Making Marriage Work

In a time when nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, we decided to use technology to help couples realize their happily ever after’s this summer. By offering our Making Marriage Work seminar both online or on-site clinicians were able to make it easier for participants to nurture these relationships by breaking down the time and geography barriers to care.

For many families finding time to do just about anything outside the norm of already hectic schedules can be daunting. From the moment they wake up in the morning, it’s “go time.” Work, errands, household chores and, if children are in the picture, a myriad of other life responsibilities to fit into a mere 24 hours.

“We understand that physically getting to any appointment takes planning and time, especially for some of our military families. Yet, taking care of our marriage is vital for its success.” explains Julie Adams, licensed clinician and one of the two-part team that facilitates the quarterly Making Marriage Work seminar. “We hope that by offering these interactive workshops both onsite and live online, we’re able to share valuable lessons with those who otherwise may not be able to get to the clinic each week.”

The next Making Marriage Work seminar will be offered on September 18th. The last edition, held this summer, was the first time the online component was added in.

For military families the additional responsibilities both within and outside of the household can make day-to-day life just that much harder. And yet, although each of these obligations is important and necessary, so is caring for the marriage that keeps it all afloat.

Throughout the four-week workshop, couples were reminded that deep friendship may be the key to a successful marriage and were encouraged to share their experiences, support one another, create connections and develop shared goals. They were introduced to the seven principles of a stable marriage – easy in concept, but difficult when deployment, moves, children and a busy life can get in the way, according to Adams.

Based on a survey administered at the workshop’s end, the lessons proved beneficial. Many participants noted that the workshop was extremely helpful and had a positive impact on their marriage. Heartened by the seminar’s success, Dr. Counts and Adams plan to host the workshop in September. “We hope to mirror this most recent group’s success and reach even more couples who want to enhance their relationships,” Dr. Counts said.

For more information on the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, including options for live online therapy options, visit the clinic’s website at centerstone.org/cohen or call (931) 221-3850.