Meet Juanita Pfaff
Catholic thriving relationships coach
“Create a thriving relationship through authentic connection and tender conversations”
Juanita Pfaff is a wife of 18 years and homeschooling mom of 8. She is the founder of Crossroads Couples Coaching and a certified Thriving Relationship Coach through the Center for Thriving Relationships. She has bachelor’s degrees in Catholic Studies and in Spanish from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX and a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of New Mexico. Throughout her educational and professional background, learning how to build and grow relationships has been her passion as family, faith, culture, and language are built on, around, and through relationships.
Juanita specializes in helping couples recovering from addictions to heal the disconnect and brokenness and create a thriving relationship through open and honest communication, authentic connection, and tender conversations that bring healing, peace, and post-traumatic growth. Her own marriage story includes many trials, as her husband struggled with addiction for many years. She has personal experience of betrayal trauma from living with a spouse in addiction and understands the suffering it causes, as well as the challenges of recovery where there needs to be space to grieve and consistent effort to rebuild, reconcile, and restore.
She also works with couples who have not dealt with addictions but seek to grow in their relationship, work through past hurts, and learn or refine the skills of intentionality, consistency, and thoughtfulness to allow for heartfelt sharing and soulful listening within the coupleship. She also provides individual coaching, offering support to betrayed partners or individuals whose spouses do not desire to engage in coaching.
“I’m so grateful for Juanita’s truly kind heart and profound wisdom. She is a true gem!”
Coaching Client
Areas of Focus
- Individual Coaching
- Couples Coaching
- Betrayal Trauma
- Spousal Addictions
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Education
- B.A., Catholic Studies – University of St. Thomas
- B.A., Spanish – University of St. Thomas
- M.A., Spanish – University of New Mexico
Qualifications & Experience
- Level 1 Couples Centered Recovery training – International Association for Couples Centered Recovery (IACCR )
- CHRIST Program – Program participant, trained facilitator
- Hope’s Garden – Mighty Networks space moderator, peer support group facilitator, relationship and life coach
- Unbound, Basic and Advanced Ministry Training in prayer and deliverance
- “Couples and Addiction Training” – The Gottman Institute
- “Healing Toxic Injuries in Love Relationships: Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)” with Dr. Sue Johnson
- “Emotional Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for Healing Attachment Wounds” (Digital Seminar) by Dr. Leanne Campbell
- “Addiction Treatment and Couples Therapy: Using Emotionally Focused Therapy to Strengthen Sobriety” (Digital Seminar) by Dr. Michael Barnett, LPC, Certified EFT Trainer
- Dynamic Neural Retraining System – Program participant
- Immanuel Approach – training
- Endorsed by The Abundant Catholic
Publications
- “Broken and Beloved.” Sacred Wounds: Stories of Redemption, Healing and Growth. Feminine Genius, LLC (2024): 260-281.
- “La Santidad: Devotions of a New Mexican Woman.” Recovering Hispanic Religious Thought and Practice of the United States. Newcastle, Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2007): 180-191.
- “Rites and Rituals of the Roman Catholic Priesthood: Holy Orders: San Manuel Bueno. Human Weakness in the Vocation: Saintly Martyr or Sinful Hypocrite?” Rites, Rituals and Religions: Amerindian, Spanish, Latin American and Latino Worlds. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press (2023): 106-118.
- “Traditional Spanish Language Maintenance and the Revitalization of Culture and Faith: A Mission for the Body of Christ.” Rites, Rituals and Religions: Amerindian, Spanish, Latin American and Latino Worlds. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press (2023): 119-135.
Coaching Testimonials
“Juanita is a wonderful coach! She is an empathetic listener and she has been able to help me to see my thoughts and actions in a clearer light. She has helped walk me through a very challenging 1+ year in my marriage. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a guide, especially with a marriage harmed by betrayal and addiction. For me, it is an added bonus because we are both homeschooling mothers, so she understands the complexities of that situation on top of the marital struggles.”
Victoria T.
“My husband and I needed a tune-up after almost 50 years together and 41 years of marriage and called on Juanita for that help. She was perfect for the job- kept us on track, gave us homework that was easy and explained things so well. We just loved her and didn’t need 5 years of “therapy!” She’s a great coach and I’m sure we’ll go back for another tune-up again and look forward to seeing her calm demeanor and smiling face!”