New workshop to help couples work it out

Susan Schlosser,
Family Therapist

Thursday, September 8, 2005

Couples can learn how to avoid relationship pitfalls, and to deepen and maintain love for a lifetime, said the Department of Counselling Services� Family Therapist, Susan Schlosser talking about a new workshop being held by the department

�They can � if they work at it,� she said. �Most people desire a satisfying relationship or marriage that lasts, yet couples marrying today have a fifty percent chance of getting divorced. On top of that, many couples that do stay together remain in an unhappy marriage for years.

�What starts out as a relationship of great joy and promise can become the most frustrating and painful endeavor of a lifetime if conflict isn�t managed,� explained Ms Schlosser.

To show couples how to work it out by resolving differences and preserving fun and friendship, the department�s Counselling Centre will host a two-day workshop titled �Fighting for Your Marriage� on Wednesday 14 and Saturday 17 September.

The seminar, based on the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) approach, will teach couples (premarital, dating or married) what to say, how to get to the heart of relationship problems and how to strengthen the connection with their partners.

Emphasizing the easygoing and informal nature of the course, Ms Schlosser said:

�PREP is one of the most comprehensive and well respected divorce-prevention and marriage-strengthening programs in the world. It offers participants a skills and principles-building curriculum designed to help married couples or those in committed relationships to make their partnership the best it can be.�

The PREP approach is educational, with the focus on teaching couples the kinds of attitudes and actions that make for relationship success. It is research-based and focuses on effective communication, conflict management, and preserving and enhancing love, commitment and friendship in a relationship.

�It is not how much you love each other that makes a relationship work, it is how you resolve differences and preserve fun and sensuality that keeps a bond strong,� added Ms Schlosser.

The course uses teaching, videos, role-plays, group discussions and private coaching to instruct couples. Space is limited and people should register in person at the Counselling Centre on the 3rd floor in the West Wind building, North Church Street. The course fee is $25 per couple and $15 for individual participation. Wednesday�s session runs from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Lunch will be served Saturday.

For more information call Ms Schlosser at 949-8789.

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