Meet Mark Cagle LPC-S

Couples Counselor in Dallas, TX

Meet Mark

Finding the right marriage counselor can be exhausting.

Heck, even just finding someone who specializes in marriage counseling and doesn’t just do all the things can be a challenge. I get it. And that’s why I have created this page to help you determine quickly whether I’m a good fit for you.

See, I know that you and I have at least one thing in common: neither of us wants to waste your time.

This may not be the first about page that you’ve read. You may have been scouring the internet for hours looking for someone to help you. You’ve been to countless outdated websites and read the most generic profiles. You won’t find that here. By the time you get to the end of this page, I hope that you have found clarity as to whether you’d like to schedule a call with me.

If you don’t feel like we’re a good fit, you can move on to one of the other thousands of therapists in Dallas.

This is where most therapists start talking about themselves…

“I have 247 years of experience…”

“I’m certified in CBT and DOG therapy…”

“I graduated from Bla Bla University…”

“I provide a safe, nonjudgmental environment for my clients…”

That last one slays me. What does that even mean?

I’ll get to my education and experience in a moment, but first I want to talk to you- words on a screen to person viewing this web page.

I know why you’re here.

You’re not here to learn about my credentials (though they are important). You’re here to find out if I can help you. You’re not just looking for a marriage counselor in Dallas, you’re looking for a marriage counselor in Dallas who gets you. One who can help you and your partner sort through the shit that has driven a wedge between you. You’re looking for someone who can teach you and your partner how to communicate more effectively- beyond just using “I” statements…

You want to know if I can help you end the vicious cycle of negativity that you and your partner seem to be drowning in. You want to know if I can help you and your partner move beyond the pain of infidelity and resurrect your marriage from the ashes. You want to know if I can help you decide whether to end your relationship or give it one last all-out-effort to change it.

I  help bridge the gap between the overly logical and their frustrated partners. 

“You’re too emotional!” “Well, you’re not emotional enough!” Sound familiar?

I have worked with many clients who get stuck in their own heads.

They’re so afraid of “getting it wrong” that they do nothing at all. (Which infuriates their partners.)

And it’s not that they don’t care or don’t want to do what you’re asking.

It’s that they worry too much about doing it poorly.

Some people are so accustomed to success that they don’t know how to fail.

I can teach you how to speak each other’s language.

What sets me apart from other therapists?

  1. Most couples therapists focus primarily on healing shame- on bringing the person who’s “one-down” or inferior up to level. I am just as concerned with bringing the “one-up” person down to level.
  2. I’m not neutral or unbiased. I call a spade a spade. I take sides in order to restore balance. There are no “good guys” or “bad guys,” but there is definitely bad behavior.
  3. It’s one thing to call out a person’s bad behavior, and some therapists are good at that. But that’s not enough. You need to teach people what they should be doing. Getting them to stop driving a wedge between themselves and their partner is one thing; showing them how to reconnect is another.
  4. I don’t want you to stay in therapy forever. I help couples make swift and lasting changes in their relationships.
  5. There are reasons we act the way we do in our intimate relationships, and I address these issues in session- in front of your partner. It’s about helping a person change their relationship to themselves as well as their partner.
  6. Traditional therapists act like the expert in the room. I’m on this journey with you. The reason I know that the skills I’m teaching work is because they have helped me improve my own marriage, and I will share these experiences with you when appropriate.
  7. Many couples therapists attempt to become the tie breaker during a couple’s conflict. They want to help the couple come to a single objective reality. The problem is that this doesn’t exist in personal relationships. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who cares?
  8. Empathy and validation are wonderful tools and necessary for effective therapy to take place. However, they’re not enough to make lasting change. I coach, confront, and teach my clients how to live relationally.
  9. Relational mindfulness means being aware of where you are as well as where your partner is. I help couples meet in the middle- neither one-up nor one-down. Being able to meet each other as “same-as” is where true intimacy occurs.

 

Now for the technical stuff that I know you’ve just been dying to know.

I first went to college when I was 16 through a program at the University of North Texas called the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. I continued my undergraduate work at Texas Tech University where I completed my degree in psychology. Get your guns up! I returned to school a few years later and completed my Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling at Amberton University.

I am licensed in the state of Texas as a Licensed Professional Counselor- 71799.

I have built my private practice around serving couples in Dallas as well as throughout Texas, and my mission is to end unnecessary divorces. I have trained under Terry Real in Relational Life Therapy as well as completed some training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.

I am trained in discernment counseling which is a process for helping couples decide whether to work on their marriage or move toward separation or divorce. I am also trained in collaborative divorce and serve in the role as a neutral mental health professional during this process.

I hope I have accomplished what I set out to do on this page.

If you’re still here, perhaps you’d like to schedule your free 30 minute consultation.

Even if you do just want to chat about gaming or the latest book I’ve read, that’s cool too.

Learn How I Can Help

Affair Recovery

Counseling For New Parents

Are You Considering Divorce?