Fwd: Upcoming Child-Centered Play Therapy Workshop - April 11-12, 2014

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <newsletter@nire.org>
Date: Sun, Mar 16, 2014 at 8:01 PM
Subject: Upcoming Child-Centered Play Therapy Workshop - April 11-12, 2014
To: billcoffin68@gmail.com


Child-Centered Play Therapy Workshop

April 11-12, 2014

Workshop Leader: William Nordling, Ph.D., Member of NIRE's Training Faculty

Location: Bethesda, MD.

Workshop Description: The purpose of this two-day skills training workshop is to provide participants a comprehensive introduction to the Child-Centered Play Therapy Model and to teach participants the principles and techniques for conducting all aspects of Child-Centered Play Therapy with children, from intake through termination.

Intensive Supervised Skills Practice: The workshop emphasizes the building of participants' therapeutic skills through a process that combines lecture, demonstration and supervised practice via participant role-plays and mock play sessions. The number of participants is limited in order to ensure frequent individual supervision when participants practice aspects of the child-centered play therapy process.

Workshop Objectives: Participants will learn how to:

  • Identify the parameters for the appropriate use of play therapy
  • Quickly establish rapport and a strong therapeutic relationship with the child
  • Create the recommended therapeutic atmosphere
  • Facilitate the child's mastery of thoughts and feelings to help eliminate immature and symptomatic behaviors
  • Set and enforce limits in an effective and therapeutic way
  • Identify the major stages of play therapy and accompanying themes
  • Communicate to parents about play therapy and their child's progress and help them and the child terminate therapy

Continuing Education: Upon completion, participants receive 13 CE credits for completing this workshop.

IDEALS/NIRE is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education programs specific to play therapy.  APT Preferred Provider 95-009.
IDEALS/NIRE is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  IDEALS maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
DEALS/NIRE is approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors to offer continuing education for National Certified Counselors. NBCC provider #5560.
IDEALS/NIRE is approved by the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners to offer Category I continuing education programs for social workers.
IDEALS/NIRE maintains responsibility for the program and adhering to the appropriate guidelines required by the respective organizations.

Fee: $265 (includes packet of materials)

For further information, please visit our website at www.nire.org.

To register, please download a registration form at www.nire.org or call NIRE at 301-680-8977.



powered by phplist v 2.10.18, © phpList ltd

Fwd: 7 Stages of Marriage Survey - 3/13/14

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Smartmarriages <smartmarriages@lists101.his.com>
Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 12:08 PM
Subject: 7 Stages of Marriage Survey - 3/13/14
To: List <smartmarriages@lists101.his.com>


You know that helping with marriage and relationship surveys helps us all help not only the researchers but also ourselves.  Moves the whole field forward.  
They’re also fun to take — make us think about our relationships and just taking these quick surveys often offers new insights as we puzzle about what the researchers are looking for.  Please take the survey and then forward this email to your lists. - diane  

The 7 stages of Marriage Survey
We are looking for participants to take the 7 Stages of Marriage questionnaire to help us move forward with the next step in our research.   Click the link below to learn more about the study and begin the questionnaire. For questions about the study or to support our work by adding the survey link to your website, please contact Dr. Rita DeMaria at DrRita@RitaDeMaria.com.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RitaDeMaria


___________________________________________________________
- FOR INFORMATION about how to post to the Smart Marriages® newslist;
subscribe or UNSUBSCRIBE, or an archive of all past posts:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/newslist.info.html

Fwd: usccb just uploaded a video

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: YouTube <noreply@youtube.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 3:15 PM
Subject: usccb just uploaded a video
To: Bill Coffin <billcoffin68@gmail.com>


usccb has uploaded Made For Each Other "Made for Each Other" takes...

                                             
usccb has uploaded Made For Each Other
usccb
"Made for Each Other" takes up many current questions about the meaning of marriage and answers them. Marriage is about a unique love that only a man and a woman as husband and wife--in their differences--can give to each other. Find out why. This video is part of "Marriage: Unique for a Reason" initiative. For more information, go to: http://www.marriageuniquefo­rareason.org/
You were sent this email because you chose to receive updates from usccb. If you don't want these updates anymore, you can unsubscribe here.
©2014 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

Fwd: 2014 MAAC Basketball Championship

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fairfield University Athletics <fairfieldnews@fairfield.edu>
Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 4:30 PM
Subject: 2014 MAAC Basketball Championship
To: Fairfield Stag Fans <billcoffin68@gmail.com>



Fairfield University Department of Athletics - 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824

For all of your Fairfield Athletic News visit FairfieldStags.com

Want more Athletic News?
Sign up for the Stag Sports Report!

