Committed, a series of Marriage Intensive Workshops, have two purposes – to develop and strengthen your marriage as well as develop and strengthen the community of support surrounding you. The goal of the workshops will be to develop robust coping skills by focusing on listening and empathizing, providing strategies on dealing with conflict and unresolvable issues, exploring relational dynamics and attachment challenges that each person brings into the relationship, as well as cultivating love and joy within the relationship. Our intention is to integrate scripture, current marriage research and effective interventions into each workshop. Committed will consist of 2 process groups per day, didactics (1 or 2 per session), break-out time with your spouse, and homework/ accountability for moving towards connection and developing new relational habits.
The workshops are 9 hour days with a one-hour lunch break on your own. We meet for five sessions over a period of six to ten months, depending on scheduling needs. In between sessions, we offer one on one phone coaching sessions, 30 minutes per person. These coaching sessions help clarify material, trouble shoot any problem areas and offer support as new relational habits are created. Please note, these coaching calls are not marital therapy sessions where the couple is on the phone together.
Committed is appropriate for any married couple dedicated to a healthy relationship but isn’t in crisis. The workshop is especially appealing to couples who are already meeting regularly with other couples in a group that would like to deepen the connection and intimacy. It is not necessary for a couple to already be involved with a community of other couples; however, regular contact with other couples in a group is an important part of deepening relationships. Any couple considering Committed needs to be open to the idea of connecting with others in order for Committed to be a good fit.
"This group really helped me share my heart with my wife when we needed it most and when I struggled to do it on my own."
-Collin Prater
We offer several phases of Marriage Workshops for those communities interested in the program.
Phase One: Committed, completed in 5 sessions. This workshop primarily uses material from the Gottman Institute along with Tim and Kathy Keller’s book, The Meaning of Marriage.
Phase Two: Grit, completed in 5 to 7 sessions depending on the needs of the group. This workshop focuses on the work of Sue Johnson along with Gary Thomas’s book, Sacred Marriage. (Participants must have completed Committed in order to attend Grit.)
Phase Three: Repair and Respect, completed in 10 sessions. This workshop focuses primarily focuses on group process and experientials to help transform couple’s attachment styles. (Participants must have completed Committed and Grit in order to attend Repair and Respect.)