Regarding: Marc Patience of Well Marriage Center. Danger. Stay away. It is never OK (in the absence of violence/drugs/alcohol/infidelity) for the marriage counselor to discuss marriage-ending (and related "deal-breaker" questions). What I need in the marriage is a cooperative partnership. I trusted Marc Patience to bring balance, but he repeatedly validated Wife's passive aggressive behavior, and pushed me back for my opposition. And now, Wife contemptuously repeats Marc's words at me. read more

Unfortunately, this wasn't a good fit for us. The therapist seemed more focused on her own credentials and viewpoints than listening with curiosity and neutrality. I felt there was bias in how our concerns were interpreted and didn't feel fully heard. This may work for others, but we chose to move on to a different therapist and company to match our needs. read more

The Well Marriage Center has been a huge support for myself and my husband. We've been seeing our amazing counselor for about 7 years now. He's there for us during the tough times and good ones too. He's supportive, understanding, non judgmental and a great listener. We always have insightful and productive conversations. What would we do without you guys?? read more

Every couple is different and has their differences. We had a great experience with Rebecca- she is insightful, objective, and helped us improve our communication. As a result we now see each other in a more positive light. Even better- she gave us tools to practice using between sessions that I found helpful enough to use in family and friend relationships too! When friends mention their relationship struggles, I always share our positive experiences here. I thought I could fix it myself, but Rebecca had much better ideas for us! read more

After $120000.00 in fees and counselor being woman centric, and my wife agrees, still have many issues. Shortly after posting a Google review, at Well carriage Centers request, the owner, Glen Dillinger spoke with me. He then texted me that he would like to give a $700.00 refund for a "small favor". I asked what it was and he declined to say over text. I replied that I would like to have him text to me as we had leery wasted so much time and never heard back from him. I assume that the $700.00 was an attempt at a bribe me to change or delete my review. 2 days after posting this review, Yelp contacted me as someone was trying to delete it. REALLY, WOW! read more

Glen is an extraordinary marriage counselor for whom helping couples is clearly not just a passion, but a calling. My husband and I have decades of experience with counselors, because we know that therapeutic insight can lead us to a richness in our relationship that we could never have imagined. Glen is in the top two of those counselors. To those of you debating whether you "need it," everyone benefits from therapy. The view is very different from higher up the mountain, and Glen is one of the very best guides. read more

We had a really great experience with Rebecca! Every couple I'm sure goes through their rough patches even if it's no one's fault. We found Rebecca to be a great comfort and someone who had a lot of insight for us. She listened objectively, was able to help us build ways of communicating our needs better, and helped guide us to see each other in a newer, more positive light. We were given tools to use outside of session that I now use in my interactions with other people as well. I highly recommend this place to my friends whenever I hear other couples struggling with whatever life is giving them at the moment. read more

Mary Baker at Well Marriage Center is awesome! We started with her over 10 years ago before our kids were born to make sure we had a solid foundation before becoming parents. We now still go to Mary for a "well check" every now and then, and sometimes separately when we just need to talk through something big going on in our life (career change, death of a family member, etc). Mary is a great mix of listening, asking questions to make us think, and helping us come with some doable concrete things we can work on. It's really nice that she knows our history and background, so when something does come up that we (or just one of us) needs to talk through, we don't have to give all the back story, and she helps to make connections for us from things that came up in the past. We are really glad we invested in this process with Mary. read more

I had a horrible experience with the Well Marriage Center and I would encourage you to look elsewhere. After deciding to get counseling from this practice, I struggled for well over a month to find a time on their schedule. When I did, I was told that it was for an office that was not the one I had said I exclusively wanted when I first spoke to them. Instead, I was booked for an office that was 45 minutes away (which would never work with my current situation). Then, I was told that the office I wanted (McLean) was not even open during the weekends, though I had stated on day one that that's when I wanted my appointments. I wasted a ton of time and effort with this practice and my marriage suffered because of it - all because they can not listen. But given that listening is a core part of their job, I guess I dodged one. *****UPDATE***** After leaving this review, the head of the practice contacted me and tried to guilt me into not leaving this review, while calling me "very angry" even though he never spoke with me. I guess they don't believe in transparency, like every other business that's rated online. Makes me wonder how many other negative reviews they took down. Read for yourself: "The reviews we do get can highly influence people and leaving an angry and negative post like you did yesterday will hurt Melinda's ability to provide services and make an income for her family. I understand you're very angry about a scheduling miscommunication, but I'm not sure that warrants blasting Melinda's small business so publicly and insulting her listening skills. I'd ask you to please consider the ramifications and consider taking it down." read more