You are receiving this email because of your association with
Fairfield University
To make sure you continue to receive our e-mails in your inbox
(not in your bulk or junk folders), please add FairfieldNews@fairfield.edu
to your address book or safe sender list.

If you do not wish to receive e-communications from Fairfield University,
please follow this link.

Fwd: Young, Aspiring, and In Love; Free Book; Tip Sheet; Logic Model; PREP Grantee Webinar

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Dibble Institute <relationshipskills@dibbleinstitute.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 1:08 PM
Subject: Young, Aspiring, and In Love; Free Book; Tip Sheet; Logic Model; PREP Grantee Webinar
To: Bill Coffin <billcoffin68@gmail.com>



Healthy Relationship News – February 2014

THE LATEST
  • High Aspirations Among the New Majority Minority
  • Love, Actually: Teaching Generation Y the Basics of a Strong Relationship
  • Young And In Love? Thank Mom And Dad, At Least A Little
  • Candy and flowers: Romance alive and well among young couples
DIBBLE NEWS
  • Learn more about Dibble! Giving Library Premier
  • Celebrate Spring with The Art of Loving Well
NEWS YOU CAN USE
  • Dating Safety Tip Sheet for Parents
  • Healthy Relationship Website for Girls
  • InBrief: The Science of Neglect
  • Money Habitudes® Logic Model

SECOND WEDNESDAY WEBINAR – March 12
    UP YOUR GAME!
   Strengthen Your PREP Adult Preparation Topics Using Evidence Based, Adaptable Materials

FUNDING STREAMS
THE LATEST
High Aspirations Among the New Majority Minority

Despite steep declines, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reports that nearly half of African-American teen girls (45%) and 40% of Latinas get pregnant at least once before age 20—more than one and a half times the national average.

Data presented in this Survey Says are from the Inner City Truth 3 (ICT3) Report, based on a survey conducted by MEE Productions Inc. Read the full survey here.
Ed. Note: Of most interest to readers of this newsletter is the statistic shown above – most young people, aspire to marriage, but often lack confidence and skills.
Love, Actually
Teaching Generation Y the Basics of a Strong Relationship


I RECENTLY OVERHEARD two students talking in a dining hall at the university where I teach. “Yeah, I might get married, too,” one confided. “But not until I’m at least 30 and have a career.” Then she grinned. “Until then? I’m going to party it up.”

This young woman was practically following a script. An increasing number of studies show that many millennials want to marry — someday.

Generation Y is postponing marriage until, on average, age 29 for men and 27 for women. College-educated millennials in particular view it as a “capstone” to their lives rather than as a “cornerstone,” according to a report whose sponsors include the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.

Yet for all of their future designs on marriage, many of them may not get there. Their romance operandi — hooking up and hanging out — flouts the golden rule of what makes marriages and love work: emotional vulnerability.

Young And In Love?
Thank Mom And Dad, At Least A Little


Teenagers' relationships with their parents have a small but measurable impact on their romantic relationships up to 15 years later, according to researchers at the University of Alberta. People who had a tumultuous relationship with their mom and dad in their teens were more likely to face heartache down the road. And those who felt close to their parents during adolescence tended to feel more emotionally and physically satisfied in their adult romantic relationships.

The researchers drew their conclusions from data in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. This study followed 3,000 Americans from middle and high school up until they were in their early 30s. The findings were published in the February issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family. (NPR, 2/10/2014)
Candy and Flowers…
Romance alive and well among young couples

Don’t let the naysayers wilt the Valentine's Day flowers: Most young men and women in long-term relationships say they are very satisfied — and very much in love — with each other.
In a world dominated by news of hookups and breakups, these results offer a pleasant surprise, said sociologists Elizabeth Wildsmith and Jennifer Manlove, who recently published their findings in a brief for Child Trends, a nonpartisan research center.

Young couples gave high marks to their relationships regardless of whether they were married, cohabiting or dating, the researchers said. “That’s very encouraging,” Ms. Wildsmith said.

The data come from a unique source — roughly 1,500 heterosexual couples, ages 18 to 26, who were part of the “Romantic Pairs” subgroup in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health), which has followed the same massive group of youths since high school.
DIBBLE NEWS
Our Giving Library Video Premiere!

The Dibble Institute is delighted to premiere a new video from The Giving Library!

