Relationship Counseling

Statistics suggest that trying to navigate intimate relationships is difficult work. The odds of a first marriage surviving currently stands at 59%, and second marriages only survive 40% of the time. Marriages that began with the couple living together increases the odds of divorce by 9%. Despite what you might think, longevity is not synonymous with stability either. Divorce rates are rapidly rising among the older population in a newer phenomenon known as “gray divorce”. A 2013 study revealed that the top reasons for divorce were listed as a lack of commitment, infidelity, and conflict/arguing.

The truth is that relationships don’t fail overnight - it’s a slow fade. Good marriages don’t just happen. It’s not simple math but rather complex equations that determine the health of a relationship. Guesswork won’t cut it. As individuals, we all have our own unique histories, strengths and weaknesses that interact with our partner’s to produce a set of challenges to overcome. Add jobs, family, finances and a host of other life stressors into the mix and it becomes a formula for struggle. The question is not if we will encounter challenges, but rather how prepared and equipped are we for those challenges. Navigating conflict, managing communication, recognizing our own baggage, demonstrating empathy, developing healthy coping mechanisms, exploring intimacy, expressing emotions - all important elements to a strong relationship. And that list is hardly exhaustive. Good relationships require intentionality and work. But when the investment is there, they can be magical. Finding that magic is what I love to do.

My focus and passion for many years has been to help individuals develop fulfilling and intimate relationships. 60-70% of my caseload the past 10 years has been devoted to this cause. I work with a range of couples, including:

  • pre-marital counseling

  • tune-ups

  • struggling with hard and/or serious issues, including the discovery of infidelity or sexual addiction

  • wrestling with questions of if they should end the relationship (Discernment Counseling)

  • individuals fighting to restore a relationship that is on the brink of divorce (Marriage Rescue)

David J Bryan Counseling - Marriage and Couples Counseling - Relational Issues

I’ve experienced the depths of relational distance and dysfunction as well as the power of a connected and intimate relationship. My passion is fueled by those experiences. I have invested myself in learning from many of the great minds in relationship counseling such as John Gottman, Michelle Weiner Davis, Terry Real, Milan & Kay Yerkovich, Ellyn Bader and Pete Pearson. I welcome the opportunity to utilize that education by joining with you to search for your own slice of relational magic.