Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia Chipman.
Hi Sylvia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in a legacy of divorce. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all of my siblings have been divorced at least once. I married my high school sweetheart back in 1997 and just five years into our marriage, we found ourselves heading toward a divorce ourselves. If it were not for our church guiding us to an amazing counselor that helped us do the hard work of repair, we certainly would have joined my family’s legacy of divorce (bolstered my family’s legacy). After we experienced success with marriage counseling, I was inspired to BE the help that couples need when times get tough. I pursued degrees in both counseling and psychology and now I offer Marriage Coaching and Premarital Counseling with Thrive Marriage Coaching.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Personal:
Marriage is the enduring union of two very different people, with natural tendencies toward selfishness, navigating life’s countless obstacles together.
In nearly 30 years of marriage, my husband and I have weathered many storms. He served for 17 years in the U.S. Air Force and was deployed to places all over the globe, including war zones. At one point I was solo parenting three children under the age of three (including a set of twins). The kids and I celebrated many holidays and milestones on our own. We are proud and thankful for his military service but when it was all said and done, he was away from our family for about 8 of those 17 years. Throughout the years we suffered a miscarriage and battled depression. We shared the heartbreak of watching our teenage and young adult kids wrestle their own mental health struggles. We grieved the loss of both our mothers. We endured the catastrophic damage resulting from infidelity and persisted through the long and painful repair process.
Professional:
When I began Marriage Coaching, it was a fairly new concept. Most were familiar with marriage COUNSELING but not marriage COACHING. People did not quite understand the difference.
COUNSELING tends to focus on the origin of challenges, emotional healing, and addressing problem behavior. COACHING deals with the here and now. Coaching does not spend much time digging into the couple’s past but rather assessing where they are now. As a coach, I identify relational strengths and weaknesses and help move couples from “feeling stuck” to thriving using practical tools and skills. For these reasons, coaching tends to be less intimidating for the reluctant spouse.
Another few professional obstacles:
1. Helping couples to understand that marriage and relationship repair is an investment of time, work, and finances — that it is worth it — is a primary challenge.
2. Far too many couples are convinced, “That won’t work for us because ______”. The only reason coaching wouldn’t work is if you are not willing to DO the work. Coaching with Thrive works. We have a five-star rating on Google and many satisfied couples who didn’t think marriage coaching would work for them. Now they know: it does!
3. Couples wait far too long to get help. I wish they would stop waiting until the relationship is unbearable or until one or both already have one foot out the door. It makes no sense to delay. Reach out for help when the issues BEGIN and learn healthy skills early.
4. Premarital Counseling is not just for religious people who want to get married in a church. Premarital Counseling sets ALL COUPLES up for a successful marriage by working through the tough questions, discussing important topics, and developing skills before the marriage. Why invest thousands in the WEDDING and not on building a strong marriage?
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a marriage coach, premarital counselor, and owner of Thrive Marriage Coaching.
I specialize in helping couples to improve communication, break free from unhealthy conflict cycles, better understand one another, and build or rebuild trust. According to my reviews I am known for offering wise guidance, being easy to talk to, and speaking the truth, even when it may be hard to hear.
I am most proud of being able to use my own marriage journey, including all the struggles as well as professional training to bring hope to others who may be feeling hopeless.
I think what sets me apart from others is my genuine love for the work that I do. I do not work just to the pay the bills. I work with couples because I believe that relationships can be strengthened if I have two willing participants who are ready to get to work. There are few things that bring me more joy than when a couple tells me that working with me has made a huge difference and that their marriage has never been better. I am encouraged and thankful because I hear this quite often.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am not a scary “counselor” person. I am highly relatable, honest, and a lot of fun. I often laugh with couples as we learn.
Coaching does not take nearly as long as people might think. Couples can begin to see and feel real relationship changes and improvement in as little as four sessions. Most couples stay on much longer because they simply enjoy our time together and love the progress they’re making.
Statistically speaking, a high number of men avoid relationship counselors for fear of being told they’re the problem or that they are doing everything wrong. I am not a man-hater. I am fair, direct, and challenge both parties. We can all grow!
Pricing:
- $99/session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thrivemarriagecoaching.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivemarriagecoaching?igsi=MXRxdngzcnp6dXR2cQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bhf6yBsfZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thrivemarriagecoaching?si=v9qpZRyVzBaXuYkQ
