Creating Enduring Love:
The Relationship Enhancement® Program

Educate Your Heart, Deepen Your Connection, Transform Your Relationship™

The Relationship Enhancement® Program is an advanced, research based workshop that teaches couples how to deepen their communication skills and their understanding of each other. This program has been widely used both for marriage preparation and for relationship enrichment. This 17 hour course is offered in two formats: One Saturday and 4 weekly sessions and a weekend model that is held over two weekends. The course format uses demonstrations, group discussions and private practice time for exercise with leader support. 

The Creating Enduring Love program will teach you the "how-to's” of achieving these essential relationship skills:

• Establishing a constructive, cooperative atmosphere for resolving difficult relationship issues; 
• Fostering increased openness and trust; 
• Reducing defensiveness, anger and withdrawal; 
• Expressing your feelings, concerns and desires openly, honestly and safely; 
• Increasing love, affection and compassion. 

For more information or to register for this program, please contact Rita DeMaria, PhD at 215-628-2450.

PREPARE/ENRICH Program:
Premarital Counseling Program by Life Innovations

Helping couples prepare for marriage, the PREPARE/ENRICH program is based on a set of five inventories that examine major relationship issues a couple may experience.  These inventories must be administered by a trained PREPARE/ENRICH Counselor and include 4-6 feedback sessions in which the counselor facilitates discussion between the couple based on their inventory results.

If you are interested in participating in the PREPARE/ENRICH Program, check with your local counselor or clergy person to see if they are already using it.  Or if you unable to locate a trained professional, visit the Find a Counselor page on the Life Innovations website.

"The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) is a research-based approach to teaching couples (premarital, committed, or married) how to communicate effectively, manage conflicts without damaging closeness, and how to preserve and enhance commitment, friendship and intimacy. The premise is that it's not how much you love each other that makes a relationship or marriage work; it's how you resolve differences and preserve fun and sensuality that keeps a relationship strong. This one-day course uses teaching, videos, role-plays, group discussions and private coaching to educate couples in an atmosphere of informality and comfort."

• September 13
  Philadelphia, PA: Saturday, 9 am - 4:30 pm

For more information or to register for a PREP class please contact Rita DeMaria, PhD, LSW, LMFT, Program Director at 215-628-2450.

Engaged Encounter

"Engaged Encounter is a non-profit international program of the Catholic Church dedicated to preparing couples for the sacrament of marriage. It is a weekend away from family, friends, work and wedding preparations. (Couples who are not Catholic are also welcome to attend.) Engaged couples are given the opportunity to focus on each other exclusively in an environment which encourages deep communication and openness." 

• June 20 - 22
  Camden, NJ

For more information or to register for the Trenton workshops please contact Don & Elsa Gammon at 914-961-6144.  Or for information on other workshops in the Philadelphia area, please contact Kevin & Nina Murphy at 610-921-3035.

Free Relationship Education Class Preview

Come and learn about all of the Relationship Education programs offered by the Council for Relationships - ranging from courses for singles, engaged couples, married couples and all other committed couples!  Dr. Rita DeMaria, PAIRS® Program Director, and our PAIRS® Leaders will introduce you to the many classes we offer that can provide directions, tools and guides for you and your partner to have a successful and pleasurable relationship.

• June 12
  Concordville, PA: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
• September 24; October 1
  Wynnewood, PA: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

To register, please contact Rita DeMaria, Ph.D., LSW, LMFT, Program Director at 215-628-2450.

Premarital Seminar:
Strengthening the Ties that Bind - Skills for Intentional Relationships
Presented by The Wissahickon Center for Relationship Therapy

This program provides you with information on what it takes to create strong, lasting relationships, introduces you to practical communication skills and conflict resolution techniques and helps you to establish a foundation for a lasting emotionally healthy marriage. Cost: $225

For more information or to register, please contact Laura Marshall, LCSW, QCSW at 215-699-1238.

Getting The Love You Want: The Imago Couples Workshop
Presented by The Wissahickon Center for Relationship Therapy

"This workshop consists of five processes: re-imaging your partner, restoring empathy, restructuring frustrations, renewing romance and re-visioning the future. The weekend is composed of a carefully constructed blend of educational lectures and films, group discussions, self-exploration and writing work. You will learn new skills - ways to communicate that will allow you to truly see and hear each other with compassion, to melt anger and move through conflict to a place of profound connection and compassion. A significant portion of the workshop is spent practicing these new tools with your partner. While you are invited to share your insights and experiences within the larger group, all such sharing is optional."

For more information or to register, please contact Laura Marshall, LCSW, QCSW at 215-699-1238.

"MarriageWise offers programs for engaged couples to help them build their awareness of the expectations each partner has as they prepare for marriage and to help them develop skills for discussing and negotiating these expectations. MarriageWise programs also emphasize learning conflict resolution skills, maintaining love and affection in marriage, and the role of spirituality in marriage." For more information, please contact Dr. Steven Sayers at 215-823-5196.

Keeping Love Alive

"An eight hour relationship skills class for engaged and newlywed couples." For more information or to register, please contact Laura Marshall, LCSW, QCSW at 215-699-1238.

Marriage & Family Builders/PREP Workshop

This workshop is a Prevention & Relationship Enhancement Program for all singles, cohabitating, dating, engaged & married. PREP is education, not therapy and is a research-based approach to teaching couples how to solve problems, manage conflicts without damaging closeness, and preserve and enhance love, passion, commitment and friendship. This skills and principles curriculum is designed to help people say what they need to say, get to the heart of problems, and increase their connection with each other. Program is available in English and Spanish. Please call for more information at (610) 299-0961.

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