CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE & SEXUAL INTEGRITY COUNSELING IN MISSION VIEJO
Helping Christian couples and men rebuild trust, restore integrity, and resolve conflict with biblical clarity and practical guidance.
If your marriage feels strained, distant, or wounded by betrayal, you are not alone.
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE SESSIONS AVAILABLE
SERVING MISSION VIEJO AND SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY
Including Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and San Clemente
WHEN MARRIAGE FEELS HEAVY
Marriage can drift slowly — or fracture suddenly.
As a Christian counselor I work with couples and individuals throughout South Orange County, including families from San Clemente, Dana Point, and San Juan Capistrano, who are seeking biblically grounded guidance and real change.
You may be experiencing:
- Ongoing conflict that never truly resolves
- Emotional distance or loss of intimacy
- Betrayal from pornography or sexual sin
- Communication that turns defensive or hostile
- A growing sense of hopelessness
You don’t need to navigate that alone.
A Structured Path Toward Integrity & Restoration
Many of the men and couples I serve in Mission Viejo and the surrounding communities come to counseling feeling stuck in patterns of secrecy, shame, resentment, or pride.
Our work together focuses on:
- Restoring trust where it has been broken
- Addressing communication struggles directly
- Learning Christ-centered conflict resolution
- Building humility, ownership, and practical growth steps
This is not surface-level advice. It is structured, intentional, and grounded in Scripture.
When Pornography or Sexual Betrayal Has Impacted Your Marriage
Couples from throughout South Orange County — including San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, and Lake Forest — often seek counseling when sexual sin has fractured trust.
Healing requires:
- Accountability for the struggling spouse
- Safety and clarity for the betrayed spouse
- A structured path toward rebuilding intimacy
Individual counseling for men and joint marriage counseling are both available, depending on your situation.
AREAS WE FOCUS OUR COUNSEL
Mark Brandes, MABC
I’ve been a follower of Christ for over 40 years. Before that time I played the role of hedonist very well. Let’s face it. Changing direction isn’t easy. It takes time and determination.
Transforming one’s life and one’s relationships requires looking at some things that can be difficult, and it’s our pride that makes us avoid those kinds of conversations. If you really want to change, then you need to become friends with humility.
I believe my clients feel I’m a safe person. I may ask questions that are uncomfortable, but we all know that change won’t really occur without looking at how we might have missed the mark. In counseling, the standard we will use is God’s Word, and all of us fall short of that. Truly, we are all in the same predicament.
I earned my Masters in biblically based Christian counseling from The Master’s University, and in the distant past, B.A. degrees in both psychology and photography. Since 2013 I’ve done a lot of writing about shame and guilt, so it’s no surprise that’s a special focus of my work. My marriage coaching has benefited from 46 years of marriage…all to the same woman!
But we're really here to talk about you. If you would like to set up an initial phone consultation, please fill out our contact form. We will set up that appointment with you very soon.
Don’t wait. Hope is around the corner.
WHY BIBLICAL COUNSEL?
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to
do what is right.
2 Timothy 3:16
If you were offered an instruction manual for how to live your life wisely, you would take that offer, right? You may own that book already, but haven’t read it much because you didn’t know where to start.
The Bible doesn’t just talk about symptoms of our issues, it addresses the problem itself. Under all of our good and bad choices lie the motivations of our heart.
As a Christian counselor who bases their counsel on the Bible, I help uncover those driving forces that cause disruptions. My counseling work is directing people to the answers God already revealed. Those answers are in that book you own, the Bible. We just need to find God’s answers to your specific questions.
WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE MARK
- Our marriage is now at a point that is stronger than it has ever been.
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Over our twenty-plus years married, my husband and I have sought counseling a handful of times for ourselves as a couple. At the time when we found Mark the busyness of our lives and misaligned choices were threatening to eat away at the fabric of our family. Mark listened, asked probing questions, directed us toward Scripture, books, and other resources, and gave us specific things to work on. Our marriage is now at a point that is stronger than it has ever been, due to Mark’s biblical counsel and the work we’ve put in alongside him and God.
Sara
- "Mark's guidance helped tear down many years of hurtful actions,"
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I began meeting with Mark to help me better manage my feelings of anger and hurtful communication with my kids. Instead of simply providing me with strategies to control my actions and thoughts, Mark led me through biblical passages to help me understand the root of my anger and how to change my heart. Mark's guidance helped tear down many years of hurtful actions, and I’ve seen my kids drawing closer to me. I’ve also had an opportunity to teach them how to handle their own angry feelings and actions. My wife loves seeing this!
Mike
- "...it was such a transformative experience,"
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My husband worked with Mark over a 4 month period of time and it was such a transformative experience, not just for my husband but ultimately in its impact on our whole family. Mark wasn't only listening and guiding through his instructive wisdom but he had practical application and homework that my husband would work on each week. This was all done from a spiritual perspective, so as my husband worked through his struggles, Mark provided spiritual connections to these challenges through a study of the Bible, other topical reading, prayer and journaling. I'm so thankful for Mark and the spiritual growth he led my husband through during that season.
Kristin
- "Mark has a special way of listening in a calm, caring, non-judgmental way"
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When my husband and I started biblical counseling with Mark, we could tell from the beginning that it was going to be different from counseling we experienced in the past. Mark has a special way of listening in a calm, caring, non-judgmental way which creates a safe and trusting place allowing us to grow by communicating openly and honestly. He is gifted in being able to approach sensitive or difficult topics in a grace-filled way while offering wisdom and advice that is grounded in the truth of God’s Word. With Mark’s guidance based on biblical principles, we have begun to take steps toward healing and restoration in our marriage.
Ann
- "When talking with Mark I feel heard and understood."
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Right from the first few minutes of meeting Mark, I knew it was going to be a good experience. When talking with Mark I feel heard and understood. The guidance he gives comes from wisdom, is relevant, and applicable. His knowledge of the Bible and his way of counseling is what I have been needing all of these years. I can’t express enough thanks for Mark and all that he has done to help strengthen my marriage and my relationship with God.
Christopher
- "Mark guided us well, giving us tools to have more positive, honest conversation"
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Biblical counseling was a new experience for me, and I believe bringing God into the center of my marriage each week was a catalyst for progress and change that will result in a new level of maturity and love within our relationship. Mark guided us well, giving us tools to have more positive, honest conversations and soften our hearts to each other and to the Holy Spirit at work.
Katherine
Thank you for contacting us!