Marriage Counseling and Coaching

Is your marriage in trouble? Do things seem hopeless? Are you feeling tempted to give up?

Please consider marriage counseling. 

Marriages can be saved and love and intimacy can be restored

If you and your spouse are willing to seek help, there is great hope! 

couples therapy lake nona


Marriage Counseling sessions are approximately 90 minutes long.

Our Credentials

At The Bridge Counseling and Coaching, we offer a combination of Marriage Counseling and Coaching to couples who seek to stabilize and improve their marriage. 

We (Ronnie & Debbie Smart) have a deep desire to help couples restore and develop their marriages into everything they should be. Our credentials include training from The Gottman Institute* and from the American Association of Christian Counselors**. 

In addition to our training and state certifications, we bring the experience of our own long marriage and extensive experience working with couples.

Our Process

We work within defined processes customized for the needs of each individual couple.

In the very first session, we seek to quickly stabilize the downward spiral of the marriage and help couples start moving forward. This first meeting is an in-depth session of laying the groundwork to begin the marriage restoration. Most sessions last approximately 90 minutes.

The counseling/coaching  process that we typically use involves both of us (Ronnie & Debbie) as a qualified married team working together with couples during each session. We are available for phone check-in and consultations during the week between sessions. 

We care deeply about the couples we counsel and desire to walk through the restoration process with you.

*John and Julie Gottman, founders of the Gottman Institute, are renowned marriage experts and have spent years developing a proven system to save marriages. 
**The AACC provides an array of trainings presented by Christian marriage counselors from around the nation.



Are you dealing with communication breakdowns? 

Insurmountable differences? 

Betrayal or breaches of trust?

lake nona couples therapy

If you and your spouse are willing to seek help, there is hope. Most marriages can be saved!

NOTE: We do not encourage couples to stay in a marriage if either partner feels she or he is in danger from the other partner. 


How Long Does It Take?

The length of time it takes to stabilize a marriage and turn it around depends upon the condition of the marriage when couples come to see us plus the ability of the husband and wife to do the work required to move forward. Many of our couples spend 6-10 sessions in this process. It can take longer for some couples. 

What About the Cost?

When you look at the cost of marriage counseling compared to the cost of divorce, there is no comparison. Divorce is expensive in every sense--financially, emotionally, and relationally. It devastates families in ways that last forever. It is almost always better to work towards change and restoration in the marriage. 

Although we cannot guarantee results, we can say that our work with couples has been extremely positive and many of our client couples now experience happy and thriving marriage relationships.

Do You Offer Virtual Sessions?

Yes, although we strongly recommend clients attend in-person sessions if at all possible. In our experience, therapy sessions conducted face to face have greater benefit than those held online. However, we understand that on-site appointments are not always possible or best. In these situations, we're happy to offer virtual sessions

Click the blue button below to send an email to book an online session.  

marriage counseling and coaching lake nona