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Books and Manuals:
Arp, David and Claudia, 10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage. Zondervan, 1997.
The Arps offer ideas for 10 memory-making evenings built n key marriage-enriching themes.
Arp, David and Claudia, The Second Half of Marriage: Facing the Eight Challenges of Every Long-Term Marriage. Zondervan, 1996.
Drawing on their national survey of hundreds of “second-half” couples, the Arps offer strategies for meeting the eight challenges of every long-term marriage.
Banks, David, 2 Become 1: Creating Memorable Moments to Deepen Your Marriage Connection. Marriage Transformations, 2003.
25 ways of creating memorable moments of connection in your marriage
Bubash, Patricia, Successful Second Marriages: Interviews with 9 couples who have Achieved Success in their Remarriage. Bookstand Publishing, 2008.
This book provides encouragement and hope for couples entering into a second marriage.
Chapman, Gary and Thomas, Jennifer, The Five Languages of Apology: How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships. Northfield Publishing, 2006.
Learn how to recognize your own primary apology language while speaking the languages of those you love.
Chapman, Gary, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Northfield Publishing, 1992.
People express and receive love in different ways. Learn to speak and understand the five unique languages of love and effectively express your love as well as receive love in return.
Chapman, Gary, 101 Conversation Starters for Couples. Northfield Publishing, 2012.
A small “table tent” with conversation starters to get you and your spouse talking.
Cockrell, Stacie, O’Neill, Cathy and Stone, Julia, Babyproofing Your Marriage. HarperCollins, 2007.
An upbeat way of looking at some of the problems that can occur in marriage when a couple has children and how they can fix them.
Deal, Ron and David Olson, The ReMarriage Checkup: Tools to Help Your Marriage Last a Lifetime. Bethany House, 2010.
An interactive resource for remarried couples, based on the groundbreaking work of PREPARE/ENRICH. Included with the book is a free individual online relationship diagnostic survey.
Dyer, Preston and Genie, Marriage Enrichment Process, Methods and Techniques. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, 1989.
Leaders will learn about formats, methods and techniques for successful marriage enrichment experiences.
Gottman, John, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Crown Publishers, Inc., 1999.
According to Gottman, there’s more to a solid, emotionally intelligent marriage than sharing every feeling and thought.
Gottman, John, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail. Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Reveals new perspectives on marriage, shatters conventional wisdom, and presents practical exercises and guidelines.
Haltzman, Scott, The Secrets of Happily Married Men: Eight Ways to Win Your Wife’s Heart Forever. Jossey-Bass, 2006.
Offers a positive way of looking at how to build a successful long-lasting relationship from a man’s point of view.
Haltzman, Scott and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, The Secrets of Happily Married Women: How to Get More Out of Your Relationship by Doing Less. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
Offers a positive way of looking at how to build a successful long-lasting relationship from a woman’s point of view.
Haltzman, Scott, Secrets of Happy Families, Jossey Bass, 2009.
An original approach to building family contentment.
Leman, Kevin, Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage. Tyndale House, 2003.
Sex is about the quality of your entire love life, not just the alignment of your bodies. Expand and challenge your thinking to go from humdrum to exciting.
Mace, David, Close Companions: The Marriage Enrichment Handbook. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, 1982.
Considered The Handbook for marriage enrichment; provides an overview of the movement and its rationale.
Mace, David and Vera, Marriage Enrichment in the Church. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, 1976.
An approach to marriage ministry that can be accomplished in any church of any size.
Mace, David, Love and Anger in Marriage. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, 1982.
Presents a way of dealing with the love-anger cycles all intimate relations go through.
Markman, Howard, Scott Stanley, and Susan L. Blumberg, Fighting For Your Marriage. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1994.
Presents the widely respected and research-tested PREP (Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program) approach to improving marriage.
Miller, Sherod and Phyllis, Elam Nunnally and Daniel Wackman, Collaborative Marriage Skills: Couple Communication. Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc., 2007.
Couple Communication is the most researched, relationship-education program available. To date, more than 700,000 couples around the world have participated in Couple Communication, and the program has been translated into seven different languages.
Olson, David et al., Couple Checkup. Thomas Nelson, 2008.
Built on over 25 years of research and clinical work with couples, this book is based on the PREPARE/ENRICH Program.
Olson, David; Dyer, Preston and Genie, Growing Together: A Group Program for Couples. Prepare/Enrich, 1998.
Leaders’ manual for Pre-Marital Couples Groups.
Robertson, Eddie and Sylvia, Wonderful Wednesdays. Yawn’s Books, 2012.
52 conservation starters for sharing our thoughts, feelings and desires with our partner for life.
Schnarch, David, Intimacy and Desire. Sterling Productions, 2009
Teaches couples how to transform marital conflict into a stronger relationship and a font of new and powerful desire for each other.
Schnarch, David Passionate Marriage. WW Norton & Co., 1997.
A pioneering book in intimate human relationships.