I sought Well Marriage Center for relationship counseling as a single woman. Working with a therapist helped me develop a better relationship with myself. I learned to be honest and kind to myself, after all, how can you expect to have a good relationship with someone else if you cant love yourself first? I learned to take responsibility for my own feelings, thoughts, actions and personal boundaries. I became more aware of what I am ok and not ok with. I discovered how to be more assertive and better able to make choices that keep me in relationships (or out) where I feel safe and happy am my own priority. I am so grateful for what I've learned and HIGHLY recommend you speak with a counselor here. I have and will continue to recommend people to them! Thanks for helping me love me! Edits: Spelling read more

My wife and I have made tremendous progress since committing ourselves to couples therapy with Well Marriage Center. I can sincerely say that we are quite different from who we were when we started 8 months ago. We began by believing that we needed to heal our relationship, but what we discovered over time is that our individual selves is what truly needed healing. The work of therapy is about self-reflection, self-compassion, and self-acceptance. The therapist that we work with is Mary Baker. Her humor, compassion and supportive nature are disarming, and her biggest strength is her empathetic spirit. She makes you feel safe. She ensures that you know she has your back, and she holds your marriage delicately and fights to protect it at critical moments throughout the therapy process. She truly is a gift. read more

The prospect of your marriage failing can be a very stressful and scary situation. Marriage Counceling can sound just as scary, but it requires a leap of faith. My wife and I were on the brink of divorce, fighting all the time and not having sex for months on end. We had some very deep resentments toward each other for something we went through that we never really addressed. We started counseling with Sonya Thompsen Halsey about 2 months ago and our lives are forever changed for the better. Sonya helped us get the root of our problems and openly discuss how it made us feel towards each other. We were able to talk openly and honest and let all those emotions come out, which allowed us to understand and ultimately forgive each other's way of dealing with all those bottled up emotions for so long. She also showed us how to better react to each other's way of dealing with conflict. It doesn't happen right away but if you trust in the system and put in the time and effort, your marriage will improve greatly. 2 months later we have gone from looking up divorce attorneys to being completely in love, having sex like when we first met, and buying our first house together. It's amazing what therapy can do. Sometimes you just need a little help and I highly recommend Sonya for that if you are struggling in your marriage. She is truly amazing and we are forever grateful to have this second chance at love. We owe it all to her. read more

Not sure why such a bad review from the last poster. Therapy is not for everyone. If you don't like hearing the truth and getting challenged, then don't go to any, especially this one. I've been going to this place for a while now and my therapist tells you how it is. You gotta be mature enough to accept your shortcomings and work on it. I have seen a huge change in myself and have been able to grow emotionally and take ownership for my share. Cannot recommend this place enough. read more

My husband and I have been seeing Glen( co-founder) for some time and both of us have been overjoyed by the help and guidance we have received from him. His insight is spot on which shows a wealth and depth of knowledge and understanding of us as a couple. He navigates our sessions while maintaining meticulous notes and referring to those notes not in frantic search but a thoughtful reminder that he remembers something from our last meeting that needs to be stated to bring about a greater understanding to us as a couple. Thank you Glen for your continued help and assistance. You truly are an artist of your profession. read more

My husband and I came here to work through many issues. I found the Well Marriage Center through Yelp. We see Jennifer Parrella and could not be happier with her or the Center in general. The Center is very professional. I had negative feelings about "counseling" in general, and am pleasantly surprised how much I enjoy it and how much it has saved our marriage. I look forward to our sessions. When everything settles down I WANT to go quarterly to maintain what we have accomplished. Nothing is pushed or forced on you in terms of how often you attend, though we are currently going every 2 weeks. The hardest thing is making that first contact and going to the first appointment. You won't regret it! read more

I can't speak for the other councilors but this is regarding Glen Dienlinger. He has a pleasant demeanor, and on first blush is very likable. During our initial session he clearly stated he was a "feminist", and relayed that in the majority of his cases he had to fix the man and that allowed the woman to automatically improve. Initially I thought it would be a good thing, as I wanted my wife to feel comfortable and heard / appreciated during this process, as I was the one who pushed for counseling. But as we went through the process, his lack of empathy and persistent focusing on me was excessive. He, my wife, and I all agreed I was improving steadily and making positive changes, but he was undeterred. To the point where I actually told him how it was hurting us, and a focus on uplifting both of us would have been beneficial but his reply frankly was astonishing: "I am the counselor, not you". It got to the point where he in fact apologized to me for lacking in empathy and hearing my concerns. In the last few sessions we had with him, he finally expressed concern over my issues, and started focusing on my wifes issues but it was too little too late. We ended up quitting. Two years after counselling, unfortunately my wife and I are in the same place. Things can't get better when you don't focus on the entire problem. If, in the beginning, he simply put equal weight on uplifting both of us, things would have been different. I've held out on sharing this review for a while at the request of Glen b/c I shared it with him first. But given things have gone so poorly since counciling, I feel I have to share it. Hope you have a better experience! read more

