Couples & Marriage Counseling

Effective Relationship & Marriage Counseling

Is your relationship or marriage in trouble? If you feel like you may need marriage counseling to save your relationship, choose the experienced couples' counselors at The Relationship Center of Jacksonville, Florida. If your relationship can be saved, we'll help you walk the path necessary to re-establish a strong foundation to keep your marriage or relationship moving forward.

Protecting Your Marriage

Researchers have found that couples wait an average of six years after their relationships have become distressed or distant before seeking help of a relationship or marriage counselor. About 50% of first marriages continue to end in divorce, and less than 1% of divorced couples ever participated in counseling. Second marriages are even more vulnerable to divorce, with 60–70% of these marriages failing. There are two time periods in a marriage when divorce is most likely to occur:

During Years 5–7 of Marriage, Usually After the Birth of Children
During Years 16–20, When Children Have Become Teenagers or Left Home

Warning Signs

Are there warning signs in your relationship or marriage that breakup or divorce may be in your future?

Growing Apart & Losing a Sense of Closeness
Not Feeling Loved, Appreciated or Respected
Keeping a "Mental Slate" or "Tit for Tat" Attitude
Problems With Sexual Intimacy

High Levels of Conflict and/or Tension in the Relationship
Loneliness & Leading Parallel Lives
Presence of Gottman's "Four Horsemen"

We Can Help

If you recognize any of these symptoms in your relationship, you should seek help before it's too late. Finding a couple's counselor who has the specialized training and expertise to help couples reconnect and reconcile their differences can be difficult and confusing. Unfortunately, many therapists who provide couples' or marriage counseling lack adequate training and experience.

Chose a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist

John Gottman, Ph.D. is considered the world's expert on marriage and relationships, having studied couples for over 40 years. He was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Therapists of the past quarter century by Psychotherapy Networker and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. Dr. Boney has been a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist since 2006, having trained in Seattle with Dr. John Gottman. Be sure to check out our Resources page for more about Dr. Gottman including videos and books.

Chose a Certified Emotion-Focused Couples Therapist

Developed by Drs. Susan Johnson and Les Greenberg, Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy, or EFT, is a highly-researched, effective, and evidence-based theory that helps couples understand and respond to one another's needs. EFT meets the "Gold" standard in terms of research validation and the requirements for psychotherapy research identified by professional organizations like the American Psychological Association. You can visit ICEEFT or our Resources to learn more about EFT.