The Giving Library, a project of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, helps donors give wisely. Dibble is pleased to have been selected for The Giving Library website. We are grateful to all at the Foundation for the gift of such a wonderful video.

To watch Executive Director, Kay Reed, discussing the importance and effectiveness of relationship skills education for teens and young adults around the country, click here.

And, please join us in our mission with a donation!
Celebrate Spring with The Art of Loving Well

It’s easier than ever to engage young people in learning to love well. To celebrate Spring, we will include one free copy of the acclaimed anthology Art of Loving Well with every order over $100. Just try to put it down!
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Dating Safety Tip Sheet for Parents

Just in time for Spring! From our friends at Child Builders, Houston, a tip sheet to share with parents based on Relationship Smarts PLUS.
Healthy Relationship Website for Girls

“The relationships you have as a teen are a very special and important part of your life. That’s why a fight with a close friend can hurt so much. It’s also why it can be so frustrating when the people who should know you best — like your family — don’t seem to understand you. This section of girlshealth.gov can give you skills for building strong and healthy relationships of all types.”
InBrief: The Science of Neglect

Extensive biological and developmental research shows significant neglect—the ongoing disruption or significant absence of caregiver responsiveness—can cause more harm to a young child’s development than overt physical abuse, including subsequent cognitive delays, impairments in executive functioning, and disruptions of the body’s stress response. This edition of the InBrief series explains why significant deprivation is so harmful in the earliest years of life and why effective interventions are likely to pay significant dividends in better long-term outcomes in learning, health, and parenting of the next generation.

Ed Note: Great resource for Healthy Choices, Healthy Relationships brain lesson and for Relationship Smarts Plus/Love Notes parenting lessons.
Money Habitudes Logic Model

Are you including Money Habitudes 2 in a grant? Here is a new logic model (opens in Excel). Add your own program details to the template!
UP YOUR GAME!
Strengthen Your PREP Adult Preparation Topics Using Proven, Adaptable Materials

Now that you have figured out how to deliver excellent, evidence based pregnancy prevention instruction, how about your adult preparation topics?
Join PREP Pregnancy Prevention Grant sub-awardees to learn how they are using Dibble evidence based materials to successfully teach the Adult Preparation topics.
Learn how to:
  • select the program that best engages your audience and
  • adapt the material to meet your needs for time and topic.
Presenters include:
Ted Futris, Ph.D. University of Georgia and Felicia Tuggle, Georgia PREP
Lisa Smith, Teen Mom/Teen Health ClinicUniversity of Utah Adolescent Services
Robyn McLymont and Delano Grant, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Manager, OIC of South Florida
When: Wednesday, March 12, 2014
, 4:00 pm Eastern/
1:00 pm Pacific
Duration: 60 minutes 
Cost: Free!
FUNDING STREAMS
Pregnancy Prevention Research and Demonstration

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Adolescent Health, has announced the availability of funds for teenage pregnancy research and demonstration projects. A two year grant, for up to $890,000 per year, will be funded. Letters of intent are due March 21st, and applications on April 24th.

The purpose of this announcement is to work with communities with high teen pregnancy rates to develop innovative strategies for preventing teen pregnancy in populations/areas with demonstrated need. These could include high-risk, vulnerable, and culturally under-represented youth populations, and/or youth residing in areas with high birth or teen pregnancy rates. The successful applicant is expected to bring together a team in each selected community made up of representatives from various sectors to develop a strategy or prevention framework to address teen pregnancy prevention in their individual community.
Teen Dating Violence, Sexual Violence, and Intimate Partner Violence
Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women


The purpose of the National Institute of Justice grants program is to encourage and support research, development, and evaluation to improve criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks applications for funding of research and evaluation related to violence against women in the areas of teen dating violence, sexual violence, and intimate partner violence. Research proposed may be focused at the state, local, tribal, federal, juvenile justice policy and/or practice level.
Deadline: 4/25/2014
Support for Child Health and Education Initiatives in California and Washington
Stuart Foundation

The Stuart Foundation is dedicated to transforming the public education and child welfare systems in California and Washington so that all youth can learn and achieve in school and life. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that address the following priorities: The Education Systems category invests in coordinated programs, partnerships, and research and policy analysis that help students to learn and achieve in school by developing effective education systems.

