Marriages don't come with an "owner's manual", but they should! Marriage education can equip you with the tools to have a happy, healthy, strong marriage.
Marriage education programs are built on a strong foundation of theory, practice, and research. Marriage education isn't just for married people.

You can learn these skills at any point in time. Marriage education programs can help couples prepare for marriage, strengthen a healthy marriage, make changes if they are struggling in their relationships or help individuals who want to have good relationship skills. No matter what stage your relationship is in, the experts suggest that:

•  People can learn the skills they need to have a successful marriage.
  
• These skills can be taught effectively by knowledgeable facilitators.
  
• Both men and women can learn and benefit from using these skills. 
  
• Marriage skills techniques can be adapted to many types of social and cultural settings. 
  
• Communications skills can lead to greater fulfillment in marriage, help prevent divorce, and help unmarried couples make choices about the future of their relationship.

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 
  
• Strengthening commitment and trust

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