You want to have a loving, committed, and supportive relationship, right? One important and effective way to make that dream a reality is to take a marriage education course.
Marriage education IS:
- about learning important skills, attitudes, and behaviors that strengthen and support an intimate and caring relationship
- a way to discover the key ingredients for good communication and problem-solving
- a way to develop the skills you need to have the relationship that you and your spouse or future spouse want
Marriage education is NOT:
- a support group, where people share common problems
- counseling, where your personal issues are the focus
Marriage education is not only for married couples. Relationship education teaches many of the same skills and provides tips for unmarried individuals as well as youth preparing to date. Marriage education is for anyone looking for a loving, committed marriage…. now or in the future.
Common Elements of Marriage Education Programs
Marriage education is typically delivered in a group setting through a series of workshops or sessions led by a trained facilitator. The content, group exercises, and length of program may vary, but most share several common elements. Marriage education programs:
- Have a goal of strengthening marriage and family life;
- Serve a variety of individuals and couples, including those planning or hoping to marry, married couples looking to strengthen their bond, troubled couples who want to change the destructive patterns in their relationships, couples who are remarrying, young people who want to learn about marriage, and those who have not been married.
- Offer ways for individuals to receive certification or training to teach marriage education; and
- Can be provided in a variety of formats including weekend retreats, self-help books or videos, or multi-week sessions.
Core content in marriage education includes:
- Improving communication skills by focusing on listening and speaking on one’s own behalf;
- Building conflict resolution and problem-solving skills and helping couples learn how to negotiate constructive agreements that meet the needs of both partners;
- Dealing with differences on issues such as money, children, family, friends, and social relationships;
- Improving anger management and emotional regulation;
- Improving affection and caring;
- Improving intimacy and passion; and
- Strengthening commitment and trust