Marriage Therapy Practice Draws Couples From Around the World

As a biblically focused counseling service mostly for married couples, Stone Gate Resources in Port Washington has a relatively specified client list and draws most of its customers from out of town.

The intensive counseling offered by owner and therapist Harry Schaumburg calls for couples to spend a week in the city, working every day at Schaumburg's office, 404 N. Franklin St. — on the edge of downtown Port — and sleeping at local hotels and dining at local restaurants.

"The critical part (of intensive therapy) is getting away and having no distractions. The whole time they are here, they are really focusing on their counseling," Schaumburg said.

Couples come from a variety of places — Alaska, Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio and even two couples all the way from Austraila, Schaumburg said. The people that come are usually here as a last resort.

"Their marriage is hanging by a thread … to come a thousand miles, get on an airplane, spend thousands of dollars — usually the motivation (for them to succeed in the therapy) is that this is the last stab at this," he said.

The week of therapy consists of assignments, seminars and counseling sessions, Schaumburg said, and provides a "basic framework" of the role of husbands and wives.

"There are many programs and methods of help, but the uniqueness of our Biblical Intensive Counseling Workshop stands out," Stone Gate Resources' website explains. "The strength of our workshop comes from its thoroughly biblical foundation. The private counseling, the personal guided study, and teaching seminars are all rooted in biblical truth that gives the basis for real change."

Mutual support for local business

The bonus to Port is that, the whole time couples are here, they are spending money in the area.

"We like to see the businesses survive and thrive, because they really help our reputation as well," Schaumburg said. "Everything is held here (at Stone Gate), and we keep a notebook of all the menus of the different restaurants so that they can look (for places locally)."

Schaumburg had been running a similar intensive therapy program in Colorado for the last 20 years, but decided to move the business to Port Washington last February.

"This is such a cute town, we like this town," Schaumburg said of the decision to move. "Because I was here before, I knew what it was and what it offered and it just made sense to give people the opportunity to be … in a quite little place. You wouldn’t do the same thing in downtown Milwaukee."

Schaumburg said Port residents are more than welcome to use the program, but they would still be required to stay at the local inn.

"The whole idea here is to get away … yeah, it means spending a little extra money — but it is important," he said. "We also get couples coming in all the time who says they’ve fallen out of love and by the end of the week they changed their tune."