Journey To Intimacy
Disconnection is a habit that good couples fall into.
You may not know this, but there is a wealth of science behind marriage. Because it is such a high stakes endeavor, researchers are always busy looking at what makes marriages work and what makes them fail.
Now, don’t worry. You don’t have to dig through Journals of Marriage and Family, to get this information.
THAT’S OUR JOB. WE HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT.
Here’s the straight scoop, there are certain interactions and behaviors that lead to lasting marital success and others that lead to emotional distance and divorce.
Years of working with couples have taught us some practical, specific things to help you have more of the desired interactions and behaviors.
Now, you may have gone to couple’s therapy somewhere along the way or you may be doing that now. If you are getting what you need, that’s great. But many people are not getting the skills focus that they need. That’s where Journey to Intimacy comes in.
According to marriage researchers, happily married couples:
- Behave like good friends, and
- Handle their conflicts in gentle, skillful, positive ways.
What does that look like? In simple terms, happy, effective couples know, like, and trust each other and they handle conflicts well. They have good conversations.
AT THE RELATIONSHIP PRACTICE ACADEMY, WE DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME. WE HELP YOU HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS YOU CRAVE.
Journey to Intimacy is a virtual course that teaches some simple relational concepts. As you internalize these ideas, you will make small changes in the way you relate to your partner. You will be amazed at how much impact these small changes add up to. The course includes:
- An Orientation, Five Modules and Graduation,
- A colorful, attractive, downloadable, Workbook,
- A weekly Intention Tracker to digitally track your goal completion,
- Weekly To-Do List that keeps you organized and on track
- Facebook Group Support,
- Community Coaching Calls
Orientation: This part takes care of logistics and will make sure you know your way around our site and have taken your assessments before you begin Mod One. It includes:
- Relationship Skills Assessment: In this section, you will complete an assessment and set intentions for the course. This will provide self-understanding and will pinpoint strengths and weaknesses so you can focus on trouble spots as you work through the entire course. You will re-take the Assessment when you complete the course. It is deeply satisfying as you look back at how far you have come and see your Assessment scores improve.
- Relationship Quality Appraisal – This piece gives you an opportunity to reflect on your relationship and identify what is working and what needs work. Change starts with deep introspection that you will do in this section.
- Powerful Intentions Worksheet – This is a chance to journal and get clarity about your relationship goals before officially start your journey.
MODULE 1 – PRACTICE ENVISIONING YOUR JOURNEY
This module is about the wisdom of letting yourself dream big about having the relationship you want.
In this mod, you will:
- Learn about relational mindfulness,
- Understand the context in which relationship thrives and grows, rather than atrophies,
- Understand the connection between Spirituality, Vulnerability, and Intimacy
- Create a vision of the partner you aspire to be,
- Develop a shared vision of the relationship you want to create,
- Or, develop a vision of the relationship you want to create, even if you are not working with your partner.
- Create a Relationship Ritual
MODULE 2 – PRACTICE HEALTHY SELF ESTEEM
This module is about liking yourself, and how your healthy self-esteem impacts the health of your relationship.
In this mod, you will:
- Learn how societal definitions of Self-Esteem are often counterfeit
- Learn what Self-Regulation is,
- Learn about the idea of Practice in relational living,
- Understand how self-esteem disorders show up in relationships,
- Learn how a Self-Esteem Practice keeps you centered and grounded in Healthy Self-Esteem, making you intimacy-ready
MODULE 3 – PRACTICE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES
This module is about Boundary Work and how it sets the foundation for a relationship that is both connected and protected.
In this mod, you will:
- Learn about boundary failures and how they impact your marriage,
- Learn how self-esteem and boundaries work together in your relationship,
- Learn how to self-regulate by working self-esteem and boundaries,
- Learn how to really show up in your relationship by managing your boundaries,
- Understand how self-regulation strategies make it possible for you to create the intimate conversations you crave.
MODULE 4 – PRACTICE COMMUNICATING WITH GENEROSITY AND CURIOSITY
This module is about taking the high road, conversationally speaking. Each tiny bit of communication is creating your relationship culture, and it needs to be done with great care.
In this mod, you will:
- Learn about the Low Road,
- Understand how taking the High Road is required,
- Learn about the skill of listening,
- Understand the stance of listening curiously and generously,
- Learn a simple, high impact skill called Active Constructive Responding
MODULE 5 – PRACTICE REPAIR
This module is about what to do when it all goes south. Stay tuned!
In this mod, you will:
- Learn about the importance of repairing quickly and repairing often, when there is a problem,
- Create better conversations by cleaning up your own side before involving your partner,
- Learn how to prepare for difficult conversations,
- Learn a simple, but powerful trick that enables you to own your projections instead of dumping them on your partner,
- Learn how to do The Four-Part Repair Strategy
- Use sentence stems and conversation structures to have healthy, respectful conversations about difficult topics.
