About this vendor
Grounded in Good, LLC offers premarital coaching services (based in Allen, TX).
I'm Dr. Kara - a relationship coach in DFW with more than a decade of experience preparing couples for marriage. I blend science-backed skills with humor and straight talk to help you take the next step together with confidence.
I've received The Knot's "Best of Weddings" award for premarital counseling four times and was even inducted into the "Best of Weddings" Hall of Fame - all thanks to kind reviews from some amazing engaged couples!
All private coaching sessions are offered via Zoom, so I am able to work with couples across the country. Texas couples who complete my 8-hour program also receive a discount on their marriage license.
If you could reduce your divorce risk by 30%, would you do it? Research shows high-quality, skills-based marriage prep sets couples up for stronger marriages. I'd be honored to help you explore your relationship dynamics, communication and conflict patterns, personality styles and so much more as you prepare for your next big adventure together!
Visit groundedingood.org for current pricing, or drop me a message!
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Wedding Activities
- After The Wedding
- Newlywed Life
- Getting Engaged
- Premarital Counseling
Awards and Affiliations
4-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2020.2019.2018.2017.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.064 reviews
Absolutely loved the 8 hours we spent with Kara! She kept things light-hearted but also serious when needed. Gave us lots of great tools that we have started to use in our relation...
ship and will further continue in marriage!
We had an excellent experience with Kara. We procrastinated a bit on scheduling our pre-marital counseling so being able to meet virtually was very convenient. She tailored the top...
ics we covered to our needs and received helpful tools for conflict resolution and communication. We would recommend her to anyone looking for relationship guidance.
A no-brainer for anyone getting married! Dr. Kara is incredibility knowledgeable and has developed a comprehensive course to ensure you and your partner are given the skills to nav...
igate all of the major areas of marriage. My partner and I felt we were already pretty aligned on most areas, but Dr. Kara's course helped us take the good in our relationship to great! Best money you will spend on your wedding!
I'm so glad we took classes with Dr. Kara before getting married! She took the time to get to know us as a couple so that we could make sure we addressed topics that were relevant ...
to our relationship. During the course, she was very engaging and always gave real life examples of how we could apply the information. I truly feel like she gave us the tools to help us through marriage and would recommend her class to any newly engaged couple!
We found such great value in our marriage prep, we plan to return for periodic check-ins. Dr. Kara brings a very practical and action focused advice about how to have a successful ...
partnership now and in the future. My fiancé and I have been together for years and both feel our relationship is pretty great- this gave us tools for our future to ensure it stays that way! (I was even able to leverage some of the communication skills I learned to help me at work-bonus!)
My fiancé and I did the 8 hour course with Kara and it was the MOST rewarding experience of our relationship! Made me feel so reassured that we are going into marriage with all of ...
the tools to take on the challenges of married life. She is so full of knowledge and takes the time to learn you as a couple. I felt so supported and no judgement which was exactly what I was looking for. We are so so glad we invested in this for our marriage!
My fiancé and I just finished our marriage prep class with Kara and really enjoyed the course! She was flexible with our hectic work schedules, which week were very thankful for he...
r ease of working with us. Due to covid, our classes were held on Zoom, but it worked out very well! The class is based on Gottman’s 7 principles book. We took an individual assessment a few weeks before our class began and she used that to center on potential topics we should address/discuss before we begin our marriage. She provided us several tools to explore in our relationship and techniques to ensure we communicate with each other. I highly recommend Kara for your marriage prep class! She is very personable and easy to talk to!
My fiance and I took Kara's marriage prep class (based on Gottman's 7 principles book) and really enjoyed the course! It tackled many of the difficult, seemingly intangible parts o...
f a relationship, particularly conflict resolution and communication. Kara was great at keeping the course on pace and getting us to think with fun and impactful activities! We highly recommend taking Kara's course as a fun and research grounded way to explore a relationship before marriage and learn tools to strengthen communication and manage conflict in a healthy way. + you receive a plethora of resources to continue working on your relationship after the workshop
This class is amazing! The tools are super helpful and I love that the advice is really realistic.
