Approach to
Marriage Counseling
While every marriage is unique, most of the couples we work with experience similar issues. A one size fits all approach doesn’t work, but years of experience have proven that following a general outline keeps the process on track and yields excellent results. We treat each couple individually, and utilize communication skills, tools, and a solution focused approach that helps people regain hope and feel confident about their relationship.
- Assess the overall relationship to determine the area(s) in need of improvement
- Develop and implement strategies for dealing with past hurts, establishing emotionally healthy habits, and building a teammate mentality to move forward together
- Occasional check in appointments to fine tune things as needed, and keep the marriage moving in a positive direction
How Marriage Counseling Works
Most couples who come to marriage counseling list one or more of the following issues as the reason their relationship is in trouble: infidelity, communication, in-law/family concerns, children and parenting, finances, prioritization, addictions, forgiveness, unmet expectations and falling out of love. We offer an objective point of view, new insights, and proven communication techniques that you and your partner will learn to use together. These new tools will enable you to defuse arguments and solve problems as a team.
Who is Marriage Counseling For?
The short answer to this question is everyone. Whether you have been married three months, or thirty years your marriage consists of two individuals with different ideas, desires, and preferences sharing one life together. While some couples do come to counseling to address a major crisis, others find it helpful in addressing smaller issues that just seem to keep coming up again and again. In addition to the married couple, marriage counseling also benefits the children, extended family members, and friends who are emotionally invested in one or both of you. Whether you are in need of guidance to navigate through difficulty, or just want to learn ways to improve the little areas that need some work, counseling will help. Lastly, even those couples who are not yet married could still benefit from a few meetings with a professional. If you are headed towards marriage, or a long term committed relationship, couples counseling can provide tools to enrich your relationship.
Finding the right
Marriage Counselor
At Winter Garden Wellness, we have two clinicians on staff that combine for nearly forty years of counseling couples. Julie Taylor and Bryan Truelove have very different backgrounds, but one common goal of helping couples resolve issues successfully and enjoy marriage to the fullest.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ll Answer
Marriage counseling is a type of counseling that give couples an opportunity to talk about their marriage with a trained professional in a safe place. Marriage counselors help clients to identify the full scope of their marital problems and concerns. Once those have been identified, they provide the couples with tools and resources to work through these issues.
You don’t! Forcing someone into counseling rarely ends well. There are many reasons someone may be hesitant to try counseling, and those feelings should be respected. If you invite your spouse to join you in marriage counseling, and they refuse, go individually on your own. Often when they see you are serious about counseling and committed to change, they eventually choose to join you. This is a much better situation because they will be more open-minded if they don’t feel forced to be there.
Yes. The best case scenario is that the concerns are addressed, tools and skills are acquired, and you will both enjoy a healthier marital relationship. Often this is exactly what happens. While we would like to claim a 100% success rate, the truth is that not every marriage stays intact. However, counseling is still helpful because it gives you the peace of mind that is only possible when you know you have tried your very best to improve things. It can also help to minimize the damage of divorce by having support and guidance through the process. All of us go into marriage counseling working towards a happy ending, and more than not we help people reach their ultimate goal.
Counseling is not about pushing couples toward one outcome or another. Instead, it’s about helping both partners gain clarity and make thoughtful decisions. For some, that means finding new ways to reconnect and grow together. For others, it may mean realizing that the healthiest path forward is to separate. If that is the case, counseling can still be valuable by guiding couples through the process with compassion, respect, and care.
Marriage counseling creates a supportive space for both partners to share openly and be heard. A trained counselor guides the conversation, helping identify unhelpful patterns and uncover the deeper issues behind conflicts. Sessions often focus on building skills such as communication, problem-solving, and emotional connection. The counselor may meet with you together as a couple and sometimes individually, depending on what will best support progress. The ultimate goal is to give you practical tools and insight that you can take back into your everyday life.
Marriage counseling can make a meaningful difference for many couples. By providing a safe and supportive space, counseling helps partners improve communication, rebuild trust, and address challenges that may feel overwhelming on their own. While every couple’s situation is unique, many find that counseling gives them new tools and perspectives that strengthen their relationship and restore hope for the future.
At Winter Garden Wellness, each counseling session is $165. The cost is the same whether you are working together as a couple or attending individually. We provide care at a concierge level, meaning you receive direct care from and access to your therapist.
