Couples Counseling in Fort Worth, TX

Most couples do not call us the first month things get hard. They call after the same fight has happened enough times that both people already know how it ends. Or after something surfaced that changed what the relationship felt like. Or after a long stretch of quiet where neither person can point to one specific problem, but the hope has gone out of it.

We live in a broken world, in relationships with broken people, and we are broken ourselves. That combination makes marriage genuinely difficult, and adding children to it does not make it simpler. None of that means your marriage is failing in some way other marriages are not.

Marriage is also worth the work. We believe it is something God designed for our good, and walking with couples through the hard seasons of it is work we consider a privilege.

Our office is at 3509 Hulen St, Suite 255 in Fort Worth. We see couples in person and by secure telehealth anywhere in Texas.

When Should We Start Couples Therapy?

You can start couples counseling at any stage, especially if you find yourself facing relationship challenges. Even if you're not currently in crisis, couples counseling can help you proactively strengthen communication and prevent future issues. Some people seek premarital counseling to build a strong foundation before marriage and we would recommend that your church be involved in premarital counseling if you are a Christian. Others come when they're dating, newly married, or have been together for years. Sometimes in marriage counseling, couples need help with conflicts about money issues, sexual problems, relationship satisfaction, communication problems, or emotional connection. Our goal as mental health professionals isn't to make you dependent on therapy. It's to equip you with the tools and skills to handle difficult conversations and challenges on your own.

Who You Would Be Working With

Clifton Hickman, LPC, CSAT, EMDR trained

I am trained in the Gottman Method through all three levels. The premise of Gottman that I find most useful with couples is that a lot of what looks like a character problem is actually a skills problem. Nobody modeled these skills for you, so you never learned them, and now it is like software that was never written. Gottman gives you the skills.

It is also not only about conflict. The Sound Relationship House has seven levels, and managing conflict is just one of them. The rest is about building a relationship that works day to day, which is usually what actually needs attention.

I see couples for affair recovery, for pornography and sex addiction inside the marriage, and for general communication and connection issues.

Georgina Hickman, LPC, CST Associate, EMDR trained

Georgina is a Christian Sex Therapist Associate. When a couple is struggling sexually, that can be trauma related, or it can be something else entirely. She works with pain during sex, erectile difficulty, and mismatched desire, and she does it without treating the conversation as shameful.

She also does not treat sex as a standalone problem. A lot of her work is on how two people relate day to day, because that is usually what a sexual disconnect is downstream of.

She also sees couples with no sexual concerns at all, and she works with betrayal trauma and affair recovery.

How We Work Together on the Same Couple

Because there are two of us, we can do something a solo practice cannot. Sometimes I will see one spouse individually while Georgina sees the two of them as a couple, or the reverse.

When both partners are comfortable with it, we ask them to sign a release of information so the two of us can talk. That way the couples therapist knows what one spouse is working through on their own, and the individual therapist knows what is actually happening in the room between them. You learn a great deal about a person by watching them in their marriage, and a great deal about a marriage by hearing one person alone.

Some couples decline the release, and that is a legitimate choice. We work within it. But when couples do consent, the care gets noticeably better, because neither of us is guessing.

Can Couples Therapy Help After an Affair?

Yes, couples counseling can help after an affair, though it's a delicate and complex process. Recovery requires the person who committed the betrayal to take full accountability, demonstrate genuine repentance, and establish clear boundaries and accountability measures. The betrayed partner needs space to heal and rebuild emotional safety. While the journey is challenging and takes time, clinical mental health counselors can help you as a couple find the framework and support needed to work through one of the most painful experiences a relationship can face.

Can Couples Therapy Help with Pornography or Sex Addiction?

Absolutely. Substance abuse or any behavioral addiction thrives in isolation, and a key part of recovery is building relational connection. Your partner is often the most important relationship in your life, but recovery also requires building a broader community of support. Couples therapy can help establish accountability, create healthy boundaries, reestablish emotional connection, and support both partners through the recovery process, provided the person struggling with addiction is genuinely willing to change.

What If One of Us Wants Counseling?

As mental health professionals, it is required that both couples consent to couples therapy for it to work effectively. While you can't force someone to attend, sometimes an initially reluctant partner becomes more open after a session or two. If your partner isn't ready for couples therapy, individual therapy can still help you work through your own challenges to find relationship satisfaction and clarify your path forward.

What We Do About Safety and Secrets

Every client here signs a no secrets policy. If something comes out in an individual session that affects the marriage, an affair being the clearest example, it does not stay in that room. The person who disclosed it can tell their spouse, or your therapist can tell them, but it gets told.