Kara did a great job teaching this class. She kept us engaged the entire day and made sure we were comfortable and having fun. My fiancé and I were both a little hesitant to do the...
class because we have a great relationship and rarely argue but I’m really glad we did. The class focused a lot on handling disagreements and conflict resolution, which could be utilized well in any relationship. The class also discussed divorce prevention which we loved learning about as well. Our families have several divorces on either side so we were able to take something away from that aspect. We both would recommend any couple take this class and we plan on reaching out to her again before we start a family. Thank you Kara for creating this class!
Kara provides a wonderful, concise course designed to nurture your relationship! She touches on the pitfalls couples often fall into, gives you tools for lifelong success, and allo...
ws you to really grow as a couple in a few short hours. It was apparent that she truly cares and doesn’t deliver a “one size fits all” approach. You’ll learn from Kara in a group and have plenty of private time with your partner as well. I loved this course and highly recommend it as it is a valuable use of your time and resources.
Kara was the best! She really made us engage in each other and helped us with some of our individual needs as well! I really enjoyed all the tools and resources that we received to...
! Was a great class and for sure would recommend to any new couples out there!
Participating in premarital counseling before getting married was always very important to me - I felt it would help provide us with some tools to have a successful marriage before...
we started the new chapter in our lives together. My husband and I took the class with Kara roughly 3 months before our wedding. This class was everything we were looking for and more! It covered a lot of ground over the course of the day, but touched on many different communication techniques and curriculum that we immediately integrated into our everyday lives. Exceptionally beneficial!
We did several other workshops but thought we got the most real world experience out of this class. Kara provided us with actual tools that we can use during marriage through both...
group and couple exercises. We highly recommend!
Great class full of useful information for any relationship. Kara is knowledgeable in the subject material, and I felt she truly cared about our relationships.
The workshop was amazing! Very insightful and well worth your time and money! Kara was a great instructor and gave my partner and me so many tools for communication. I left feeling...
more confident and connected to in my relationship.
My hubby and I attended Kara’s session and really enjoyed it!! This year will make 10 years married for us. We said I do on July 4, 2009. We believe in investing in your marriage a...
t all stages of your married life. So no, we’re not newly engaged or newly wed but the tips and information presented opened our eyes on things we were doing well and things we can change and improve on. I left the class recommending it to all my married friends! Lol! You should definitely do before making the commitment to marry! Also you can do it even after marriage. It is worth the investment! Thank you Kara!!
This class was GREAT! My fiancé and I were looking for a premarital class that wasn't centered around religion. We were so excited to find this class that is centered on psychology...
, science, and conflict resolution. This class taught us ways to be proactive about conflict in our relationship and gave us a lot of tools to take into our upcoming marriage. I left the class feeling great about our relationship and ready to conquer life together. Kara is a wonderful teacher, and clearly very educated and knowledgable. Not only did we learn a lot, we really enjoyed our day and had fun. I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone!
My fiancé and I learned so much from this premarital class and will forever change our lives for the better! There are so many tools that are necessary for a successful and lasting...
marriage and this class does an excellent job explaining the psychology and practicality behind each one. We highly recommend this class to any couple whether they are dating, engaged or happily married and we will attend another class in the future.
Kara was so sweet and helpful! My fiance and I were a little nervous going into the class because we didn't know what to expect but Kara did a great job at making everyone feel com...
fortable and made sure she took time to connect with all of the couples in her course. The tools we learned in her class have already made a huge impact in our relationship and will be tools we use for the rest of our lives together. THANK YOU KARA!!
Kara is an amazing facilitator and educator. During the course, she took the time to teach the concepts and the principles, while also giving us the time to work through the activi...
ties related to each principle as a couple. We highly recommend her courses!
Kara's class was such an incredible opportunity for us to learn more about how we communicate with one another. We spent time reflecting on our own preferred ways of communicatio...
n, as well as learning about each other's. While Kara went over Gottman's 7 Principles, we got to spend a lot of time just the two of us during breakout sessions putting those principles to the test. It was such a great experience and really forced us to allow the time that these topics deserve in our relationship and our marriage. We hope to take future classes to "brush up" on some of these same practices down the road. I highly recommend for ANY couple, not just those who are getting married.
