Active Relationships Mastery Series Accelerated Training

This 2-day training equips you to teach the entire Mastery Series -four practical programs: Active Communication, Active Money Personalities, Active Romance and Intimacy and Active Living daily behaviors to make love last.  Participants will leave the training with necessary materials to become certified to lead all four programs of the Mastery Series-58 hours of couples’ education. In addition, participants will be eligible for certification in the Christian programs of the Mastery Series. Each half-day will be devoted to one of the four programs and will cover the most important theories, teachings and techniques of that program. DVD/VHS professional training videos, included in participants’ materials will provide participants an avenue to complete the certification at their convenience. Representative theories from the programs are: avoiding faulty assumptions, anger management, clear communication, conflict resolution, avoiding power struggles with money, biology of love and romance, managing different desire levels, daily routines and traditions for lasting connections.

Fee for this institute is payable to Smart Marriages ($125/day=$250) and should be registered for through the national smart marriages conference link found at www.smartmarriages.com. If you are not otherwise able to afford this post-institute training please directly contact FAR to request a scholarship for the training 214.363.0800.

A Continuum of Care

The Mastery Series programs are a continuum of care for couples, built to blend the best of the best theories and practices of the successful psycho-educational programs. Author, Kelly Simpson, MA Psychology, LMFT, is certified in many of the existing programs taught at Smart Marriages. From 1997, through practice and trial, leading psycho-educational courses and trainings for professionals, Simpson has discovered the most important skills and techniques that couples need, value and utilize. The Mastery Series is a synthesis of key skills and techniques and can be taught in four weekend workshops, in any order, or as a continuing class.

Program Content  (See Training Schedule below)
Active Communication (16 hours when taught to couples)- half-day Monday morning-

Speaking and Listening Techniques
Assuming Goodwill versus Faulty Assumptions
Mapping Emotional Triggers
Anger Management Techniques
Defining Destructive Behavior
Conflict Resolution Rules

 Active Money Personalities (16 hours when taught to couples) half-day Monday afternoon-

Assessing Money Personalities
Typical Money Triggers
Avoiding Financial Power Struggles
Setting Up Financial Responsibility
Conflict Resolution Practice

Active Living daily behaviors to keep love strong (8 hours when taught to couples)- half-day Tuesday morning-

What Traditions and Rituals Can Do to Build Strong Families
Techniques for Morning and Rejoining Rituals, setting the pace for good feelings
Do’s and Don’ts for Creating Connections at Mealtimes
Utilizing Individual Strengths to Diversify Outings and Play Time Together as Famlies
Setting up Holidays that WORK for Strong Connections (do’s and don’ts)

Active Romance and Intimacy (18-20 hours when taught to couples) half-day Tuesday afternoon-

Biology of Love Lecture
Differences in Biorhythms
Mechanics of Intimacy Lecture
Managing Differences in Desire Levels
Confiding in Depth

Active Relationships Program Formats
The Mastery Series programs may be positioned as marriage enrichment workshops for groups of 5-40 participants at agencies or organizations or may be used by professionals who promote relationship wellness. Programs may also be used in couple's counseling with one couple privately.

 The programs can be taught in once-a-week increments or as weekend retreats with weekly or monthly follow up sessions.

Active Relationships Leader Training Institute Objectives
Participants will:
1. Sharpen ability to lead courses for premarrieds, marrieds and dating individuals
2. Practice teaching skills for speaking clearly, listening well and for resolving conflicts
3. Practice techniques to manage anger effectively and skills for leading seminars that include this material
4. Identify tools for and identify the competencies for successful instruction of program
techniques
5. Identify and deliver ground rules needed by participants to ensure safety and respect in the group setting
6. Identify ways to support the transfer and extended use of the
skills and processes in day-to-day living
7. Explore ethical principles of working with couples experiencing difficulties
8. Identify instructional program options to fit specific program venues and constituents

Institute Materials
Each workshop participant will receive the following materials:
 1 Participant Workbook for Active Communication (regularly $32.00)
1 Particpant Workbook for Active Money Personalities (regularly $32.00)
1 Particpant Workbook for Active Living daily behaviors to make love last (regularly $32.00)
1 Particpant Workbook for Active Romance and Intimacy (regularly $32.00)
(Total: 4 participant books)
1 DVD or VHS Professional Training Video for Active Communication (regularly $199)
1 DVD or VHS Professional Training Video for Active Money Personalities (regularly $199)
1 DVD or VHS Professional Training Video for Active Living(regularly $199)
1 DVD or VHS Professional Training Video for Active Romance and Intimacy Active Communication (regularly $199)
(Total: 4 training videos)
SMART cards (Conflict Resolution Tool)
Active Talk Time cards
4 Certification Assessment Instruments (one for each Mastery Series program)

Spouse discount: $100 off for spouse when taking institute #909 together. Materials will be shared.

At additional expense and offered at significant discounts if purchased at training:
Leader’s Guides, Instructor transparencies, Professionally designed Power Point Presentation CD’s for each of the Mastery Series programs. For more information see www.ActiveRelationships.com or call (1-877-724-7789).

