Relationships
Relationships are central to life's journey, but sometimes you end up on a difficult road. That’s where Fortify Christian Counseling comes in. Whether you are preparing for marriage, navigating the complexities of a long-term relationship, or seeking healing after conflict, we’re here for you. Our relationship counseling offers a faith-based approach for couples in Hoover, Alabama, to strengthen and restore their bonds with their partners. Our couples counselors integrate biblical principles with proven therapeutic techniques, providing a safe and nurturing environment where you can explore emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges. By focusing on communication, trust, and mutual understanding, we’ll build a foundation grounded in love and faith, fostering growth and deeper connection.
Our Relationship Counseling Services
Premarital Counseling
Marriage, as we are told in Genesis 2:24, is when “a man leaves his mother and father and holds fast to his wife, and the two become one flesh.” Simply put, it is two people leaving their families of origin to create a new family. As great an adventure as this is, there are often unforeseen difficulties. At Fortify Christian Counseling, our goal is to help you anticipate those bumps in the road and give you tools you can use to navigate conversations with your future spouse. It starts with premarital counseling.
The three greatest stressors in any given marriage are, in no particular order, family relations, finances, and sexual intimacy. Premarital counseling can prepare you for all of these and more. In premarital counseling, we will look at biblical principles for communication and teach you how to understand and appreciate each other’s God-given personalities. In Ephesians 5, Paul meditates on Genesis 2:24 (quoted above) and says this: “This mystery [a man and a woman becoming one flesh] is profound, and I am saying it refers to Christ and the Church.” At the end of the day, every marriage is a living illustration of the relationship between God and his people. Our couples therapists will help your marriage be an honoring image of that glorious love.
Marriage Counseling
What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy? – Gary Thomas (Sacred Marriage)
At Fortify Christian Counseling, we believe that marriage was created not merely to bring about happiness, but to chisel away our worldliness and make us more like Jesus. From the beginning, men and women were designed as relational beings, and the covenant of marriage serves as God’s picture-perfect illustration of the divine union between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. Unfortunately, God’s flawless design for marriage has been tarnished by the sinful world around us, the selfishness within us, and the enmity between us. Even within the body of Christ, countless men and women see their spouse not as an intimate ally provided by God, but as an irritating roommate, an uninteresting companion, a narcissistic bully, or even perhaps the devil incarnate.
The fact is good marriages are not stumbled upon by accident; they are developed over time, cultivated through different seasons, and fought for until “death do us part.” Sometimes, marriages require assistance in the form of couples counseling. If you feel like your marriage is at an all-time low, stuck in the same negative interaction cycle, or you are drifting further and further apart, then it may be time to ask for help. Marriage counseling at Fortify Christian Counseling in Hoover, AL, will walk you through challenges such as addiction, abuse, chronic illness, infidelity, conflict, mental illness, co-parenting and intimacy issues, blended family struggles, and a plethora of other challenges. Sessions will teach you and your partner to know each other more intimately, meet emotional needs more effectively, communicate more clearly, and sustain agape love together.
Conflict Resolution Therapy
Are you a parent of teenagers, struggling to maintain peace in your home? Do you have a hard time addressing disagreements with your boss or co-workers? Do you and your partner have arguments that never seem to get resolved?
In any type of relationship, be it personal or professional, conflict is bound to happen. It's not reasonable or realistic to expect two people to always agree on everything. Even though conflict is a normal, healthy part of any relationship, trying to deal with it when it comes up can feel anything but healthy or normal. Since disagreements are an expected part of life, learning to handle them in a positive and meaningful way is crucial. Conflict resolution therapy can teach you how to cope in challenging situations by helping you find solutions as you navigate conflict.
After an argument with a friend, romantic partner, or co-worker, you may avoid them to "keep the peace". You may hope that over time, the issue will resolve itself. By avoiding conflict or pretending nothing happened, you'll create additional tension as this unspoken problem remains between you and the other person. The next time you have a disagreement, one or both of you will be angry or resentful from the previous disagreement that was never resolved. Relationship counseling—and specifically conflict resolution therapy—will help you see conflict with your partner as an opportunity to develop your character and improve your relationships. You'll learn to successfully manage stress, control emotions, and focus on resolving the issue at hand.
If you:
- Have a co-worker you struggle to get along with
- Can't seem to come to an agreement with your spouse on important issues
- Have an argumentative friend or family member
- Want to learn how to "fight fair" with your spouse or partner
- Need help managing your emotions during an argument
- Want to find healthier, more effective ways of communicating your needs
… then conflict resolution therapy can help.
We can show you how to find the source of conflict so you can work quickly towards a resolution. Our couples therapists will teach you how to focus on a solution instead of shutting down, blaming someone else, or resenting the other person. Conflict resolution therapy will help you learn that while you can't control the other person, you can control how you respond. With this knowledge at your fingertips, you can handle any situation.
Divorce Recovery Therapy
Are you considering divorce or separation? Are you struggling to come to terms with a recent divorce? Has your divorce or separation left you feeling angry or despondent?
Just as marriage is one of life's most significant experiences, so is divorce. While recovering from divorce can be difficult, it's not impossible. Divorce recovery therapy can help you cope with the emotional and mental toll that often comes with the end of a marriage.
If you find yourself feeling any of the following:
- Unresolved hostility or resentment towards your former spouse
- Upset about your partner's infidelity, addiction or other destructive behaviors
- Feeling that your former partner didn't give your marriage a chance
- Loneliness, or worry that you won't find love again
- Guilt about things you did or didn't do in your marriage
- Grief or depression about the dissolution of your marriage
- Stress or anxiety about financial burdens
Divorce recovery therapy can help. Working one-on-one with a therapist, you can learn to accept and address feelings of anger, sadness, anxiety, guilt, or depression and find positive outlets to deal with your emotions. If you leave these feelings unresolved, they can come out later in life and affect you in unexpected and negative ways. Therapy will give you an outlet to process these emotions in a healthy way so that you can move past this moment of pain and sorrow and work to move forward in your life. While divorce is the end of one chapter, it's also the start of a brand new one. Together, we will figure out what contributed to the breakdown of your marriage and discuss what you can do to improve your relationships going forward. You have a whole lot of life and living yet to do!
Reach Out for Compassionate Couples Counseling
At Fortify Christian Counseling, we believe in the transformative power of faith and therapy. Our goal is to help couples in Hoover not only overcome challenges but thrive in their relationships. Whether you're only beginning your journey or looking to renew your commitment, we're here to support you every step of the way. Take the first step—contact us today to schedule your first session or learn more about our relationship counseling.