Sotile, Mary O. and Wayne M., Marriage Skills for Busy Couples: How to Avoid Supercouple Syndrome. Self-published, 1998.
Action steps for reducing anxiety, renewing passion and restoring balance.
Stanley, Scott, The Power of Commitment, A Guide to Active Lifelong Love. Jossey-Bass, 2005.
A 5 step plan for understanding commitment, that will not only help couples stay together, but will inspire them toenter into the fullest kind of life possible in marriage.
Stanley, Scott, A Lasting Promise: A Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage. Jossey-Bass, 2002.
Based on Fighting for Your Marriage, this book incorporates Christian, biblical perspective into the conversation.
Stuart, Gil and Brenda, Restored and Remarried, Seven Trees Media, 2009.
Encouragement for remarried couples in a step family.
Stuart, Gil and Brenda, Restored and Remarried Workbook, Seven Trees Media, 2009.
An 8 week practical and encouraging workbook for remarried couples in a stepfamily.
Various Contributors, How to Use Conflict to Bring You Closer. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2010.
Every couple deals with conflict. Learn strategies and skills to help you not only resolve conflict, but use it to bring you closer. For individual couples or small groups. Note: this is available in download format only.
Various Contributors, This is My Promise: Commitment in Marriage. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2012.
Commitment is the cornerstone to a strong, healthy relationship. For individual couples or small groups. Note: this is available in download format only. This is also available as a faith-based workbook.
Various Contributors, Conversations for Couples: Life Stages. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2013.
Six topics contains 10 exercises each: Before We Say I Do, The Early Years, When We have Children, When We have Teens, Empty Nest and Silver and Gold Years. For individual couples or small groups. Note: this is available in download format only.
Various Contributors, Right Steps: Discovering a Better Marriage. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2005.
An 8-10 hour curriculum presented in 4 sessions covering communication skills, creative resolution of conflict, intimacy and goal setting for couples.
Various Contributors, Right Steps: Discovering a Better Marriage Leaders’ Manual. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2005.
Steps on how to lead a couples program in 4 sessions complete with exercises and handouts.
Various Contributors, Get Going and Grow: an Eight Month Curriculum for Marriage Enrichment Groups. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2009.
An 8-month curriculum for leading an ongoing small group focused on marriage enrichment.
Various Contributors, Conversations for Couples. Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment dba Better Marriages, 2011.
50 exercises to be used by couples in marriage enrichment events and programs. Note: This is available in download format only.
ORGANIZATIONS AND LINKS
Association of Marriage & Family Ministries (AM/FM)
14300 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 230
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480.718.3020
www.amfmonline.org
Encourages, trains, and equips the church to build marriage and family ministries that are relevant to the needs of the culture.
Better Marriages
P.O. Box 21374
Winston-Salem, NC 27120
800.634.8325
www.bettermarriages.org
Better Marriages (founded as Association of Couples in Marriage Enrichment in 1973) is committed to making good marriages better. Better Marriages is not a faith-based organization or affiliated with or restricted to any particular religious group or denomination. Principles and resources are easily adapted to suit any community group or religious organization.
Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc.
30752 Southview Drive, Suite 200
Evergreen, CO 80439
800.328.5099
www.couplecommunication.com
Couple Communication, an educational program in which partners learn 11 skills for effective talking, listening, conflict resolution, and anger management.
Life Innovations, Inc.
P.O. Box 190
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0190
800.331.1661
www.lifeinnovations.com
Life Innovations works with professional counselors and clergy to provide premarital counseling and marriage enrichment using the PREPARE/ENRICH program.
Marriage Alive International, Inc.
888.690.6667
www.marriagealive.org
Books, curriculum and seminars to help couples energize their marriage.
National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education (NARME)
P.O. Box 14946
Tallahassee, FL 32317
www.narme.org
Mobilizes allies across America to provide relationship education for healthy marriages, responsible fathers, and strong families.
National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC)
1950 W. Littleton Blvd. #306
Littleton, CO 80120
405.848.2171 Ext. 249
www.healthymarriageinfo.org
A clearinghouse for high quality, balanced, and timely information and resources on healthy marriage.
National Marriage Encounter
www.marriage-encounter.org
An international organization founded by Father Gabriel Calvo that offers retreat experiences for couples.
Real Relationships
www.lesandleslie.com
Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott provide a wide array of online resources and are highly-sought-after speakers. They have written several best-selling books on marriage and family.
Relationship Coaching Institute
www.realtionshipcoachinginstitute.org
Trains relationship coaches and provides a number of public service programs for couples. http://.coupleforlife.com, www.togetherforever.com, http://gettingreal.tv/,www.facebook.com/ILoveMarriageProject.
Smart Marriages: The Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couple Education, LLC
5310 Belt Road NW
Washington, DC 20015
202.362.3332
www.smartmarriages.com
Serves as a clearinghouse to help people find the information they need to strengthen marriages and families – their own or those in the community.
