Today's divorce rate, and how it impacts individuals, families and society, shows a crying need for a proactive approach to creating fulfilling, lasting marriages. This course teaches clinicians and counselors how to introduce the marriage meeting tool to therapy clients and how to lead marriage meeting workshops for couples. It presents guidelines, positive communication skills, and explains step-by-step how to conduct the meeting's simple four-part agenda: Appreciation, Coordinating Chores, Planning for Good Times, and Problems and Challenges.
https://frumtherapist.com/workshops/TheMarriageMeetingProgram/viewThe Marriage Meeting Program:
A Strength Based Approach for Successful Relationships
Previously Recorded
Presenter: Marcia Naomi Berger, LCSW
Course Length: 2 Hours
This workshop Offers 2 Continuing Education Credits
This webinar is recorded and will not grant live credits.
Today's divorce rate, and how it impacts individuals, families and society, shows a crying need for a proactive approach to creating fulfilling, lasting marriages. This course teaches clinicians and counselors how to introduce the marriage meeting tool to therapy clients and how to lead marriage meeting workshops for couples. It presents guidelines, positive communication skills, and explains step-by-step how to conduct the meeting's simple four-part agenda: Appreciation, Coordinating Chores, Planning for Good Times, and Problems and Challenges.
1. Introduction. A proactive approach fosters lasting, successful marriages.
2. Learning objectives.
3. The rationale for the Marriage Meeting Program:
• The high cost of failed marriages
• New expectations for a 21st-century marriage
• Specific benefits of marriage meetings
• How marriage meetings differ from couple therapy
4. The structure of a marriage meeting in couple therapy sessions and Marriage Meeting Workshops.
5. Guidelines for marriage meetings: Time, place, etiquette
6. How to hold each part of a marriage meeting. Includes examples.
The meeting’s agenda has four sections, conducted in this sequence:
A. Appreciation
B. Chores/Responsibilities
C. Planning for Good Times
D. Problems and Challenges
7. Communication Skills for Marriage Meetings
I-Statements, Congruent Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Self-Talk, Active Listening, Giving Constructive Feedback, Brainstorming for Solutions
8. Marriage Meeting As a Diagnostic Tool, with example
9. How Marriage Meetings are Compatible with Different Therapy and Other Approaches:
10. Multicultural and Lifestyle Considerations: African American, Latino, LGBT Cultures, Asian culture, American culture
11. Case Examples: Therapist Demonstrates Parts of a Marriage Meeting
12. How to Lead a Two-Session Marriage Meeting Workshop
Session 1 Workshop Format: Couples learn guidelines and positive communication techniques. They roleplay each part of a marriage meeting and agree to hold a meeting at home before the second session.
Session 2 Workshop Format: Participants report briefly on how their marriage meetings at home went. Review communication skills Demonstrate and role play to help fine-tune the use of tools and techniques.
13. Q & A about Marriage Meetings for clients, workshop participants, and others
14. Questions and discussion with CE seminar participants.