We accept out-of-network providers and are able to take Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). If needed, we are glad to provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company.
The length of counseling depends on the couple’s unique needs and goals. Some couples may find that a few sessions help them get back on track, while others benefit from longer-term support over several months. Many begin with weekly sessions and then move to biweekly or monthly check-ins as progress is made. During your consultation, we’ll work with you to create a plan that feels realistic and supportive for your relationship.
Marriage counseling can bring a variety of benefits, including:
– Improved communication and conflict resolution
– Renewed trust and emotional connection
– A stronger sense of teamwork and partnership
– Greater understanding of one another’s needs and perspectives
– Clarity about the future of the relationship
For many couples, the process also creates space for personal growth, healing, and healthier patterns that benefit not only their marriage but their overall well-being.
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Other Areas of Practice
If you want a counselor that is not just going to teach your child a few coping skills, but is really invested in working with the family to sustain positive outcomes you need to check out Julie and Winter Garden Kids. Julie was a colleague of mine and former supervisor who’s top priority has always been working in cooperation with the child and family to help maximize positive counseling outcomes. Positive encouragement, open listening, and gentle guidance are characteristics of Julie’s professionalism that I love about her approach. Julie has a contagious passion for life and enhancing the child and family relationship. Encouraging growth, exploration, and learning are all a part of what Julie does effortlessly when you work with her. For me, meeting and working with Julie has been a huge bright spot in my career as she has taught me what an exceptionally proficient, moral, ethical, Clinical Counselor truly looks like. I would highly recommend taking a look at Julie and Winter Garden Kids if you are looking for Counseling services.
I highly recommend Bryan for individual and couples therapy. He always made me feel comfortable and I felt like I could be myself which is super important when going to counseling.
Samantha’s massages always relieve my shoulder pain and IT band tension. She targets problem areas and has greatly improved my mobility. Thank you, Sam – you’re amazing!
I met with Bryan for about 8 months. I began meeting with him individually (for about 5 months) and for the final 3 months, my partner and I went together. We cannot be any more emphatic when we say that our experience with Bryan was wonderful.
Bryan demonstrates a superb level of care and commitment to his clients. He fosters an environment of openness, honesty, and acceptance that allows clients to confront their flaws and limitations in order to heal and make changes for the better. It is clear that Bryan is in this profession for all the right reasons and is gifted as a counselor. I would strongly recommend him to anyone.
Thank you Bryan!
To put it simply Bryan is a superstar! Yes, he is an excellent therapist…I have several family members and friends who have been referred to him, and he is absolutely wonderful. He has and uses a Christian foundation with his counseling and has a calm, pleasant demeanor that puts his patients at ease. He is insightful with his approach to therapy and I would recommend him to any colleague, friend, or patient without reservation.
I started working with Bryan 7 months prior to writing this review. I went alone in hopes that he could help with some relationship issues I was unable to solve on my own. Bryan has been nothing short of a miracle in my life. My story is still being written, but I look forward to my appointments with him. He is calm, kind-hearted, and genuinely wants me to succeed. He looks at every angle and gives guidance/suggestions that only betters my situation. Bryan is extremely intelligent and knows how to help people. Better than that he enjoys helping people. I will continue to refer him to anyone and everyone. True companionate people are not just hard to find but he does with the intent of actually building his patients up. I can not say enough great things about him, and strongly recommend him to anyone in need.
My husband and I met with Bryan for about 5 months. The time and money we spent were without a doubt, one of the very best investments we have made for our marriage. The care and commitment with which Bryan treats his clients are outstanding. He patiently, kindly, and honestly helps clients understand situations or wounds with clarity to which he offers sound and concrete steps towards healing. Bryan helped my husband and I to grow as individuals as well as together as a couple, and our marriage was strengthened tremendously.
After our marriage counseling concluded, I continued to meet with Bryan individually for about 3 months. Bryan helped me to understand my need for a better relationship with God which sent me on a journey that completely changed my life. I continue to live with the same struggles (from an incurable medical issue) yet I no longer suffer from the debilitating depression it used to cause me. I will never be able to adequately thank Bryan for the gift his counseling gave me and my marriage.
I would highly recommend Bryan to anyone.
Thank you, Bryan!