Couples and Marriage Education

Whether you are planning to be married, are already married, or are in a long-term relationship with a partner, paying close attention to your relationship is important, and can have powerful results. We have helped thousands of couples learn how to reclaim the intimacy and safety they need in their relationships.  To read about an example, based on some of our clients’ experiences, click on One Couple’s Story.

Couples class

The couple relationship provides an opportunity for deep personal growth and happiness.  For most of us, our need for attachment is strong, and we seek the intimacy and safety of partnership.  Whole-hearted, full-time partnership gives us something we can’t get anywhere else.

Intimacy can be elusive, however, because of the pull of daily routine and the responsibility of living a shared life.  As couples, we must develop and nurture our relationship skills in order to achieve the intimacy we desire.  Even when we have the motivation, we may not know where to begin, or how to identify and change old communication patterns that block us.

The FEC Couples Class is designed to develop and practice skills in listening, sharing feelings, and resolving conflict.  Couples learn to listen to each other without judging, to express feelings without blaming, and to approach conflict as an opportunity to grow together in creative and positive ways.  By taking a conscious, intentional approach to partnership, couples can learn new and more effective ways to share their lives.

The basic course is generally 6 to 8 hours, over 2 to 3 months.  It is offered to individual couples, not groups.   This way,  it can be tailored to each couple’s particular needs, strengths, and work areas.  It is not psychotherapy or marriage counseling, but a skill-based course focusing on developing and maintaining a conscious partnership.