The sessions were very helpful and kept our marriage intact. Participation and commitment to the process is key. The therapist finds what is good in the relationship and helps couples to focus on that. I think that is a powerful technique that worked well in our situation. read more

Sonya Hasley is an amazing therapist and has made a lasting impact on my life for the better. It's unfortunate that the person below feels so negatively but Sonya makes you explore scenarios from different perspectives while never placing blame or needing to demonize anyone. She has helped me deal with toxic family members in a healthy and positive way that didn't turn me against them and made me love them more. So don't believe that Sonya will ruin you life, she will help you change your life for the better and is amazing at what she does. Therapy isn't always comfortable for most people but that's why it works. read more

My partner and I came here to get help with some difficult issues. Unfortunately, it seemed as though what we were looking for and what the therapist provided were two different things. We rarely met together and when we did it was as though he was always trying to attack one of us and he would continually try to flip-flop the blame instead of help us to deal with the issue itself. It left us feeling as though he wanted to sabotage our relationship as opposed to helping repair it. If you are looking for help to save your relationship please look elsewhere as this is definitely not the place. read more

My husband I have been going here since the beginning of 2013. We've been able to have frank discussions when we come to counseling and it has vastly helped us improve the small areas of our marriage and address problems that may turn to larger issues. I've found the counselors listen, allow free flow conversation between the couple, but hold you accountable for your words and actions. Most of our fights revolved around chores and they made us sit down and compile chore charters. It was tedious but worked perfectly! Now we come here about once a month to work out some kinks and we're perfectly happy with their coaching and our improvement. read more

We had a negative experience with this office. Unfortunately, it did not seem we were able to make much progress after a number of months. This is understandable for a number of reasons and fit in these situations in certainly individual in nature. The professional is not to blame. What left me with a very negative feeling was that when the professional that we were working with decided to relocate, the transition was not smooth at all and it left me without the resources that I needed during a difficult time. We had indicated via email that we would like to continue the sessions remotely (e.g., via Skype) but could not seem to make that happen. In addition, there was not an attempt to provide us with the names of others who might be able to help or to actually transition our case to someone else in the office. While I understand that relocation is a difficult time, it should not compromise the professional and ethical obligations to try to help those who are need, especially when they are paying for that help. I also found it slightly inappropriate that the professional suggested that I continue in individual counseling since the conclusion was that that was my only path forward. I think that is a determination that should be made by each individual, and not by someone else. No names of other professionals were offered, however, even with this judgment having been made. This all came at a very difficult time in juggling demanding careers and young children. Without the time to look for someone else, we found ourselves unable to continue. read more

I highly recommend Mary Baker at Well Marriage Center. Marriage counseling was a tough choice for us and we really didn't know what to expect. I think we read their whole website. The best thing about Mary is how incredibly nice she was to us and how from the very beginning we could tell she wanted our relationship to make it. I remember walking out of our first meeting and just feeling much calmer about what we were facing and my husband felt the same way. We saw her for 13 sessions spread out over several months. Our marriage is now much stronger and we feel more connected to each other. Oh, and she's got a great sense of humor. Seriously, we laughed during several sessions. read more

I can't say enough good things about Glen Denlinger and the Well Marriage Center. Their approach is the very best possible: to emphasize the positive and put the negative in context. Not only has Glen helped our marriage get stronger, he has helped each of us find our individual strengths. It's been a wonderful experience. read more

Sonya helped us get back on track. Some tough conversations, but worth it. Thanks.

My wife and I have been going here for over a year and have seen tremendous healing in our marriage as a result. We have looked at all aspects of our relationship and confronted things that were never talked about before. Therapy is hard work, and nobody likes to have their ego challenged, but that is how you grow as a person and how your relationship grows as well. He has been very supportive of both of us and given us both space in turn to air our feelings and concerns. He has also offered creative ways to address our issues, always giving us some ideas for carrying the work forward in between our sessions. read more