Getting The Love You Want

Typically, couples do not seek relationship counseling when things are going well, so it’s not unusual that I see couples at a crisis point.

Your relationship may be in crisis because of some external threat or betrayal of trust, such as an affair. Or maybe the fighting has just become too frequent or painful. Perhaps the relationship has just turned cold and distant. Each of these constitutes a painful existence, and this is usually when people search for a couple’s therapist.

Sometimes, couples just realize that they've grown apart, living more like roommates than lovers. The workshop is energizing, and results in a surprising amount of intimacy. As one couple recently commented, "this workshop may have well saved our marriage by helping us reconnect what we thought we had lost".

Relationships follow patterns and couples often feel that they are having the same argument over and over. It’s exhausting and unproductive. Your options are to keep fighting, keep distancing, leave and start over with someone else, or get help. (Just FYI about starting over, and speaking of patterns: if you leave and start over without awareness of what is really going on under the surface, you will likely end up in the same situation.)

Without a doubt, the most effective way to save a relationship in trouble is this: do a combination of Imago Relationship Therapy and a Getting the Love You Want Weekend Workshop. Why? Several answers:

1. Because the workshop is enlightening, connecting and extremely positive and hopeful, and works quickly to get your therapy off to a productive start.
2. Because the workshop is efficient - it accomplishes the equivalent of weeks in therapy.
3. Because the workshop gives you a set of tools and instructions for using them, AND….
4. The follow-up therapy ensures that you actually use the tools you were given.
5. It’s more cost-effective to attend a workshop, and it is CERTAINLY more cost-effective than divorce and maintaining two households!
6. The combination of therapy and workshop increases the chances of turning a negative relationship into a positive, loving relationship in fairly short order.

The workshop provides a dramatic shift that helps you feel closer and connected. You will have a new understanding and a new skill-set. The old negative patterns, however, could creep back in without regular exercise of a new skill-set. Weekly sessions coach you on staying with your new skills until they become your new, effective pattern. Habits take about 12 weeks to be formed, so after you’ve invested in a workshop and experienced positive change as a result, you want to be sure the change is permanent.

You may also want to join an advanced couples group after a workshop. This is a group of workshop attendees who meet a couple of times a month in Jeannie's office, for the purpose of reinforcing the workshop effect. Some topics are "review", and some are new, aimed at personal and relational healing and growth.

Conflict is growth trying to happen. There is a reason for the power struggle phase of the relationship and the reason is NOT for you to suffer or be miserable. It IS a portal for growth and healing for you and your partner. Sign up today. Discover the conscious, mature relationship. You will not regret the experience of growth and healing.

Jeannie is a warm, compassionate, friendly, engaging presenter with a humorous style, who fervently believes that a workshop should be both fun and educational. She will take you on an interesting, safe, guided tour of

• Stages in a relationship
• Why the power struggle is necessary for growth
• How and our childhood makes us who we are
• Why our partners trigger us so badly
• The things our survival mechanisms do to protect us and why they create even more problems (also known as “who are you and what did you do with the person I fell in love with”?)
• What to do about all of this
• An amazingly effective communication style that allows you to be heard and understood by your partner
• Individual assistance if you want it
• Creating a positive, mature, conscious relationship
• Reconnecting with your partner – rediscovering the person you fell in love with

In addition to the guided tour, you will be given a workbook that helps you unravel the relationship mysteries and problems. You will be given specific exercises (topics to discuss with your partner in private) to help you understand each other without triggering defensiveness. Here is video shot during and after a recent workshop.

She will use movie clips and other aids to illustrate teachings.

She will offer to work with couples as a demonstration, but will never coerce anyone. It is purely voluntary. Often, couples find it extremely helpful to have a dialogue coach, and seeing this demonstration is always helpful to observers.

It’s fun, casual, safe and positive, and she guarantees you will learn something new or your money will be cheerfully refunded.*

She’ll even provide tasty snacks and the opportunity to meet others on the path to living in positive, conscious, intentional relationships.

It is a common concern that the workshop will publically expose something private and vulnerable. Because of this, couples are sometimes reluctant to attend a workshop. Please be ASSURED that your safety and privacy are Jeannie’s top priority. The workshop is like a seminar or class; she will provide information using stories, movie clips, short lectures, and writing exercises. She will also assign dialogues and exercises you and your partner will complete in private, using your manual as a guide. You will never be required to share anything personal. The entire workshop is designed and conducted with your safety and privacy in mind.

This depends on how satisfied you are with your relationship and your connection. If you do not fight because you are not addressing conflicts at all, then yes, a workshop would be very helpful for you. If your lack of fighting is due to your ability to communicate positively and resolve issues, large, small, positive and negative; if you both feel seen, heard, understood, honored and valued; if you have fun together, close intimacy (emotional and sexual), a shared life and goals and vision for the future, you may want to recommend a workshop to your friends who are not so fortunate! If, however, you are frustrated with your relationship because it's either hot (fighting) or cold (withdrawing) and want these things in your daily life, then do yourselves a favor and sign up today.

More and more, new couples are attending Getting the Love You Want Workshops in order to keep their relationship vibrant, prevent destructive patterns from ever emerging, and make the most of their life together.

The workshop begins Friday evening at 6:00 for 1.5 hours, then we pick up again at 9:00 AM Saturday. (Please arrive  a few minutes early in order to settle in before the workshop begins.) We'll provide snacks / coffee breaks during the day and lunch is on your own for 1.5 hours usually around 12:30. Return to the workshop at 2:00 PM and finish up around 5:30. Sunday, we'll begin at 1:00 PM, and then finish up around 5:00 - 5:30 PM.

The schedule may vary, especially for a destination workshop.

It's your weekend! Please dress casually and comfortably. Jeans and t-shirts are welcome. Please bring layers in case you get hot or cold. We want you to be comfortable!

Your workshop fee includes a workbook for each of you, as well as pencils. You can expect coffee, water, and light snacks. Feel free to bring anything else you think you may want or need.

We suggest dressing in layers and for your own comfort. You will do a lot of writing and private dialoguing, so no need for dressing up.

Finally, bring your sense of curiosity. This workshop has the potential to be life changing for you and your partner if you are open to trying the “new way to live and love”.

We look forward to having you in the workshop!