Dr. Richard Marks earned a PhD in counseling psychology, an MA in marriage and family therapy and an MA in religious education. Dr. Marks is a sought after conference speaker for businesses, social service organizations, military and faith-based organizations. His training includes working with trauma victims, substance abuse, sexual addictions, troubled marriages, and general mental health issues. Since 2004 he has led a monthly HOPE Weekend marriage intensive, as well as individual marriage intensives, using the RelateWell process, with highly distressed couples with 85% still being together and reporting marital satisfaction after a year of completing the intensive program.
Dr. Marks has been married to Louella since 1984 and they have three healthy and mature adult children. Dr. Marks was raised in a broken home where emotional, verbal, and physical abuse existed. He developed an addictive personality and was deeply insecure. After coming to the Christian faith when he was 17, right out of high school, he enlisted in the US Navy as a chaplain’s assistant. This is where his interest and love for counseling began to take root and blossom. This is when he met Louella, who also came from a broken home where abuse and alcoholism dominated. Two wounded people found each other, fell in love, and married. Yet, neither knew about healthy mature love. They were forced to learn this out of their own marital journey. Fortunately, they did and passed these skills and principles on to their children and to others in the profession.
Today, Dr. Rick trains therapists and counselors using the RelateWell process to aid them and empower the couple with the emotional and relational skills needed for a loving and thriving marriage. He looks forward to serving you as well and passing on what he has learned so you might benefit from his thinking, innovation and experiences.