Programs for Couples

*Quick Link: Upcoming Training opportunity for Leader Certification – July 8-11, 2009, SmartMarriages conference

*Quick Link: Certification Out of the Box (COOB) kits, to become certified immediately.

About Active Marriage and Best Practices

Content Description

Active Marriage and Best Practices

Active Marriage and Bet Practices is an innovative, 8-12 HOUR curriculum that combines the best ideas, tools, and exercises from the fields of marriage education, relationship skills, positive psychology and conflict resolution.

This program includes the six “required” key content areas of the DHHS/ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) “Marriage Education Requirements:

- Commitment to healthy marriage (for current or future relationship)
- Communication
- Conflict resolution
- Beliefs about marriage or family
- Benefits of marriage
- Qualities of healthy relationships and healthy marriages

It also includes all 26 “advised” content areas and several “optional” areas important for healthy relationships such as communication skills, conflict resolution, anger and trigger management and romance!

Active Marriage teaches couples tools to enhance:

- Commitment
- Perseverance and friendship
- Effective communication
- Respectful resolution of conflict
- Co-parenting
- Understanding normal phases of relationships.

These are skills that help to build a safe, happy family.

Participant Goals for this curriculum:

- To enhance awareness of and to teach acceptance of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for relationship success (including responsibility for choice of partner, responsibility for internal happiness and for behaviors that create success)
- To enhance the habit of ASSUMING GOODWILL
- To increase RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCES of ideas, manners of behaving and relating
- To increase knowledge and skills for EMOTION MANAGEMENT
- To provide ESSENTIAL TOOLS for creating effective relationships

Program Format:

Leaders choose the format (day-long, or two half days, or weekly sessions). Sample agendas are included in the text.

Active Marriage and Best Practices is evidence-based, research, and teaches practical tools through lecture and experiential practices. Participants can be single or married and have spectacular things to say about their classroom experience. 

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Content Description

Section One: Preferences for Communication

Section Two:  Emotional Physiology and Management

Section Three: Qualities, Values, Attitudes In Long-Term, Low Conflict Relationships

Section Four: Destructive Behavior, Forgiveness, Anger

Section Five: Negotiation, Personal Responsibility, Financial Matters, Stressors on Relationships, Relationship History, Co-Parenting

Section Six: SMART Resolution Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Coaching

Section Seven: Relationship Phases, Cycles, Impacts, Understanding Love