Top-Rated Marriage Workshop Now
Online
San Diego, CA -- August 21, 2001 -- /Xpress Press/ -- Training
can improve your marriage, researchers have found. While most marriage
workshops take place in a classroom, one San Diego organization is now
offering a top-rated program online via the Internet.
"Marriage enrichment and problem-prevention education is not just for
troubled marriages," according to James Lucoff, director of empathic coaching
associates, a San Diego provider of the Relationship Enhancement(r) program.
"Studies show that couples can learn to work out conflict more skillfully,
leading to greater intimacy and openness in their relationship. Several
states, such as Florida and Minnesota, have passed legislation offering
incentives to those who take relationship training before the wedding."
Lucoff's organization has taught this program locally in the San Diego
area. Now they are making the same program available to couples anywhere
in the United States and Canada over the Internet. "From the privacy and
convenience of their homes, couples will attend weekly one-hour classes
over the internet. They will hear the instructor explain the concepts
reinforced with on-screen visual aids. By clicking on a button, a couple
can ask a question and receive an immediate response," Lucoff further
explained.
In addition to the group classes, couples will receive individual coaching
over the telephone and 6 months of support. "Couples wonder if they can
hold on to the skills learned in a brief workshop," stated Lucoff. "Our
follow-up procedure ensures that couples get the needed continuing help
to make newly learned skills a permanent part of their marriage. Any couple
who completes all the course exercises over the 6 month period and is
not satisfied with the results can request a full refund."
Relationship Enhancement(r) (RE) is the result of over 30 years of research
and development led by Dr. Bernard Guerney, Jr., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus
of Counseling Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. First developed
as a form of marriage counseling, it later was adapted for the prevention
of marital distress and now is used nationwide in marital and premarital
enrichment programs.
RE has received accolades from numerous authoritative sources. In the
1999 Annual Review of Psychology, A. Christensen and C. L. Heavey reported
that couples who take the Relationship Enhancement(r) program "make significant
gains in the areas of communication, self-disclosure, empathy, and relationship
adjustment." They also found that "extant data comparing programs currently
favors RE."
That conclusion about RE's high rating confirmed an earlier 1985 study
published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. Researchers at
Purdue University analyzed 23 different marriage enrichment programs and
found that RE was the most effective at increasing overall relationship
satisfaction.
Besides being the subject of scholarly studies, RE has been featured in
Redbook, Psychology Today, and other popular magazines.
"Many of us never learned how to bring up issues in a non-critical way,"
stated Lucoff. "RE teaches you how to say what's on your mind without
starting an argument, how to really listen and empathize with your partner,
and how to lead the discussion to a successful solution. RE skills provide
couples with a structure they can confidently use to resolve issues in
their relationships."
To obtain further information about Relationship Enhancement(r) training,
contact empathic coaching associates at (858) 860-6401 x1091 or visit
their web site at http://empathic.homestead.com.
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