Institute Leader
Kelly Simpson, MA Psychology (Southern Methodist University), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Kelly Simpson is Founder of the Foundation for Active Relationships (FAR) the Dallas Fort Worth marriage coalition supporting the Healthy Marriage Initiative. She is also director of the Active Relationships Center in Dallas, Texas. Formerly executive director of and trainer for the PAIRS Foundation, she is nationally recognized for her work with couples to promote skills ranging from communication and resolution, to romance, sensuality and sexuality. A lifetime certified teacher of the deaf, she has also trained in PAIRS, Visher and Visher Step-Families, Couples Communication, Prepare and Enrich, Divorce Busting, How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk, Marriage Savers, Stosny’s Compassion Power and more. Simpson has blended the best of the best successful interventions to create a span of seminars for skills couples and singles most need for relationships. She has authored numerous articles and has been featured on national media including NBC Nightly News, FOX, CBS, Warner Brothers, and in printed media including the Wall Street Journal, Dallas Business Journal and Dallas Morning News. A frequent lecturer, Simpson was an author and faculty member of the 2001 State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law Seminar. She enjoys conducting international professional trainings for mental health professionals, agencies, military personnel, clergy and lay leaders as well as teaching Active Relationships classes in her home town of Dallas, Texas. Additionally, she maintains a marriage and family therapy private practice and co-heads a thriving household including her husband, six children, two cats and two birds.

Institute Schedule
 Day One: Morning session (8:00-12:30) -Active Communication Seminar. Participants will learn: speaking and listening techniques, assumption of goodwill, mapping emotional triggers, anger management techniques and conflict resolution rules.

8:00 a.m. Registration/Check In
8:30-Speaking and Listening Techniques
9:30-Assuming Goodwill
BREAK 10:00-10:15
10:15-Mapping Emotional Triggers
10:45-Anger Management Techniques
11:30-Defining Destructive Behavior/Conflict Resolution Rules
BREAK 12:30-1:30

Day One: Afternoon session (1:30-5:30) -Active Money Personalities Seminar. Participants will learn: to deliver money temperaments assessment, to map money triggers, skills to avoid financial power struggles, conflict resolution techniques.

1:30-Money Temperament Assessment
2:00-Typical Money Triggers
2:20-Avoiding Financial Power Struggles
3:00-BREAK
3:15-Conflict Resolution Practice
5:00-Review of Day

Day Two: Morning session (8:30-12:30) Active Living to build strong connections.
Participants will learn: to deliver the lecture, “The Importance of Traditions,” tools for morning and rejoining rituals, tools for creating connections during mealtimes (in and out), tools for diversifying outings and utilizing and celebrating strengths of individuals, tools for maximizing holidays and vacations.

8:30-Importance of Traditions
9:00- Tools and Techniques for Morning and Rejoining Rituals
10:00-Tools for Creating Connections at Mealtimes
BREAK 10:15
10:30-Utilizing Individual Strengths to Diversify Outings
11:30-Setting up Holidays for Strong Connections
BREAK 12:30-1:30

Day Two: Afternoon session (1:30-5:30) –Active Romance and Intimacy Seminar. Participants will learn: Biology of love lecture, to chart biorhythms, to deliver mechanics of intimacy lecture and exercises, define and chart recipes for managing differences, lead “Only You” confiding exercise.

1:30-Biology of Love Lecture
2:30-Chart Biorhythms
2:45-Mechanics of Intimacy Lecture
BREAK 3:15
3:30-Mechanics of Intimacy Written Exercises
4:00-Charting Ideal Recipes for Managing Differences
4:30-Completing and Leading “Only You” Exercise
5:00-Wrap up and Reviews of the Mastery Series Contents
End of Two-Day Institute-Participant Graduation

Active Relationships Instructor Certification
Those who wish to be certified following the two-day professional training institute must view (in entirety) the training video, provided free of charge at the institute, for each mastery series program (approximately 5 hours each). An assessment instrument will be provided in training materials provided. Once the training videos have been viewed, participants may complete the assessment instrument and submit the instrument to Active Relationships for final certification. Leaders will be awarded certification upon successful completion of each program’s assessment and within seven days of receipt by Active Relationships. Certification documents will sent at that time.

Active Relationships Website Listings
Active Relationships www.ActiveRelationships.com receives public inquiries from across the United States. Active Relationships certified instructors who wish to be, will be included on the Active Relationships upcoming fall 2004 National Referral List on the Active Relationships website. Listing as a certified Active Relationships Leader and listing of Active Relationships seminars you provide are provided at no charge, once you have received certification.

Train the Trainer Track
Only select leaders will be appointed to positions to conduct trainings for other professionals in their respective organizations. However, it is possible to become an Active Relationships trainer of other professionals. For more information on how you may be selected, contact Kelly Simpson directly toll free 877.724.7789 or email to Ksimpson@ActiveRelationships.com

Additional Information
For additional background information on Active Relationships programs, for references and testimonies from professionals or to view leader materials visit: www.ActiveRelationships.com

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