Welcome to the Texas Premarital Counseling Blog

Thank you for taking the time to be here today. I’ve carved out this small corner of the internet in hopes of better connecting with and empowering people in long term partnerships. Before I can effectively do that, it seems as if a proper introduction is appropriate…

Hi! I’m Lauren Ross, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas, and the founder of Texas Premarital Counseling. For as long as I can remember, I’ve identified as a helper. I have also always been fascinated by the intangible thing that is greater than the sum of its parts which exists between people, aka a relationship. It baffles my mind that humans are simultaneously obsessed with relationships and typically so bad at them. How can the collective *we* care so much about connecting with others and yet understand so little about the practicalities of what makes relationships successful? Whether we want to admit it or not, relationships are inevitable; we can not exist in isolation, but more on that in future posts.

It was during an excellently taught clinical psych class I took during my undergraduate studies at The University of Texas when I realized my passion for client-facing work. Majoring in Psychology, the vast majority of my courses were research-oriented, so this was my first real opportunity to understand the impact of its practical applications; I was hooked (yes, UT pun intended). My first few graduate courses at St. Edward’s University provided the foundational tools necessary for all would-be therapists: diagnostic skills, treatment planning, and standard therapist lingo. It wasn’t until the second half of my program that I really wrapped my head around the magnitude of relational health’s importance.

I went on to complete my practicum, internship, and supervised associate hours all focused on relationships. I worked primarily with high-conflict couples and families experiencing massive barriers to change including trauma, crisis, and lack of support. I learned so much about attachment and the impact of connection. I realized the consistent factor in successful work with my clients was empowering them with knowledge and skills which enabled them to make their desired changes. I wondered how the collective *we* could be doing each other such a disservice by not emphasizing relational health; I was determined to change this.

I founded Texas Premarital Counseling with the objective of providing quality preventative relational health care. Every therapist has to choose where to insert themself into the lifecycle- some work with kids, some with individual adults, some with families. I believe I am able to do the greatest service with the most impact by focusing on preventative relational wellness. Because, ideally, in addition to living satisfied healthy lives together, couples who are focused on preventative relational care grow into healthy families, who then go on to raise healthy individuals, who know how to foster healthy relationships for themselves, and so on. I am fully bought-in on the belief that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Because, despite the innate resilience and capacity to heal that people possess, we can never undo relational trauma. So, the more we can prevent, the better off we all are.

My passion for relational wellness drives not only my professional life, but is deeply rooted in my personal life as well. I was very fortunate to find my person quite early in life; my husband and I have happily been partners for over eleven years. We share the benefit of each other’s love of cooking, passion for adventure, and playful spirit. I am also incredibly grateful for our community of loving friends and family, who have nurtured us in countless ways. And, I would be remiss if I did not mention our four legged companion, who has brought us endless joy and unconditional love for nearly a decade.

Throughout my career, clients have consistently told me they appreciate my approachability, perspective, and genuine care for them. To me, the mission of this work is so much more than a job. There are few things as energizing as supporting someone else in being their favorite self, and it is absolutely my pleasure and honor to do this work.

Texas Premarital Counseling’s services provide structure and support to couples as they explore essential topics and build intentional tools and patterns of relating. I designed the comprehensive eight session curriculum for the numerous couples who just don’t know what they don’t know. Every relationship, like every person, is unique, and throughout services we work together to maximize the relationship’s strengths while thoroughly exploring and building confidence around potential pitfalls. Couples come away from this counseling experience feeling excited, empowered, and equipped for the journey of a lifetime.

I schedule free 20 minute consultations with all potential clients to answer any questions they may have and make sure the services I provide are the right fit for their needs. If you are curious to learn more, please do not hesitate to reach out. If we are not the right fit, I am more than happy to provide the best possible referrals; again, my primary objective is to be helpful and I recognize that looks different in every interaction.

I will be creating posts as part of my ongoing mission to spread awareness and clarity about the importance of preventative relational wellness. I am excited to be fostering thoughtfulness, growth, and connection in this space so please let me know- what preventative relational health topics are you most curious about? Keep an eye out for new posts soon!