We also have each partner complete their own intake paperwork separately rather than letting one person fill it out for both. That is deliberate. It gives each person a private place to say something they may not say in front of their spouse.

If safety concerns surface, whether at intake or mid session, the first question is whether couples counseling is the right format at all. Sometimes it is not, at least not yet. We may move to individual work first to establish safety. In some situations the right step is a separation that creates safety, and we want to be clear about something: a separation for safety is not the same thing as ending the marriage.

How Long Does Couples Therapy Take?

The duration varies based on the issues you're facing. Complex situations like affairs or addiction may require longer-term work. Communication issues or feeling stuck on specific topics might be resolved in just a few sessions. Some couples see us monthly for ongoing support or work on communication skills, while others check in only when challenges arise. The timeline is flexible and tailored to your needs.

What If We Argue in Session?

Welcome to the club, everybody does at some point. Arguing in session is completely normal. In fact, it can be productive. A skilled couples therapist helps you understand what you're really arguing about. Often, conflicts aren't about the topic itself but about how communication is delivered or underlying emotional wounds. We'll help you navigate these moments, offer individualized support, and develop healthier communication patterns.

Is Couples Therapy Christian-Based?

Some couples walk in braced for it. They expect to be told what is wrong with them, with a Bible verse attached.

That is not what happens here. Scripture, when we use it, is not used to pound you. It is used to offer comfort in a hard season, to name that your suffering is real and seen, and to point toward hope that the Lord has not forgotten you or your marriage. If you would rather we leave faith out of the room entirely, we will, and we will tell you plainly that we are still glad to work with you.

At Reviving Hope Christian Counseling, we specialize in Christian couples counseling. This means we can incorporate scripture, prayer, and biblical perspectives into sessions only if you're comfortable with that approach. We always ask clients about their preferences, and if you prefer a non-faith-based approach, we respect that choice too. Our priority is listening to your story, understanding your emotional responses, and helping you in the way that works best for you.

How Do We Know If Our Marriage Can Be Saved?

This is a deeply personal question that's difficult to answer, especially in crisis situations. What we can tell you is this: if you later decide to separate, you'll likely feel better knowing you gave marriage counseling a genuine try. Our goal is to help you reach a point where you can honestly say, "I did everything I could to make this work." From there, you'll have clarity about your next steps.

Can Couples Therapy Help Rebuild Trust?

Yes, couples therapy can help with trust issues, but it requires genuine effort from both partners. The person who broke trust must take accountability, demonstrate consistent change over time, and be fully honest. It's important to understand that forgiveness doesn't automatically equal trust. Trust must be earned through actions and rebuilt gradually. Check out my two forgiveness articles where I explore what biblical forgiveness actually looks like (Part 1 and Part 2). The betrayed partner must also recognize when real change is happening, rather than waiting for painful feelings to completely disappear (which may never happen). Rebuilding trust takes time, patience, and commitment from both people.

What If We're Considering Separation or Divorce?

It's one thing to consider divorce; it's another to actually file. We're happy to work with couples who are exploring their options, and we'll continue seeing you until official papers are filed. Many couples talk about separation without taking action, and counseling can help you gain clarity about whether your relationship can be restored or if it's time to move forward separately. Even if the marriage does not work out, you can still receive mental health counseling during or after your divorce.

What Couples Counseling Costs

Couples sessions are 50 minutes.

• Clifton Hickman: $175 for a 50 minute session, $225 for 90 minutes

• Georgina Hickman: $150 for a 50 minute session

We are private pay and do not accept insurance. That lets us give you the time and the approach your situation calls for rather than what a managed care plan will authorize. Many clients use out of network benefits, and we are glad to provide documentation for that.

Do you offer Virtual Counseling Services for Couples therapy?

Yes, we offer secure Telehealth therapy through SimplePractice (our therapy administrative service), you can schedule a teletherapy appointment for online couples therapy. Even though virtual therapy can feel awkward at times, all our therapists have had meaningful sessions in virtual therapy.

You Do Not Have to Do This Alone

Every marriage hits a hard season. Most of them hit several. You are not the only couple going through this, and there is nothing here to be ashamed of.

We do not only see couples for affairs or addiction. We see couples who cannot stop having the same argument, couples who have gone quiet with each other, and couples who are doing fine and want to stay that way. Whatever brought you here, we would count it a privilege to walk into your story with you.

Contact Reviving Hope Christian Counseling in Fort Worth to schedule couples counseling, in person on Hulen Street or online anywhere in Texas. If you are not sure we are the right fit, start with a free 15 minute consultation and ask us.

If addiction, betrayal, or sexual struggles are part of what you are carrying, you may also want to read about our work in betrayal trauma counseling, Christian sex and intimacy therapy, and porn addiction counseling.