a church school called Gauden University which is now defunct but held by the Church of Tzaddi. As part of that experience I was also ordained as a minister for about 10 years. I am now retired. I continue my spiritual search listening to God in my heart and in my daily meditation practice.
Countless christian married couples have found a therapist that has helped them through their issues using the Gottman Method. Below is an example of a recent couple I helped with marriage counseling:
I recently worked with a couple where the wife was declining physical intimacy frequently.
Sex was the major way he felt close to her. This is true for many men. He tried to be patient and understanding but at times he would get impatient and angry. He understood what had happened to her and it broke his heart. It helped him realize that her difficulties had little to do with him and a lot to do with her history. He learned not to personalize her declining sex as a rejection of him but as a place she was blocked at times. Still the lack in their physical life pained him.
They were making steady progress in couples therapy on this issue and mentioned their pastor talked to them. The pastor mentioned about taking back what the devil had stolen from them by not living in the past and by forgiving each other through grace. Through faith and extra help from marriage counseling, he was able to be satisfied physically and he would walk the path with her in grace. This created a sense of safety that she never felt before despite their many years together and the significant strengths in their marriage.
Start Christian Marriage Therapy
If it is your path to seek couples counseling for your faith based marriage I would be honored to assist you. Call today to explore the fit between your needs and what I have to offer.
CONTACT US!
If you want more in your life or you want greater freedom to be your best self, call me and let’s talk. I believe in always talking to a new client to see if I think I can provide what they are looking for. There is no charge for this brief phone consultation.
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Note: In praising people who have a strong faith, please understand that I am not putting them ahead of people who are not believers in God or a higher power, my intention is to point out how faith can be an additional resource to support love. Other non-faith based couples may have other resources that give similar support such as coming from an intact, happy family of origin or having a strong ethical system. There are many paths. I support the inner wisdom and knowing of each of my patients.