Steve and Michelle have been married for over 20 years, and they live in Minnesota. Steve Lutz is a psychologist at Counseling Care in the Woodbury area and has been in the field for more than 30 years. He specializes in working with married couples, families, and pastors. Michelle Lutz is a professor at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul and has been teaching for over 25 years. She specializes in teaching English, education, debate, and speech communications. She is also a relationship coach who helps empower women to boldly walk out their callings, create new, positive habits, and strengthen themselves and their relationships. Together, Steve and Michelle coach couples and lead marriage conferences; through these venues, they are able to help transform relationships into loving, life-fulfilling connections. All of this is possible because of God's wisdom, love, grace, and guidance.

 

​Years ago, they attended a Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work weekend seminar in Chicago. The content for this seminar was based on the book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by Dr. John Gottman. At the time, their twins were toddlers, and as a couple, they weren't seeing eye to eye on various issues. They deeply loved their girls and each other, and they were having so much fun with them, but their relationship seemed to fluctuate in more extremes. They would go through days where everything seemed great and normal, and then one of them would get triggered...they found themselves arguing a lot more, not prioritizing each other, and they were feeling misunderstood and disconnected at times. 

 

During the Seven Principles Conference, they learned new skills on how to manage conflict and listen to each other more effectively. They also learned how to deepen their connection and helped each other heal from some of the pain from their pasts. Ultimately, they walked away with key strategies on how to prioritize their connection. This Seven Principles Conference had a significant impact on their marriage, so they decided they wanted to teach this material to other couples. In 2017, they flew out to Seattle for training and completed their Seven Principles leadership certifications. After that, they started Real Connection, their speaking and coaching business. Their goal is to help others create happier, healthier, and more God-centered relationships. They believe in getting real while still staying connected!