We recently had the chance to connect with Anthony Brooks and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Anthony, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
The most common misunderstanding is wrapped up in the word counseling. When people hear “marriage counseling,” they often picture two people sitting across from a mediator only after everything has gone wrong. But our mission is bigger than crisis management. At Brooks Marriage Counseling Services, what we really do is marriage planning.
We believe marriage is not just a contract—it’s a covenant designed by God. And covenants require intentionality, preparation, and faithfulness. Just as couples wouldn’t walk into their wedding day without rehearsal, or leaders wouldn’t launch a business without a plan, couples shouldn’t step into marriage without learning how to plan for success under God’s design.
Our approach is proactive and Kingdom-centered. We help couples root their relationship in Scripture, submit their vision to God, and build strategies that honor Him in communication, intimacy, finances, and family. Counseling is part of that process, but planning is what helps couples live out their faith daily—not just talk about it.
We’re not in the business of simply fixing problems. We’re in the business of equipping couples to walk in covenant, reflect Christ’s love, and leave a legacy that shows the Kingdom of God at work in their home.
So when people ask, “Why counseling?” our answer is: it’s not just counseling. It’s planning for forever.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Anthony Brooks, and alongside my wife, Kellee, we lead Brooks Marriage Counseling Services (BMCS). We’re a husband-and-wife team who believe marriage is more than a ceremony—it’s a covenant that requires planning, prayer, and purpose. What makes BMCS unique is that couples get both a male and female perspective, which brings balance and helps us connect with husbands and wives in a real, practical way.
Our story is proof of God’s design. We actually met in a Christian Facebook group while I was writing my first book, Single Christian: Endangered Species. Kellee answered one of my surveys, and before long, she was calling me back with Bible questions. By the way she thought, I knew she was my wife. Two to three weeks later, I proposed to her over the phone—I was in Texas, she was in New Jersey. We married that December in 2012, moved to Jersey, and a year later relocated to Atlanta. The early years weren’t easy, but with God’s help, we built a strong foundation, and now we get to help other couples do the same.
Beyond BMCS, I also serve as the new minister of the Grayson Church of Christ, where Kellee and I minister together. Whether in counseling, coaching, or the pulpit, our mission is the same: to help people strengthen their homes and walk out their faith in practical, lasting ways.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
If there’s one word that breaks the bond between people, it’s trust. When trust is violated—whether through dishonesty, neglect, betrayal, or even small repeated disappointments—it eats away at the foundation of any relationship. Without trust, love has no safe place to grow.
But what restores those bonds is forgiveness. And not just forgiveness after an apology, but the kind that flows before the apology ever comes. Real freedom is forgiving in your heart first, no matter how sincere—or insincere—the other person may be. That way, you’re not chained to bitterness, waiting on someone else to “get it right.” You’re free, and because you’re free, you can extend grace that makes restoration possible.
From there, trust can be rebuilt over time through consistent honesty, humility, and follow-through. Forgiveness opens the door, but restored trust is what allows the relationship to walk back through it.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the deepest wounds of my life was my relationship with my father. As a teenager, I watched him fall into alcoholism at the very time I felt I needed him most. My sisters adored him like he could do no wrong, but I carried bitterness and resentment, feeling like he chose the bottle over his family. I hated him for it, and for years that anger shaped how I saw him—and myself.
Then one day as an adult, while reflecting on how much better I thought my life could have been if he had been better, God spoke a question into my spirit that cut me to the core: “What if you had been a better son?” In that moment I realized I wasn’t innocent in this story. My father still showed me love, but I had given him hate. That revelation broke me—and began to heal me.
I chose to restore the relationship, and in God’s timing, it happened. My father even moved to Atlanta with me for a season before returning to North Carolina. During those years, I got to know him not as the man I resented, but as my dad. He became a grandfather to my son, and before he passed, we shared some of the best years of our lives together.
What healed me wasn’t pretending the wound never happened—it was God showing me my own heart, teaching me to forgive, and giving us both the gift of reconciliation.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. I’ve always believed that who you are in private should line up with who you are in public. I genuinely try to live out my Christian life everywhere I go, not in a “perfect” way, but in a way that consistently reflects Christ on earth.
At the same time, I don’t believe following Jesus means life has to be dull or overly rigid. I enjoy celebrating life—I’ll dance at weddings when couples invite us to stay for the reception, I’ll jump into games, and I’ll have fun with people just like anyone else. The difference is, I don’t need to cross into sin to enjoy myself. Joy, laughter, and community are gifts from God too.
So yes—the public version of me is the real me. What you see is someone striving to live faithfully, while still embracing the beauty of life, love, and good, clean fun.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me is simple: that I genuinely loved people. Not just people who looked like me or believed what I believed—but all people. That I wanted to see them thrive, live full lives, and most importantly, come to know that there is a God who loves them beyond measure.
I’ve tried to live that out in practical ways. Years ago, I donated a kidney to my cousin so he could have a better quality of life. I invest time mentoring youth in foster care, because every young person deserves to know they matter and have a future. And in my ministry and counseling, I pour into marriages and families so homes can be stronger than the culture that tries to break them down.
If when I’m gone people can say, “He loved God, he loved people, and he gave of himself so others could live better,” then that’s the story I’d want told.
Contact Info:
- Website: bmcs@tiedaknot.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmcsatl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568413276350
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BMCSATL
Image Credits
We took the photos ourselves
