Premarital coaching.
Emotionally safe. Deeply connected. A witness to the love of Jesus.
Our story.
Married for over 3 decades, we know that a healthy marriage is more than simply staying together—it’s learning to stay connected, create emotional safety, and grow together through every season of life.
Since 2018, we’ve had the privilege of helping engaged couples prepare for marriage through personalized premarital coaching in our home. We’ve walked alongside more than 25 couples, helping them build a strong foundation for a healthy, lasting marriage.
Vern holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Darlene has a Diploma in Lay Counseling. Together, we bring years of counseling, pastoral ministry, and real-life marriage experience to each couple we work with.
We also share a “Doctorate” from the School of Hard Knocks—because some of our most valuable lessons haven’t come from a classroom, but from years of learning and growing together, walking through some incredibly difficult seasons, and witnessing God’s mercy and grace woven throughout each of our stories.
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Topics we explore.
Across the first four sessions, we will work through topics such as:
- Life Stories
- Family Culture
- Personality Inventory
- Creating a budget
- Sexual intimacy
- Spiritual Intimacy
We believe the connection a husband and wife share is more than something they experience privately—it becomes a witness to the world of what’s true in Heaven.
Our focus
Emotional Safety
Creating a relationship where both of you feel secure, seen, and free to be honest.
Meaningful Communication
Learning to talk—and listen—in ways that build trust instead of distance.
Five coaching sessions.
We meet for a total of five sessions:
- Sessions 1–4: These take place before your wedding. Each session covers two chapters from the workbook.
- Session 5: This is a three-month check-in after your wedding. This session can be done either in person or via Zoom.
The workbook.
We use the workbook Getting Ready for Marriage by Jim Burns and Doug Fields.
Each of you will need your own copy. There is also a companion textbook available if you are interested in going deeper into the material.
We cover two chapters per session. Each chapter includes three exercises designed to help you talk, reflect, and grow together and should be completed before each session.
View the workbook
Our hope.
Our hope is simple: to help couples enter marriage with a greater understanding of their place at God’s table and the tools to build a relationship that is emotionally safe, deeply connected, and a beautiful witness to the love of Jesus.