Testimonials
Disclaimer
While Pat and Andee are not licensed professional counselors, Pat is a certified biblical counselor with the Association of Biblical Counselors, and Andee is a licensed minister with Christ for the Nations - Fellowship of Ministers and Churches. Both Pat and Andee have been trained and certified in various disciplines (see About Us) and have 15 years experience in helping couples and churches. Pat and Andee offer biblical guidance, compassionate understanding, heart-felt encouragement, prayer and lean heavily on Scripture and the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit.
We
can't say enough about Pat and Andee's premarital counseling program! We were a
bit nervous going into it because Nate had been previously married and
divorced, so we were afraid that we would be advised not to marry because of
the Christian community's stance on divorce and remarriage. Instead, we were
met with love and grace and empathy. Pat and Andee's own life experiences and
growth in marriage have equipped them to be skilled and knowledgeable marital
counselors, and their experience with SYMBIS bolsters their strength in
this area. Going through the book and the survey all together brought opportunities
for us to talk about topics that might never have come up in normal
conversation, and gave us more insight into each other's perspective and
experience. We're just a few weeks into marriage and we know that there will be
tough times ahead, but Pat and Andee have let us know that they're available
any time we need them, and we are so thankful for that. We love you, Pat and
Andee!
We came to Pat and Andee after sixteen years of a very broken marriage. The toll of an abusive childhood and very different personalities had wreaked havoc and we were completely stuck and heart broken. As pastors, we lived in a “fish-bowl”… many observers but no life raft. As our pain went very deep and was very layered, we kept looking for help but due to our role in the community kept finding ourselves without someone to help us. Thankfully at a moment of desperation our senior pastors suggested we meet with Andee and Pat for a weekend intensive and it changed our trajectory… for a while. The road wasn’t perfect after that but with the tools they gave us that made Stephen feel empowered and Jen heard, we began making progress and had hope again. We are so thankful for how they continued to walk with us, contend for us, and in moments carry us when we had no strength left. They have become like family, and their role in our life has no doubt played an integral part in our destiny. We love that their wisdom is well balanced with both practical, common sense tools and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit… a balance that not many have. We can’t say enough, except how grateful we are for their love and strength in our lives… it’s been life changing. We love you Pat and Andee!
Pat and Andee Cooper met us in our cynicism and
doubt that we could ever be whole and escorted us out of a marriage marked by
strife, addiction, and broken trust. We are now enjoying a marriage filled with
peace, freedom, and safety. Their guidance is wise and compassionate and they
are remarkably dynamic as a team. Their extensive training and study mixed with
tender hearts and sensitivity to the Lord’s guidance makes them the marriage
counselors any willing couple would hope to have. We are forever grateful for
Pat and Andee and we and our future generations have been forever marked by
knowing them.
We
have known Pat and Andee for a few years now. They have been an
influential part of our life for the past 7 years. We are always at awe
of their passion for couples marriages. They have always been willing to
be transparent for other married couple in the hope of helping each couple to
build their relationship and grow closer to each other, not only as a couple
but more importantly in Jesus Christ our Lord. Pat and Andee’s focus is
always Christ based and their love for others show as they are given the
opportunity to minister. It is without saying that we would highly
recommend Pat and Andee to any couple that needs a boost in their
marriage. We Love you Pat and Andee. We are excited as you both proceed
on this journey.
We are both retired and have been married for
52 years. Together we have three boys, eight grandkids and six
great grandkids. We were doing all that
we knew to help our marriage heal from some betrayal issues, and even though we
attend another church, we decided to attend the Marriage Live Class at Trinity
Church in Cedar Hill on Wednesdays. It
was there that we met Pat and Andee Cooper.
They were leading a Renew Class on Wednesdays and even though we had
been married for quite a number of years, we decided our marriage could use a
little more help. We had a desire to go
deeper into healing those deep seeded wounds and traumas from not only our
marriage but also from our individual childhood traumas. We learned how to express and communicate
with each other on the hard issues that had caused us to retreat into our own
addictions. Pat and Andee were always
there to encourage and pray for us, whenever we would come to the place of
confusion and despair. They have been a
godsend to us as we have developed a lifelong friendship with them. Pat continues to reach out to Ron to
encourage him in his walk, holding him accountable in every way necessary. Andee continues to reach out to Tedi with
love and understanding that is needed.
As Pat and Andee embark on
another marriage ministry, we will be anxious to experience it with them
because they allow the Holy Spirit to use them in guiding us into even deeper
areas of our relationship with each experience. With all the counselling we’ve
been through, there was one weekend that Pat and Andee took us all the way back
to the beginning of our relationship and healed a miscue that was still
bothering us after 50 yrs.
After
being married over 17 years, we were headed for divorce. We had attended many
marriage classes, and had counseling inside and outside the
church.
We
both were ready to give up but we knew in our hearts that God created marriages
and everything He created was good, so it should not be this hard - there had to be more for us. One
Wednesday evening, we were recommended by some friends to attend a new class
which we were reluctant to take because, after all , we had attended so many
classes in the past and nothing had worked. We were introduced to the leaders
of this class,, Pat
and Andee Cooper -a day that we will always be grateful for. The Coopers walked along side us. While
taking this class , our hearts were healed from all the pain, brokenness and
mistrust over the years that we had caused each other. We did not know what to
expect; all we knew is that we needed help and that you all were definitely a divine intervention. Both of you allowed God to use you to help heal our marriage and we're no longer the same as before. We
are so proud and honored to have been under your leadership and guidance.
We were dealing with resentment and addiction issues that were causing conflict in our marriage. Spending the weekend with Pat and Andee helped us to get a third-party perspective in an up-close and personal way. Pat and Andee are transparent and work with couples from a place of having been there and done that. Ms. Andee’s house is as comfortable and clean as it gets. You feel at home as soon as you walk in.
We left inspired to get all resentment out of our marriage. Since then, the atmosphere in our house has changed from tension to peaceful. Just 6 weeks later, we have come a huge way and will forever be grateful to a weekend that helped us turn a corner.
Pat and Andee helped us recognize what it means
to have a marriage centered on Christ. The Lord used them and their testimonies
to encourage us and remind us that, although relationships aren’t perfect, with
Christ we are able to love each other well. We are so thankful for their Christ-centered counsel and wisdom.
Our Ministry Impact
Legacies being transformed in Christ!
