When Sarah and her now-husband first met, she was filled with youthful optimism. Fast forward a decade, and real-life had taken its toll. Financial disputes, traumatic work environments, lay-offs, career uncertainty, health concerns, family drama, and so much more laid waste to their naivety. “What I failed to realize was that all the issues I had been able to ignore before getting married didn’t disappear after saying ‘I do.’ The loneliness, anxiety, anger, depression, suicidal ideations, comparisons, insecurity, etc. that I hadn’t fully dealt with prior to marriage reared their ugly heads within my marriage, demanding to be acknowledged.” Her husband not only bore the brunt of her unhealed issues, but he also carried with him his own unique set of issues into their marriage. Further complicating their “happily ever after”. As does every couple in every relationship. Marriage will magnify the unhealed issues of your past. The unchecked patterns of your past will affect your present. Just as the patterns in Sarah’s childhood/adolescence affected her marriage, every couple enters marriage with pre-existing narratives of how married life should look: unspoken expectations, differing fighting styles, and conflicting communication skills. Growing up in the Christian church, Sarah resented much of what she had been taught about “Christian marriages”. Her perceptions of a what a “good Christian marriage” looked like didn’t align with what she was seeing around her and experiencing herself. After much wrestling, Sarah came to realize that her understanding about “Christian marriages” was lacking authentic, genuine, Biblical application. The teachings were Christian-in-name-only but failed to influence daily living in a meaningful way. Healthy marriages require the Bible to be put into action with practical application, not hyper-spiritual clichés. Through education and counsel, Sarah and her husband created a marriage they genuinely enjoy. She brings these skills and more into her counseling sessions, such as how to: Communicate compassionately and effectively…Reveal unspoken expectations and boundaries…Navigate arguments honorably and respectfully…Identify patterns of conflict and triggers…Create an environment of trust and belonging… Sarah is available for individual women’s counseling, couples’ counseling, and premarital counseling both in-person and virtually. Sarah is passionate to see individuals and couples living wholesome and fulfilling lives. Sarah has received the majority of her counseling education through Liberty University (focused in crisis counseling) and the American Association of Christian Counselors. She and her husband live in Spring, TX, with their infant son and beloved puppy.