James W. Walkup (Jim)

Using my book, I DO, A MARRIAGE COUNSELING WORKBOOK FOR ENGAGED COUPLES, couples explore the major issues any couple needs to wrestle with to build a marriage to last a lifetime. We have in-depth conversations, laugh a lot, and build a solid bridge to walk down the aisle with confidence,

Couples seek my help simply to build a solid foundation. Others may call because they have some hesitance about making a commitment. Some plan to develop their communication skills and learn to fight effectively, rather than engage in long, drawn-out, fruitless arguments.

I have even worked with couples after they have discovered one partner's infidelity. They know they love each other and want to work through the pain and guilt, and reunite.

Couples working with me come to accept their differences in expectations, shaped by each of their families of origin. They learn to honor each other's call for a time-out when they have begun blaming each other harshly. They agree to set a time when they both can see things in shades of gray and recognize the other's point of view. They learn to set times to reflect on the state of their marriage. Most of all, they learn to listen deeply and understand the other.