0 Items

The Story

It all started with one spouse wanting out. And that spouse was our Founder, Kim Bowen. Here is her story.

“My vision is to witness the pendulum shift in our divorce-happy culture, and for a generation to wake up and realize it is a heck of a lot easier to work on the marriage you have, than to go out and start over alone or with someone new. I want to show you how.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“The only way to keep lust alive in a long-term relationship is to allow your partner to be an individual – to have thoughts and feelings that may not align with yours. Differences are sexy!”

[KIM BOWEN]

“It is not the size of the problem but the size of your motivation to work together, as a team, to get through the problems that determines if a marriage is hopeless.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“A great marriage requires these two skills – speaking the truth in love and hearing the truth without being reactive.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“Every complaint is a wish in disguise. To be happily married, drop the complaint and focus on the wish.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“If it weren’t for marriage, we could go our whole lives believing we didn’t have any faults at all. Marriage makes us better if we listen without being defensive.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“If you want a happy marriage, don’t be afraid to change first.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“The same way I know that diet and exercise make you physically healthier, I know there are relationship skills and habits that will make your relationship healthier too.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“Soulmates aren’t found. They are forged through negotiation, patience, and forgiveness.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“Resentment kills love. To keep love alive, speak respectfully but speak up.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“A strong marriage requires two people who choose to love each other, even on those days when they struggle to like each other.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“While ‘falling in love’ is passive and spontaneous, staying in love requires choosing to act lovingly, even when it would be easier to attack, defend and withdraw.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“When you start protecting your spouse from your respectful truth, your relationship starts dying.”

[KIM BOWEN]

“Marriage is a dance of closeness, hurt, distance and repair. Knowing how to repair is necessary for survival. “

[KIM BOWEN]

our Founder

Kim Bowen – LPC, Owner and Founder of The Marriage Place

I hate divorce. I mean…I really, really hate divorce. Marriage is risky business. Divorce is a real threat to EVERYONE who says “I do.” I realized “everyone” included me when I almost lost my own marriage. I married my best friend more than 25 years ago. I knew then that half of all marriages fail, but I thought I would never be on the wrong side of that equation. We had the kind of marriage our friends wished they had. Until one day, we didn’t.

Looking back, I still don’t know when things started going wrong. It was so gradual neither of us noticed. But there actually came a day when I looked at my husband and realized that I didn’t even like him anymore, much less love him. I said those fated words that make me cringe when I hear them today: “I love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore.”

When I said those words to my husband, I believed them. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I didn’t want to live with him anymore either. We tried marriage counseling several times over the years, and it never worked for us. All the failed attempts to makes things better only re-enforced my belief we were done.

“Kim Bowen, LPC is a talented, compassionate counselor dedicated to helping married couples stay together and learn how to create a healthy, fulfilling relationship. Unlike many marriage counselors, she has ‘walked the walk’ and practices what she preaches – which makes her work all the more authentic. If you’re struggling with relationship problems, distance, arguing or lack of connection, Kim can help you.” – Joe B

Fast forward a few years…

…and I’m more in love with my husband now than ever before. What changed? Both of us changed! But things didn’t get better until I stopped focusing on everything my husband wasn’t giving me and focused instead on what I could do to clean up my side of the street. I had to look at some hard things about myself I didn’t like but the end result was so worth the pain. We are now connected again on a deep emotional level. I learned so much about boundaries and how my self-esteem was affecting my marriage. I learned that loving my husband was a choice I could make, even when I didn’t like him all that much.

If you are in a marriage that feels distant, I hope you believe me when I tell you it isn’t hopeless. If your spouse is telling you that he or she wants a divorce, it doesn’t mean that it’s time to give up. It means it is time to get serious about saving your marriage.

My mission is to change the way people view love and marriage. I’m taking a stand, because I’ve lived it, and I know there is hope even when it feels hopeless. I want to show you how you can fall in love with your spouse again…even when you think there is nothing left. I want to help you re-engage your spouse even when you are the only one trying. And, I want to teach you how to divorce-proof your marriage, so you never have to go through the horrible pain of that particular loss.

You don’t have to settle when you say “I do.” Having a great marriage isn’t a great mystery. Let us show you how.

We are committed to saving your marriage.

meet the team