The Vulnerable Youth in Child Welfare category partners with child welfare agencies to help children and youth in foster care to realize positive outcomes in the following focus areas: safety, permanency, well being, education opportunities, and youth, family and community engagement. Letters of inquiry may be submitted at any time. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the Foundation’s funding priorities.
Innovative Youth Programs
Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation

Innovative programs or services are defined as "uncommon, untested or otherwise unconventional." In other words, RMYF funds programs or services that are outside of current customary practices. We support programs or services that are designed to help underprivileged youth reach their full potential.

The foundation awards grants of $25,000 to untested youth programs that lead to breakthrough results in supporting underprivileged youth in the greater metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Madison, WI, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

Pre-applications are due April 30, and invited applications will be due August 30.
 Dibble YouTube favorites 
 
Check out our favorite videos for teens, instructors, and parents!
Keep in touch with The Dibble Institute through our new Facebook page.
See us at Linked In!
PO Box 7881, Berkeley, California 94707, United States
You may unsubscribe or change your contact details at any time.

Powered by:
GetResponse
open

Fwd: Upcoming Mastering the Mysteries of Love Workshops for Couples

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <newsletter@nire.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 7:01 AM
Subject: Upcoming Mastering the Mysteries of Love Workshops for Couples
To: billcoffin68@gmail.com


Please come, or pass this along to others!

Also, please send this out to any list serves you may be on.

Mastering the Mysteries of Love

Weekend Workshops for Couples

The National Institute of Relationship Enhancement® is offering the Mastering the Mysteries of Love version of the Relationship Enhancement® Program for couples in addition to the classic version of the RE Program.

Upcoming dates:

  • April 5-6, 2014 - Mastering the Mysteries of Love with Carrie Hansen, LCSW-C
  • June 7-8, 2014 - Mastering the Mysteries of Love with Carrie Hansen, LCSW-C
  • July 19-20, 2014 - Mastering the Mysteries of Love with Carrie Hansen, LCSW-C

All workshops are held in Bethesda, MD.

Cost is $450 per couple.

Further information can be found at www.nire.org.

Research: The RE Program and Mastering the Mysteries of Love is backed by 35 years of empirical research validating its effectiveness. In addition, an award-winning meta-analytic study involving thousands of couples and over a dozen approaches, demonstrated that RE clients showed far more powerful improvement effects than clients in any of the other interventions for couples or families with which it was compared.

Description: Couples spend two days learning 10 practical skills that deepen connection and empower them to resolve current and future problems on their own.

The skills you and your partner learn will help you:

  • establish a constructive, cooperative atmosphere for resolving difficult relationship issues
  • foster increased openness and trust
  • reduce defensiveness, anger and withdrawal
  • express your deepest feelings, concerns and desires openly, honestly and safely
  • nurture deepened caring and compassion
  • increase love and affection
  • create solutions to conflicts at their deepest levels
  • successfully implement agreed-to solutions and behavioral changes

The weekend program usually numbers between 4-10 couples in order to maintain a more intimate atmosphere. It also features significant time for private couples' exercises and dialogues, which part of the time are facilitated by trained coaches.

The program is non-residential and meets on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Information on discounted hotel room rates for those visiting from out of town are available upon registration. Snacks and beverages are provided; participants have lunch on their own.

For further information, or to register, please call NIRE at 301-680-8977.

Please note new contact info below:

Mail:
NIRE - Administrative Office
306 West Main Street #507
Frankfort, KY 40601

If you register by fax or mail, please include your name, address, home and work phone numbers, and the dates for which you are registering.

Payment may be made either by check or credit card. Registrations by fax must be accompanied by a credit card number.

If payment is made with a credit card number, please write your name exactly as it appears on the card, the expiration date and your signature.

Please note: It is not safe to send credit card information via email.



powered by phplist v 2.10.18, © phpList ltd

Fwd: [New post] Learning To Trust My GPS - And Jesus Too

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: INTERSECTIONS <comment-reply@wordpress.com>
Date: Sun, Mar 2, 2014 at 1:06 AM
Subject: [New post] Learning To Trust My GPS – And Jesus Too
To: billcoffin68@gmail.com


deannadavis427 posted: "I did something today I have never done before.  I trusted my GPS.  I turned it on, listened to its guidance, and followed its directions.  I didn't double-check it before leaving on my trip.  I didn't argue with it as I drove.  I didn't constantly verify"
Respond to this post by replying above this line

New post on INTERSECTIONS

Learning To Trust My GPS – And Jesus Too

by deannadavis427

I did something today I have never done before.  I trusted my GPS.  I turned it on, listened to its guidance, and followed its directions.  I didn't double-check it before leaving on my trip.  I didn't argue with it as I drove. google map app I didn't constantly verify that it, and I, were on the correct path.   I didn't worry about two or three turns ahead.  I just listened for the next one and took it as it came.

