The Price of Growth

The Moy Family

Conventional wisdom says that the higher the price tag of a given product, the higher the quality; however, James and Ambor have discovered an invaluable resource for their marriage at an unbeatable price. Because we believe that money should never be an obstacle to a healthy marriage, The Marriage School (TMS) offers ongoing classes for couples with the option to determine how much they can afford to pay.

James and Ambor had already spent time and money on therapy during seasons of strain and found it helpful. During the stress of the pandemic, they moved their family of five across the country. Realizing that they needed support, they contacted their former therapist. However, when she suggested that divorce was not such a bad option, they realized they needed to look elsewhere.

Ambor was desperate to find help, but James also considered the price tag. From his perspective, counseling added stress because of its expense. He was reluctant and wanted Ambor to find a different option. When she discovered TMS, she was shocked that it was so inexpensive and also provided childcare. James was skeptical that something so cheap might actually work, but they were at their wits' end, and he figured they had nothing to lose. 

Ambor recalls, “The first class immediately grabbed my attention because it was skills-based. It gave us things to do.” For James, the discussion group was the pivotal ingredient. Digesting the lessons with other couples going through similar situations was powerful and encouraging. He muses, “It’s humbling to hear other people's problems. They do the same stupid stuff that we do. We’re not the only ones.”  Although the homework was challenging, they found that they could always talk about the sharing couple’s testimony without arguing. Recognizing this fantastic value, James and Ambor started investing and started growing.  

They were confronted with a new crisis just as things were looking up. James was laid off and remained unemployed for 8 months. For Ambor, that jobless crisis was like walking through tar, and she doubts that they could have survived without the support of the TMS community.  James adds, “Ironically, that is the time when a marriage needs the most support, but it's the time when you don’t have the resources to get professional marriage therapy. TMS didn’t add additional stress to our marriage and allowed us to navigate it without worrying about the cost.”  

Now, James and Ambor volunteer because they want to give back. Ambor shares, “It’s given us a sense of community.  We’ve made good friends, and we’re all encouraging each other to try and do our best.  It’s refreshing to be around others who are like-minded.”  James finds it curious that, “Couples usually go to TMS because something in their marriage is broken, but it turns out that those are the couples who actually become the strongest.”  He wants to challenge every couple to invest in their marriage.  “You hit the goldmine if you actually go to TMS and do the work. We wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for TMS”.