Becky R. Davenport, Ph.D., L.M.F.T.-S. Certified Discernment Counselor, founded the Institute for Couple and Family Enhancement in 2010 after 10 years of clinical practice, teaching, and providing supervision to student clinicians. She recognized a need in the San Antonio area for specialized therapy services for couples and families. She earned her Master’s of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary’s University in 2000, and her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family studies with specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Iowa State University in 2004.

Many people in hurting marriages harbor ambivalent feelings about whether to proceed with divorce or try to work things out. Quite a few hold on to some hope for reconciliation, but they need help knowing how to take the first steps and in which direction to head.

Nicholas Wilkens, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, PLLC, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Professional Counselor, designated as an approved supervisor for both groups by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. He obtained his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 2001 after earning a master’s degree in Theology from Luther Seminary in Minnesota. Not only has Dr. Nick, as he prefers to be called,  taught graduate marriage and family therapy courses at St. Mary’s for more than 15 years, he’s served as clinical supervisor for the Family Life Center, the training clinic for interns of the graduate department of Counseling and Human Services at St. Mary’s since 2003.

Erin Ross, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, PLLC, once studied to be an attorney. She started law school desiring to help people and families. But Dr. Ross realized her gift of listening to individuals in their most difficult moments and helping them improve their relationships fit better as a marriage and family therapist.

Addiction. Depression. Anxiety. Unfaithfulness. Suicidal thoughts. Job loss. The list includes many of the reasons marriages disintegrate. Adelle and Travis Graham experienced them all – and more. But instead of letting adversity tear them apart, the couple leaned into God’s strength, pursued healing and now offer hope to others suffering similarly. 

Internationally respected couple's therapists and speakers Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., and Helen LaKelly Hunt Ph.D. dream of bettering the world through the renown Safe Conversations dialogue, and hope to spark a global social movement. Their well-known courses, trainings, and curriculums teach people how to have safe, healthy conversations.

According to Dr. Harville, “ Everybody needs to be seen, heard and valued.” Through their books and resources, Dr. Harville and Dr. Helen have impacted and continue to impact the prosperity of relationships by teaching people everywhere how to have safe conversations.

Committed, visionary leaders like the Byron and Francine Pirola will continue to pass the Catholic Church’s beliefs and values to the next generation. Their commitment has led them to serve in Catholic lay leadership roles at the parish, diocesan and national levels for more than three decades. The Pirola’s teach that “marriage is not just for life-long happiness, but a healthy marriage is central to the proclamation of the Gospel.” Through their work they’ve helped and continue to help countless couples have strong, loving relationships.

Life holds many surprises. Despite our best laid plans, we can look up like the prodigal son and realize we are not in the place we imagined we’d be.

This was the situation for author and coach Kari Trent Stageberg. Like so many young people, Kari spent a desert season away from faith and family, eventually becoming a survivor of domestic abuse. As Kari accepted God’s love and the blessing of her family, she learned that there is nothing the Lord can't heal.

Now working closely with her father Dr. John Trent, Kari co-runs StrongFamilies with him as CEO, assisting in running day-to-day operations. She also writes books and creates many resources to help the next generation of newly marrieds and young families.

Together, Dan and Danielle Macaulay are a voice for marriage as they blend their unique skills and talents to create a complete date night package for couples.

Their wisdom holds true for churches, worship teams, women’s groups, and couples they reach through their Married UP ministry. They stress that both spouses “married up,” as they are each made better by the other.

Their marriage is in trouble — real trouble. The husband or wife may have anger issues, experienced abuse or infidelity. Where do they turn for help? Isn’t counseling expensive? How does a couple even find a counselor who will offer godly advice? Isn’t it easier just to call it quits?

Houston-area Hans and Star Molegraaf, founders of Marriage Revolution ministry and long-time FamilyLife speakers, have walked in those shoes and can provide a path forward. They offer biblical resources, counseling and events “to turn your love around,” through their website, noting, “When marriage is hard, life gets harder.”

Joe and Stephanie DeMott are planning their 50th wedding anniversary next year. But things have not always been so rosy for the couple who founded Missionaries2Marriages 10 years ago and have dedicated the last 38 years of their lives ministering to couples in the U.S. and across the globe.

During their own journey of healing, they realized that they needed to pour out what they learned, as God showed them the importance of testimony.

Sue and Tony Morris remain an ordinary couple, juggling family, work and church activities. But this ordinary couple has done extraordinary things – including spearheading thousands of volunteers as they serve as leaders for Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter is the Gold Standard of Catholic marriage curricula as it continues to be the most popular faith-based marriage enrichment in the world. A non-profit movement, WWME exists as its own entity and presents more than 4,000 experiences in nearly 100 countries every year.

Leaders of the Thrive Training Program Chris and Jen Coursey define joy as “relational glad-to-be-togetherness.” Such a joy is the glue that holds our relationships together and is the expression of joy that our brains are hardwired to seek.

Through Thrive Training courses and resources, couples can remind each other of the things they appreciate, and reflect on what brought them together to re-grow the joy in their marriage.

Before she became the voice of Catholic media, Teresa spent 20 years in the secular world following her dream career in broadcast journalism. Her husband, Dominick Pastore, likewise was climbing the corporate ladder as a successful architectural engineer. They should have been on top of the world, but striving for career success had taken a toll on their relationship. Their marriage was imploding, but the more they tried to fix it in their own strength, the worse their struggles became. Six years in, the couple had run out of ideas and was almost ready to call it quits.

It was an invitation to a Bible study that changed the trajectory of their lives. The Bible Study ignited Dominick’s relationship with Jesus and once Teresa joined Dominick in study and developed her relationship with Jesus, their marriage started to grow.

God is faithful. He promises a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair… and to repay for the years the locusts have eaten.

The rebirth of Brad and Lisa Valencia’s now 22-year marriage could be described no less vividly.

Twelve years ago, it seemed their relationship was dead. Brad had walked away from life with Lisa, leaving her alone with three small children, one just nine months old. Divorce papers had been prepared. Lisa was about to sign, until a phone call from Brad caused her to pause.

He told her he felt God calling him back in forgiveness to the faith and family he’d left.

John McGee, Senior Director of Watermark Resources at Watermark Community Church is making a difference in the kingdom of God.

John established Watermark’s plan to provide a safety net for marriages in every stage. The church starts couples off strong with pre-marital prep, helps newlyweds establish good habits in the first years, enriches and strengthens marriages, and supports those struggling through highly regarded curriculum and community groups.

Pornography. We don’t talk much about it in Christian circles. It’s that dirty little secret hiding behind closed doors and computer screens quietly destroying marriages. The world’s number one site, Pornhub, estimates sixty-four million people click on its link EVERY DAY. Forty million Americans are regular users, and one in three are women.

Pastor and author Nick Stumbo serves as Executive Director of Pure Desire Ministries, the non-profit that helped him find victory over his decades-long struggle with pornography addiction and helps thousands of couples become sexually healthy.

You’ve seen them – men and women sitting in church week after week by themselves. Or maybe that person is you. You may have found Christ after marriage or returned to the faith in which you were raised, but either way – you are pursuing a relationship with God, while your spouse is… not. 

Coach and speaker Lynn Donovan offers wisdom and support to those in a spiritually mismatched marriage. Her work offers hope and help to a Christian learning to be united with their spouse, even when he or she holds very different beliefs.