Marriage Counseling Archives - Christian Counseling Pasadena

Finding Flourishing Through Counseling for Toxic Couples

Finding Flourishing Through Counseling for Toxic Couples

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:52:41+00:00April 28th, 2023|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues, Relationship Issuse|

Perhaps it’s just the way God made us, but life seems better shared with others, and we seem to flourish when we are emotionally and physically close to other people. However, for toxic couples to have relationships that foster flourishing takes a lot of work. That’s to be expected, as good relationships, like most things in life worth having, require significant effort to attain. The Bible tells us that human beings are deeply flawed, and we tend to function in ways that are harmful toward ourselves and others (Genesis 3; Romans 3; Jeremiah 17:9). This isn’t to say that we are monsters, but that we have certain impulses, lapse in certain ways, aren’t consistently wise, loving, and empathetic, and these traits can lead to hurt and brokenness in our relationships. In some ways, we have to be proactive and act against our nature to have the rich and meaningful relationships that God desires for us. When we don’t resist those unhealthy impulses, toxic relationships are often the result. Healthy relationships require a lot of effort, and they do face and overcome significant challenges. However, when you’re in a toxic relationship, that will require even more effort to address those toxic elements and set the relationship on the right path. What is a toxic couple? Every couple will go through their ups and downs, and they will have periods of struggle. When two sinful people get together in a romantic relationship, spend significant amounts of time together, and attempt to bring their two lives together as a cohesive whole, there are bound to be difficulties that emerge. How do you know if the struggles you’re currently facing go beyond the norm and are deeply problematic? While all relationships have areas that could stand some improvement, what defines a toxic relationship [...]

Family Counseling: When to Seek Help

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:52:30+00:00July 6th, 2020|Family Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issuse|

Our family is important in shaping us into the people we become. From our families we learn how to interact with others, we learn customs, how to communicate, how we see the world around us and the people in it. Families come in different shapes and sizes – blended, single parent, two parents, lots of kids, a few kids, just one child, and all the variations in between. Some families are outdoor types and sporty, while others are more homebound. Some homes are quiet, while others are a hive of activity with lots of comings and goings by the adults and the kids. Practical jokes are a staple in one family, while others are more serious. For some families, fondly remembered vacation trips or warm family dinners are the norms, while for others, the word “family” conjures up painful memories of hurtful dynamics. What is true of all of us is that our families go through seasons – some of those are of heartache and struggle. Things aren’t always perfect in families, but often family members can rally around one another to make it through the crisis. When communication breaks down, conflict becomes more prevalent in your family, and disagreements unresolved, what do you do? What do you do when the struggle becomes too much, or when the harder seasons just seem to last too long, things just don’t seem to be getting any better and you are struggling to cope? When trouble crops up in your family, it can start affecting other areas of life as well, including at work, school, and in other relationships and interactions with people outside the family. Whatever your situation, your family is important to you – otherwise, you would not have looked for and found this article. We all want our family [...]

Christian Marriage Counseling: Getting Help Before It’s Too Late

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:52:21+00:00June 29th, 2020|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Relationship Issuse|

When two people meet, fall in love, and get married, it’s a beautiful thing. Your relationship with your spouse is one of the most intimate and precious relationships there is. The relationship holds much promise, but for the relationship to reach its full potential it requires the two partners to continue walking together as they face life’s challenges. As a life-long commitment made between two people and God, this relationship requires creativity and work if it is to last and succeed. The reality is that every couple faces challenges. Regardless of any differences, this is one thing all married couples have in common. These challenges will vary in how difficult they are, how long they last, and what they are about. As each couple goes through these and the stress they cause, they may have the resources to weather the storm, or they may find their joy and their relationship beginning to suffer. Emotional distance may develop between them, communication may begin to falter, or one of the spouses may react in ways that further complicate the situation. All of this is to say that while marriage is a beautiful thing, it is also fragile and needs to be cultivated to thrive. Your marriage may be stronger than ever, or you may have hit a rough patch and are facing challenges that are undermining your marriage. These challenges may stem from: infidelity poor or unhealthy communication physical and emotional abuse emotional distance between you or your spouse depression unhealthy behaviors such as substance abuse and addiction difficulties with in-laws the loss of a loved one which is proving difficult to work through post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health concerns the loss of a job anger infertility or other circumstances Seeking professional help can be effective in helping [...]

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