Are you willing to do what it takes to have a happy marriage?
Assuming you said yes, you've come to the right place.  Any couple that
ensures that these 14 practices/faculties of marriage are fully-functioning and
habitual is practically guaranteed to have a successful and happy marriage. 

The 14 C's--The Main Ingredients or "Secrets" To A Successful Marriage:
1-Care (love; thinking of other before self and helping them)
2-Co-equality (respect ; anti-oppressiveness)
3-Commitment (to each other as "top priority"--see "The Family Man" with Leoni&Cage)
4-Communication (not leaving the other hanging or wondering ; arguing respectfully, being careful not to let it get to the quarrel level; and speaking up where needed but staying silent where not)
5-Cooperation (the opposite of competition)
6-Consideration (having courtesy for the other's feelings, needs, and best interests)
7-Collaboration /conglomerating (for parenting, property, finance, and in some cases even work; teamwork is the whole idea)
8-Coordinating (compromising and negotiating scheduling--supports all the others)
9-Cohabitation (sleeping under same roof, at least, if not together)
10-Compatibility (having like interests--doing things that you like together; not just sex)
11-Copulation (oral; this goes for both; everyone likes to be kissed where it counts--& if there are hygiene issues, refer to principles 4-6)
12-Compliments (express your appreciation with specifics; encourage your spouse)
13-Coitus-ing (sometimes intercourse is the answer--it makes you drop your guard 
and forget your differences [this only really works for marrieds though])
14-Comedy/joking (be sure to laugh together and make each other laugh)

Add 15, Christ, to the mix (His Spirit of Love and Truth), especially if put at the top as #1, and you may just find sheer bliss.  So please pass it on.

The Test:  Try memorizing the above standards/keys as best you can within a reasonable amount of time--say, 20 minutes.  Then, without peeking, take a blank sheet of paper and list all the ones you can remember.  You will find that the ones you forget are the ones you probably need to put more effort into (refrain from doing this under the influence of alcohol though, as alcohol causes random forgetfulness and would therefore tend to skew the test results). 

Parenting ideals and pressures are often the source of friction for couples, and for that, I believe the wisdom of Anne Frank can be most reassuring:
"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming
  of a person's character lies in their own hands."

There are very few shortcuts to success in life, but guidelines like these are helpful maps that you can go by.  Take advantage of this opportunity.  I have been pondering this subject and asking about it (interviewing couples, etc.), hoping to boil it all down into its simplest form like this ever since I saw "Kramer vs. Kramer" as a boy.  I believe it is now complete and comprehensive, so please do not do yourself the disservice of taking it lightly just because it was free (for you).  Pretend that you just paid $10,000.00 for it (or more)--yes, maybe take it that seriously.  

You may not need to go spending multiple thousands of dollars on therapists to improve your relationship (of course, I'm not against going to therapy, but...).  All it should take is to heed this list and put it into practice in your daily life.  It may even be a good idea to post it on a wall somewhere and read it daily for at least 21 days (the amount of time neurologists report that it takes for habits to take root).

Again, please pass it on.  My hope is that this site will catch-on like wildfire because, besides my wanting people to be happy, the success of our economy depends on the building of healthy families and cooperation with others.  I wish to serve my country through these words and this site.  You can help by telling others about it.

The order shown above reflects a fairly precise logical hierarchy of what are commonly accepted in the mental health and social science communities as structural-functional values for spousal relations.  There is room for one or two variations to this order, but any more than that tends to impair a marriage's functionality. 

Our goal in counseling is to supplement the above keys, and create a simple, inexpensive, supportive environment in which we can help our clients to explore their emotional needs and overcome barriers that limit the functioning of their marriage.  We prefer to play a mediator-like role in guiding the process.  We take an open-minded approach to client wellness and consider the client's work life, family traditions, and cultural as well as spiritual beliefs.  Our counseling sessions are designed strictly for married couples.  

A Special Message:
We actively promote St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the fight against cancer--for their research efforts and, especially, to ensure that no child gets turned away from medical treatment (and better chances of survival) due to an inability to pay.  St. Jude is the #1 Children's Hospital in the nation for the treatment of cancer.  Can you think of a better cause?  (I know I can't.)  Here is a link if you wish to donate (it's tax-deductible):
https://waystohelp.stjude.org/sjVPortal/public/displayTeamPage.do?userId=700814&programId=601&eventId=176344&teamId=17783 

              Marriage Success Counseling Services
                chuma_michael@yahoo.com
 Northridge, CA. 
      Now serving: 
   Los Angeles and Ventura Counties