Embrace the skills that make marriages last.
So much happens in the first few months and years of marriage. There’s the whirlwind of getting engaged, hosting a wedding, creating a home and making all the decisions, big and small, that bring your lives together.
Are there issues you’ve meant to sit down and discuss, but just haven’t had the time?
Moments when something hurts — maybe even deeply — but you’re not sure how to bring up that issue in a way that helps you both feel understood and leads to a real solution?
Don’t blame yourself (or your partner). The truth is, we don’t really get the chance to study relationships in school or anywhere else. Even the most loving couples often lack the skill set they need to keep their relationships healthy and vital, year after year.
A private, customized course focused on your unique relationship
As a longtime marriage therapist who’s worked with hundreds of couples in Oregon and now, California, I’ve always felt there should be a better way for people to begin their lives together. To answer the need, I offer a focused, four-hour course for couples moving through the first five years of marriage together.
My personalized Marriage Foundational Skills Course will help you:
- Understand the deeper causes of relationship distress and how to heal them
- Explore 13 key areas for marriage success, including many you haven’t considered before
- Celebrate your individual differences so they become a source of strength, not conflict
- Clarify your personal goals, exploring ways to support each other while staying aligned and responsive to the needs of your marriage
This immersive course will help the two of you create a practical roadmap for marriage success. It will introduce you to the skills, tools and insights that lay a solid foundation for the shared life you’re building.
Why is this course different from other marriage classes or webinars?
Your private marriage course will be planned exclusively for you. I will emphasize the key points that are most relevant to the health of your marriage as it is today – and as it may unfold in the future.
Before we begin, you will take a relationship survey that helps us understand exactly where you are right now. You will affirm what’s most important to you as individuals and partners, giving us the ideal starting point for discussion and skill-building practice.
What if we’re not getting married?
Glad you asked! This course isn’t reserved just for newly married couples. It can be a transformative step if you are:
- Considering moving in together
- Wondering whether to start a family
- Contemplating a big financial commitment
- Facing a career or other life change that will affect you both
Like marriage itself, these decision points represent a big leap forward. You’ll be asked to give more than ever before, which can open the door for struggles and misunderstandings. The course helps you anticipate issues and prepare to handle the rough spots as a loving, cooperative team.
This gift keeps on giving throughout your relationship
The Marriage Foundational Skills Course is designed to help you support and care for each other as your relationship evolves. The results of your initial survey will give you a helpful benchmark of where you began – something you can refer back to whenever you find yourselves struggling. The resource sheets and exercises from your customized course will help you return to the essential skills you need to navigate your way through.
If you find you need more hands-on guidance at any point, you can schedule a refresher session with me. This can be so comforting, because you won’t be starting from square one. You’ll be working with a seasoned therapist who knows and understands you and can help you get right to the heart of the matter.
Take the time now – you’ll be so glad you did
Yep, life is busy – especially in the early years of your marriage. But you’ll find these Four dedicated hours are a tremendous gift. Think of them as a small commitment that will support all the big ones you are making together, one day and one season at a time. Get in touch with me now to arrange for your personalized course.