I trusted and followed... and got where I needed to go.  And it was so refreshing to be able to relax along the way and enjoy the journey I was on.

Oh, I've used my GPS countless times in the past and find it very helpful in getting from one place to another.  I am not a Luddite or helplessly old school.  But I'm afraid I am THAT person.  You know THAT person.  Me and my GPS have a much more complicated relationship than we should.  I talk to her. I frequently question that she knows what she is doing.  Because I am never really sure she'll be able to get me to where I need to go safely and in a timely manner. Because I kind of like to make my own plans.  Because, while I'm not a control freak…let's just say I often prefer to reduce the number of people and things I am dependent on.  Therefore, I tend to do my route planning ahead of time so that, even though I take her with me everywhere, I don't actually need her.  Even though getting me from point A to point B is her job.  Even though trusting her would make my life so much easier.

Today, Jesus let me know this is how I treat Him sometimes.  Sigh.

Years ago I told Him that I would let Him lead…and that I would follow.  In fact, we've spent years together, with me learning to hear and listen to His voice.  With me learning to trust that He is more than capable of handling the details of my heart and life.  With me learning to believe that He really, really loves me and wants the best for me…that He knows exactly where we are going and how to get there…and that He is very willing and able to take care of me along the way.

Yet there are so many times I try to orchestrate my life, my spiritual life even, so that I don't really need Him.  So that functionally, He isn't leading, but just accompanying me as I do my best to manage it all on my own.

And I realized how very tired that has been making me.  Basically, I've been trying to do my job and His at the same time.  And trying to do His job is like…well…it's like trying to be God when you are not.  Those shoes are too big for anyone to fill.  It is not only exhausting, it is a recipe for getting so very lost along the way.

Again…sigh.

While not a perfect metaphor, (of course there are times we should look ahead, be aware of our location, make plans, etc) this day, my traveling experience was a gift.  It showed me something of my heart and practices - and invited me to do things differently.  It showed me that if I am willing to trust Him, I can learn to relax along the way and enjoy the journey I'm on.

John 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." - Jesus

Comment    See all comments    Like

Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from INTERSECTIONS.
Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions.

Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser:
http://deannadavis.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/learning-to-trust-my-gps-and-jesus-too/

Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

Fwd: How Stepfamilies Can Be Succesful - Ethics & REligion Col.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael J. McManus <Mike@marriagesavers.org>
Date: Thu, Feb 20, 2014 at 2:24 AM
Subject: How Stepfamilies Can Be Succesful - Ethics & REligion Col. #1,695
To: Bill Coffin <BillCoffin68@gmail.com>


February 20, 2014

Column #1,695

How Stepfamilies Can Be Successful

By Mike McManus

 

            Perhaps half of all marriages involve one partner who was previously married.  If children are involved, 70% of stepfamilies will divorce, putting everyone through another trauma.

 

            However, four of five of these marriages can be saved.

 

            Why do so many of these marriages fail?  “Putting together or integrating a stepfamily is one of the most difficult tasks for any family in America today. Integrating involves combining two unique family styles, various personalities and preferences, differing traditions, pasts and loyalties,” writes Ron Deal, in his must-read book on this subject, “The Smart Step-Family.”

 

            “Yet most people make the decision to bring two families together without consulting the instructions (God’s Word)…Blinded with a well-intentioned ignorance, couples march down the aisle a second or third time, only to discover that the building process is much more difficult than they anticipated – and the rewards are few and far between, especially at the beginning,” Deal writes.

 

            All children in stepfamilies suffered a major loss when their parents divorced. Usually they get little help with their emotional struggle because parents are immersed in their own emotions. 

 

            In time, however, the children form a deep bond with the parent whom they live with. They almost become “pals,” who enjoy sharing their lives together.

 

However, if either parent re-marries, the child experiences a new kind of grief – the loss of an intimate relationship between parent and child.  “I liked having Dad to myself when I go over there. We weren’t alone the entire weekend,” said Amy.

 

Two years later her mother remarried, and Amy experienced grief all over again –“the loss of the relationship she had developed with her parents. While the divorce was extremely traumatic for Amy, their remarriages were equally difficult. She had adapted to the divorce by becoming close friends with each of her parents. Now each of them had someone else and did not need her for emotional support anymore,” writes Rev. Dick Dunn in his book “Willing to Try Again: Steps Toward Blending a Family,” another excellent book. 

