09 Apr Recommended Resources for Couples
Couples often ask us to recommend additional resources for taking their relationship to the next level. We decided to put together a list of our common recommendations, which include those you can do even now as we are in shutdown—and some for later, when you can attend workshops in person.
Books to Read
There are many great books on relationships; however, in our opinion, there are a few that stand out above the rest. We recommend that you read them together and talk about how you can implement the ideas and strategies.
- Making Marriage Simple by Harville and Helen Hendrix
- Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson
- The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
- New Rules of Marriage by Terrence Real
- The Mindful Couple: 52 Strategies for Real Love and Connection by Craig and Debbie Lambert—okay, yes it is our book and we just couldn’t leave it off the list for that reason—but also because it’s super simple to read and discuss one tip a week or even each day. If you or your partner want a quick read, this is a good fit.
Prepare and Enrich Assessment
Complete the Prepare and Enrich Assessment and follow-up with a few counseling sessions with a trained Prepare and Enrich facilitator to identify strengths, weaknesses and strategies to deal with triggers. We use this assessment as part of our Premarital Program, but it is also a useful assessment for any couple.
Schedule a Tune-up Session
Many couples will come in every now and then for a relationship tune-up. Just like cars, relationships experience wear and tear and periodically need a tune-up.
Recommended Podcasts
Recently, we were on the Marriage Therapy Radio podcast with Laura Heck. We would definitely recommend checking her out. We were also on the Empowered Relationships podcast with Dr. Jessica Higgins, who is also very good.
Do you have a favorite podcast centered around improving relationships? Email to let us know!
Recommended Workshops
Here are two excellent workshops that we have personally attended and highly recommend. They both offer workshops around the country—something to look forward to when we can play outside again!
Getting the Love You Want: Imago Relationship Weekend Workshop. Local San Diego contacts include Patty Mangini PhD at (619) 296-8103 or Garrett Bedrosian at (619) 300-8002. If you can afford it, we recommend doing it with HarviIle Hendricks and his wife, Helen—the creators of Imago Relationship Therapy.
Hold Me Tight Workshop, which was developed by Sue Johnson, the creator of Emotionally Focused Therapy. Dr. Diana Weiss Wisdom conducts workshops in San Diego. Her number is (619) 405-4845.
We hope you find these resources helpful!
In-love,
Craig and Debbie