Posted on February 4, 2025 by Hannah Fowler, tLMFT
Lutheran Family Service News
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Meet Hannah Fowler, tLMFT, a marriage and family therapist serving clients in person in Bettendorf, IA and throughout the state of Iowa via telehealth. A wife and mom of two little ones, Hannah works with couples in all stages and seasons of life, from premarital counseling and beyond.
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist. I work part time doing that, and see people via telehealth in Iowa or in person at the Bettendorf office.
When I was completing my undergraduate work, I was initially studying children’s ministry and had the opportunity to work with a lot of families in a church setting. Through this, I realized I enjoyed the meet ups with parents and providing them with education and help through life difficulties. When you see the marital unit being strong, that flows down to the health of their children.
I was then looking for how I could best support the parental system and marriages overall, so I decided to do that through counseling, specifically Christian counseling. I believe that our enemy does not want marriages to work and that they are under attack. So if I can help couples work through communication or things they are struggling with, and get them through those hurdles, that can contribute to the overall health of families.
Christian Education was my degree in undergrad at Olivet Nazarene University. Then, I ended up going to Indiana Wesleyan University to obtain my Marriage and Family Therapy degree as this training is what would prepare me to help the couple system and the concerns they bring to therapy.
I ended up working at a college and leading premarital sessions and workshops for the students. I realized during that time that I really liked equipping that age group as well. It can be a really hard time in life as you are finding your independence and what life looks like being on your own, potentially for the first time.
Noticing things that can lead to burnout—constant stress, not finding joy in ministry. Conflict in the marriage or home can lead to or be the result of being burnt out or stressed.
I think that it is very important to get solid premarital counseling. Many couples skip it or it is very surface level. I am trained in SYMBIS (Save Your Marriage Before It Starts), and I think that is a really good tool to help couples address deep and difficult topics before they get married. I think some couples think that they do, but there could be a lot of topics of conversation left out — how do we deal with conflict when it arises, what if we do not agree in a certain area, what about different family dynamics? I have always thought premarital counseling was important, but now I am better equipped to do that well.
I see a broad range of situations and couples in various stages of life. Many couples in their late 30s early 40s tend to seek out therapy as their children are getting older and they find they either grew together or apart when their children were young. It can be challenging to navigate as many couples have to relearn how to communicate and make each other a priority.
No, it’s not! Couples like to come to me when their relationship is on fire, and that is incredibly important to seek out help when that is the case; however, marriage counseling can be attended to make sure things are going well or to learn tools to help you communicate a bit better. There is no shame in seeking out support for your marriage to be the best it can be!
I think there is a stigma that things have to be really bad before we seek out help. Marriage counseling can be a source of support to check that couples are on the same page or to address difficult stages or subjects that couples go through in life.
My relationship with Christ informs everything that I do. I love that I work at a place where we attract a more Christian clientele because then faith can be a very open part of what we talk about. I can help clients work through what Scripture says or encourage them through a faith block as Christ ultimately informs who we are and how we are to live.
We live in a broken world where life gets messy and there are hurts and wounds we need to address and work through. Especially in the marital system, you bring two imperfect people together and there is going to be conflict. If I can offer couples or individuals a space to learn about themselves, to grow, and to heal, I think that is Kingdom work.
As far as colleagues, I love working at a Christian agency where I can speak about Christ and be supported in my faith.
With the clients I work with, it is a privilege to support them through tough times. It is also wonderful to see their growth and celebrate with them when exciting things happen in their lives.
A verse I have displayed in my home currently is Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (ESV). I believe that we are changed by the renewing of our minds, as Scripture says, and through connecting with God and those around you. If worries creep up in my mind, I can put them to rest knowing I can be in perfect peace because of who God is. I work to pivot my thoughts to Him and His character, knowing that I can trust Him no matter what the circumstances of my life are at the time.
Hannah sees clients via telehealth throughout Iowa and in person in Bettendorf, Iowa. Reach out today.
[email protected] | 563-359-0696 | lutheranfamilyservice.org/contact
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