This class was wonderful! It was eye opening & helped us effectively communicate. If you feel your relationship is strong but are looking to build on your foundation, then this is ...
the class for you! I will recommend to my friends & family.
This class was awesome! I highly recommend. My fiancé and I have taken several premarital classes and I enjoyed this one the most by far. You learn so many valuable tools that my w...
ill only strengthen my fiancé’s and mine future marriage! It’s definitely worth the cost. Invest in your relationship- in your future! Do it! You won’t regret it!
We were looking for an affordable way to participate in Premarital counseling and found it through Verge Relationships. Kara was funny and engaging and made sure that we covered ...
a ton of material effectively and efficiently.
This work shop was better than I thought it would be. Everything talked about was very helpful and relatable for any couple! Learning how to take on conflicts, stressors, and how t...
o resolve issues that come up during the relationship. My fiancé and I are very pleased, and will definitely be signing up for a follow up session after we are married! Definitely recommend.
My fiance and I thoroughly enjoyed this day of fun, education and activities. We started on time and got out a little early even, but while we were there it was spent productively ...
working on being more present about your partners needs and growth for the two of us. He was unsure about premarital education in general, but it was perfect for the both of us and we would recommend it to anyone!
This workshop was absolutely wonderful! Kara is amazing and really passionate about her work. My fiancé and I left the workshop with a wealth of new knowledge and skills that will ...
definitely help us on our marital journey!! Definitely recommend!!
When I first learned I had to participate in pre-marital counseling; I fought it like a dog going to the vet. But like most arguments with my wife she ended up winning and thus I w...
ent along with it. Little did I know how truly helpful the sessions would be and will continue to be for our marriage.
Kara’s practical approach to relationship building and tips have made us a lot stronger as a couple and empowered me to be a better husband to my wife. Our work with Kara helped us tackle some of the bigger issues (money, family planning, intimacy) that honestly no sane couple should address without some assistance.
I look forward to participating in further workshops down the road with Kara as she really is that helpful.
To the future husbands that are on the fence about working with Kara; my advice to is to do it. As it will pay dividends for years to come.
Very useful, practical tools and information. We were afraid it was going to be cheesy, but it actually got us talking about some important issues and gave us ways to see the issue...
s from new perspectives. Kara is very knowledgeable and approachable and we would recommend all her classes!
Kara is so relatable and easy to talk to. We went into private sessions with her needing guidance on some of the big marriage decisions, like family and financial planning. We lear...
ned so much about each other and left with the tools for a successful marriage. Highly recommend, will definitely see her again.
Kara was very professional and approachable. My fiancé and I walked away from the day feeling more connected as a couple and equipped with the tools to make our marriage last. We w...
ould recommend this class to any engaged couple as an opportunity to reflect on your relationship and the next chapter ahead!
LOVED this class! Took away SO many good lessons and skills that I know we will apply in the upcoming seasons of our life. The timing was perfect and the breakout sessions were gre...
at! The food was also on point. This class was also great for men and I feel like very applicable to all types of couples. The book and workbook were great and we look forward to learning more with it in the future. I look forward to working more with Kara in the future.
Had a wonderful day diving into how to have a successful marriage. My fiance and I loved the atmosphere and activities we were able to engage in. There were a couple of eye opening...
moments for us throughout the day, too. I would highly recommend this for a couple at any stage, but in particular engaged couples! Kara does a great job of making you feel prepared for the journey ahead.
My fiance and I attended Kara's Gottman's 7 Principals Workshop this past weekend. We learned a lot about how to have effective communication and strategies to strengthen our relat...
ionship. In the past few days, I have seen a change in the way that we talk and listen to one another, and we are feeling more connected because of it. Kara gave us a lot of great information and helped us look at our situations in ways we hadn't before so that we could come up with good solutions. I would definitely recommend going to Kara for premarital counseling and attending her workshop!
Kara was friendly and engaging and helped us navigate some pretty serious subjects in mine and my fiancée’s relationship without shying away from digging into the nitty gritty. She...
was just involved enough to make us feel comfortable opening up to her but also did a great job getting us to ultimately engage with one another. Really really thankful for Kara.
