Marriage is a subject for conversation in the modern society and the importance of marriage has become a consciousness for Christians everywhere. Many couples are struggling with the burdens of working and raising a family because they view it as such. The divorce rate in the USA is at 50% of marriages in the first five years and that does not bode well for children to be raised in a healthy two parent home. It is time for help and the urgency has never been greater.

Many people are turning now to the National Institute of Marriage for intensive marriage counseling to save their union and bring meaning back into their lives. Founded by Smalley Ministries their mission is “Building, Restoring and Renewing the Promise of a Great Marriage”. They work tirelessly to that end as their Intensive Counseling is dedicated to “restoring couples, remaining connected to God’s desire and ability to transform marriages, and, to continue learning, applying, and teaching the life-changing concepts that result in successful marriages.” I cannot think of a greater work then the Smalley Ministries commitment to the family and keeping the relationship in tune with a service to God. You really do not have to suffer through your hardships on your own. Go to the website nationalmarriage.com and start on the road back to what made you strong in the beginning, the bond of your marriage and the bond with God.

With the national divorce rate around 50%, there is no doubt that many marriages run into communication problems at some point. There is a communication epidemic. The National Institute of Marriage has created marriage counseling programs and resources utilizing a structure that is the most powerful format they have found for helping couples who feel stuck and hopeless. They have designed several programs to help couples move past the barriers and experience the marriage of their dreams.
NIM’s Intensive Marriage Counseling Programs are unique from weekly marriage counseling in three distinctive ways:

· Intensive Marriage Counseling Format: Committing to an extended amount of concentrated time like the 2 or 4 day Marriage Intensive allows people to get to the root of the problem and stick with it in order to work through it. If you’ve been in traditional marriage counseling before, you may have experienced how you spend the first half catching up from the week before, the second half getting into the real issues, and then the time is gone. The Intensive format is designed so that people have the chance to go deeper without many of the other distractions of daily life and have enough discuss to consider solutions.

· Efficiency: One of the first steps in the process is an extensive assessment with some questionnaires. This allows the therapists to gather background information and can get an idea of the best strategy to proceed before you arrive for your session.

· Marriage Counselors: The counselors at the National Institute of Marriage are specialists in this area. One analogy we like to use is that of the Mayo Clinic: people go to their regular physician but may be sent to a specialist to work with specific areas. The NIM marriage therapists have been trained in this format to maximize its effectiveness. Also, the NIM marriage counseling programs provide the perspectives and insight of two professionals rather than one.

If you are considering divorce, you must try the National Institute of Marriage before giving up. They have developed a continuum of care that meets couples wherever they may be in their relationship. Regardless of the health of their marriage they have a service that can help couples improve their marital satisfaction. Visit their website at http://www.nationalmarriage.com. Read the incredible testimonies from the couples that saved their marriages by attending a Marriage Intensive at the National Institute of Marriage.