Marriage and Relationship Education and Couples and Marriage Therapy: What’s the Difference?
Some people—including professionals, public officials and the media—use these terms interchangeably. The public’s confusion is understandable when professionals themselves often use the terms so loosely.1 Some people are genuinely not aware of any differences. Others argue that any differences that may have once existed are increasingly becoming blurred and hence don’t really matter.
Military Service and Marriage: A Review of Research
Why is it important to understand the challenges to a healthy marriage that people in the military face? Some compelling reasons come readily to mind. First of all, married military personnel represent a sizable population, and that, in itself, merits attention. Nearly one-half of the nation's military personnel are married, amounting to almost 700,000 individuals. […]
Case Study: Coalition Building
Community healthy marriage initiatives have developed throughout the past decade with different goals and objectives.1 Most are spearheaded by a community- or faith-based leader who brings likeminded people together with the common goal of strengthening marriage in their community. This Case Study examines a statewide approach to delivering healthy marriage and relationship education (MRE) through […]
Marketing and Outreach in Hispanic Communities (HARP)
This Case Study examines successful approaches to conducting marketing and outreach for healthy relationship and marriage education (MRE) services for Hispanic communities. The Hispanic Active Relationship Project (HARP) in Cameron County, Texas, has developed unique marketing, outreach and recruitment strategies to engage Hispanic communities and encourage participation in marriage and relationship education services.
Experiential Learning – Stop and Smell the Flowers
Group Size: 1 to 50+ Time Needed: 20 minutes Goal: To see if what participants say their values are match up with how they actually spend their time Audience: Couples, Parents, Singles, Teens Special Considerations: This can be an emotional experience if people discover that their lives are out of balance. This can be a […]
Experiential Learning – The Most Important Thing
Group Size: 1 to 25 Time Needed: 15 to 20 minutes Goal: To encourage participants to think about what is really important in their lives and set priorities accordingly Audience: Couples, Parents, Teens, Singles Special Considerations: This activity may force participants to become noticeably uncomfortable prioritizing elements in their life which they may have never […]
Experiential Learning – Toe to Toe
Group Size: 1 to 50+ Time Needed: 5 minutes plus discussion Goal: To examine conflict resolution Audience: Parents, Couples, Teens, Children, Singles Special Considerations: To keep it from getting out-of-hand, keep this one short. Couples in particular can be very competitive. If you have two facilitators, you can demonstrate the activity before participants begin. Resources […]
Experiential Learning – Tying the Knot
Group Size: 1 to 50+ Time Needed: 5 minutes plus time for discussion Goal: To provide a communication building activity Audience: Couples, Parents, Children, Teens Special Considerations: This activity is especially powerful for couples. Co-facilitators can practice and complete this activity as a demonstration. Resources Needed: Two pieces of decorative ribbon, each about 24 inches […]