My fiance and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Kara was very knowledgeable, and her delivery of the materials (which are great in their own right) made everything easy to dige...
st. We no doubt benefited from the day!
Kara Shade did a wonderful job presenting the Seven Principles for Making Marriage work. The workshop break outs were very helpful as well as the classroom time. The content is ext...
remely valuable for any couple married or preparing for marriage. I would highly recommend Kara for her insights, leadership, and overall facilitating skills!! Great job!!
Kara was a pleasure to work with! She was able to present the course material in a tactful and easy-to-understand way. I appreciated how she made a deliberate effort to spend time ...
with each couple during every break-out exercise. The material that Kara presented helped focus me and my fiancee on tangible, achievable relationship goals. Some of the techniques we learned also has helped refresh some aspects of our relationship. Thanks Kara!
My fiancé (now husband) and I are so glad that we attended Kara's class! Her explanation of Gottman's 7 Principles allowed us to reflect on our relationship and discuss how we woul...
d handle potential future issues. We never felt awkward or uncomfortable as Kara made everything very private. We feel confident that we can refer back to the book or to Kara in the future. We left the class inspired and even more excited to be married!
This was a fantastic workshop. We went in thinking we had a pretty solid foundation for communicating. The workshop provided us tools and understanding for us to build an even st...
ronger foundation and relationship. Kara did an amazing job balancing instructional time, exercises and personal feedback. I highly recommend this course to any couple looking to strengthen their relationship!
My fiancé and I did the private sessions and went into them feeling very confident in our relationship and communication methods but figured that learning good/better/different com...
munication techniques is always a good idea. We didn't really know what to expect going into it but we both LOVED the experience. Kara taught us different communication techniques and ways to understand each other better. We came out of this experience feeling stronger and closer to one another and find ourselves using these techniques on a daily basis. Even if you feel confident in the way you currently communicate, I highly recommend taking this course to improve even further and make your relationship even stronger. Kara was wonderful - nonjudgemental and truly just a third party source to learn from and bounce ideas off of. We never felt like she was taking sides and guys, my fiancé actually enjoyed our time here. His mind was blown during several topics and is recommending this to others, even the non-believers! We both give her two-thumbs up and look forward to returning to her when we are expecting our first child! :)
My fiance and I both thought that Kara provided some useful insights into how to achieve a happy, healthy marriage. Highly recommend!
We did private premarital education classes with Kara about 2 months before our wedding and I can't tell you how glad I am that we did! Wedding planning (and life in general) can b...
e stressful and Kara helped us find better ways to communicate with each other. She helped us identify areas where our relationship was strong as well as areas where we could improve. I am happy to say that we are still using these methods today, about 2 months after the wedding.
This class wasn't corny, thanks to Kara! This was probably one of my biggest fears, as men tend to be more reserved and skeptical about things like this. It definitely helps that K...
ara is passionate about her job and willing to give one-on-one (or one-on-two?) feedback. I feel like I'm much better equipped to build on our relationship, so I'm considering doing more of these with my bride to be. Dudes....do it!
This class was fun and very practical- we learned skills that will actually help us every day, nothing gimmicky. Kara did a great job explaining the concepts in an easy-to-underst...
and way and the day flew by! I'm really glad we signed up & I would definitely take one of her other classes in the future!
Great class! Thank you, Kara, for making the class meaningful and applicable to every couple in the room! I think every couple left with some new tool or verbiage to use and a topi...
c to discuss further; I know we did! Thanks again!
This class was excellent! My now husband and I learned a lot about communication, and talking about the difficult things in life. We are so glad we took this class!
Kara's workshop was such a great fit for my fiance and I! We grew up in the same church, but when it came to premarital counseling, we both knew we wanted to take a more practical,...
hands on approach. Kara does a great job of presenting fact based material in a way that's easily digested. Would absolutely recommend her to anyone!
I highly recommend this workshop. My fiancée and I just got done taking the pre-marriage workshop with Kara. We had a lot of fun in her class and we learned a lot in the class and ...
about each other. We are a lesbian couple and the principles she taught us worked with both traditional and non-traditional marriage. I also loved that she had research that showed the principles work for both traditional and non-traditional marriages.
Contact
Marriage Prep Via Zoom (Nationwide)
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