 

            The frequent reaction of children is open hostility: “I don‘t want a new Mom,” she says to her stepmother. “You’re the wicked stepmother!”

 

            That can drive the stepmom right out of that marriage.

 

            Alternatively, the biological parent often fails to see or understand the hostility of their child toward the new spouse.  They tend to think their spouse is not being considerate.

 

            The issue is compounded when both spouses bring children into the marriage.  That multiplies the potential for conflict – between the children as well as between the children and stepparents, and between husband and wife over the children.

 

            The first answer is to stop calling these families “blended families,” when in fact they are not blending but in seemingly perpetual conflict.  The euphemism is misleading.

 

            The most important solution is for a church to create a Stepfamily Support Group, the first of which was created by Dick Dunn, a Methodist pastor.  In such a group, couples immediately realize “It’s not us. It’s the situation.” Each person understands that it is not a matter that “My spouse needs to change.” Rather, both realize, “We have a problem that we can work on together. Our struggles are normal because stepfamilies are different.”

 

            Dunn tells of a couple who came to their group after they had already separated and filed for divorce. “As we listened to them talk and describe their situation, there was frequent laughter and smiles because every one of us had been there. Frequently, someone would say, “Sounds normal to me.  You’re not crazy. You live in a stepfamily.” That very week the couple moved back together.  They figured if these people can make it, so could they.

 

            Dunn wrote a manual on how to create a Stepfamily Support Group.  First, select five couples, at least four of whom need it to save their marriages. This Planning Team should be couples married less than four years and be willing to meet six times over two-three months. “It will be one of the most exciting things they have ever done,” he writes.

 

            He outlines what should happen at each meeting, the first of which begins with a prayer to God admitting “that we do not know what we are doing. But we see a need for a ministry with stepfamilies. Show us the way.”

 

            A kit to create a Stepfamily Support Group includes the Manual, “Willing To Try Again,” a chapter of which is read by couples before each meeting, plus a CD by Dunn.  Cost: $35. Call 301 469-5873.

 

            Results: His Stepfamily Support Groups saved 80% of these marriages, instead of losing 70%.

 

Copyright © 2014 Michael J. McManus is President of Marriage Savers and a syndicated columnist.

              

 

 

*******************************************

Mike McManus is President of Marriage Savers.

He also writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column,

Ethics & Religion.

301 469-5873

Potomac, MD 20854

mike@marriagesavers.org

 

 

Fwd: Great News from National Marriage Week USA

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: National Marriage Week USA <sheila@nationalmarriageweekusa.org>
Date: Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 11:25 AM
Subject: Great News from National Marriage Week USA
To: billcoffin68@gmail.com


National Marriage Week USA  

2014 was a banner year for National Marriage Week USA!

Our FIRST TIME ACTIVITIES this year included:

From here on out:

1. Please keep posting your events all year long on our National Calendar!

2. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay in touch and get latest news and tips!

3. Watch for the new documentary "Irreplaceable" coming May 6th to select cinemas. It asks and answers the critical questions--does marriage still matter and should we fight to preserve its importance? Watch

Yours for strengthening marriage!

Sheila Weber
Executive Director, National Marriage Week USA (Feb. 7-14)
www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org
Sheila@nationalmarriageweekusa.org



Forward email


Lets Strengthen Marriage / National Marriage Week USA | 1603 Belvue Drive | Forest Hill | MD | 21050

Fwd: Last Call: Survey of Empathy in Counseling!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hannah Bayne <hkbarnhill@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 8:55 AM
Subject: Last Call: Survey of Empathy in Counseling!



Hello!

If you have already participated in our survey on potential factors influencing empathy in counseling, thank you! We are still in need of participants and hope that if you have not already taken the survey you will consider participating at this time.


The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and participation consists of completing demographic information, the Conditions for Empathy Scale, and two additional brief instruments. 


Participation is anonymous, and you can withdraw from the survey at any time. We are interested in gathering perspectives from students, counselor educators, and practitioners in a range of mental health professionals.

The study has been approved by the Virginia Tech Institutional Review Board (IRB # 14-017).


The survey can be found by following this link:  https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9vruBuSSVH50OSp


Thank you in advance for your support of our research! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.


Sincerely,

Hannah Bayne, PhD

Virginia Tech

hannahb@vt.edu

 

Danica Hays, PhD

Old Dominion University

dhays@odu.edu


--
Hannah Barnhill Bayne
Visiting Assistant Professor of Counseling
Virginia Tech - Northern Virginia Campus
*******************