Imago Relationship Therapy is a type of marriage counseling that attempts to help a person understand where their subconscious mind played a great role in choosing their partner.  From there, they move on to using this new found perception to resolve the conflicts in their relationship and have the loving, fulfilling marriage they have dreamed of.  The article below gives a little history of Imago relationship therapy and it’s author, Harville Hendrix.

Harville Hendrix And Imago Relationship Therapy

Author: A Stratton

Perhaps best known to the general community for his appearances on Oprah, Harville Hendrix is a notable and respected member of the therapeutic community. The good doctor has given his career’s work to studying marriage and relationships, striving to learn what aspects of relationship therapy can be improved upon to set up couples to succeed long term. His experience in both the field of relationships and the field of psychology is vast, having spent over 35 years in various roles, including counselor, educator, and lecturer.

Harville Hendrix received his education from Mercer University and he has a degree in theology and degrees in both religion and psychology from the University of Chicago Divinity School. Much of his popular fame came when he published bestselling books on the subject of relationships and marriage. These books, including Getting the Love you Want and Keeping the Love You Find, have helped millions of people move beyond traditional methods of working through problem relationships.

They say behind any successful man stands a successful woman, and the story of Harville Hendrix is no exception to that rule. With his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, he has created what may be his primary contribution to the science of marriage and relationship counseling. Known as Imago Relationship Therapy, the program explores the concepts of conscious marriage and parenting. Since its inception, the program has been embraced by thousands of therapists around the world.

Hendrix believes that much of what drives the problems in relationships (as well as initial chemistry and attraction in the first place) is a hunger in people to find what they lacked in their upbringing. Few people had the luck to grow up in a perfect household. Everyone has some issues with their original caretakers, even if they don’t know it at the conscious level. Many times, individuals seek out potential partners who can give them what their parents failed to. Whether that be support, love, affection, or what have you, it becomes incumbent on the other party to fill that void. Many times, when a relationship fails, it is because one partner is trying to work out their baggage with their husband or wife, who is completely unaware that this dynamic is taking place.

Through his books, seminars, and appearances on television, Harville Hendrix has managed to share his relationship strategies with millions of couples and therapists around the world. His contributions to the science are to be honored and appreciated and there can be no doubt that anyone can learn from his techniques.

Article Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/relationship-articles/harville-hendrix-imago-relationship-therapy-266089.html

About Author:

Dr. Harville Hendrix has developed methods that have helped countless people worldwide. Learn more here: http://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/.

At it’s core, a marriage enrichment retreat is basically a weekend getaway that allows a couple to leave behind the “distractions of life” and focus solely on the relationship and love shared between a husband and wife.  They tend to come in many shapes, forms, and sizes – offering a program for just about everyone.  The article below outlines a few of these.

Here’s one humorous story of how a retreat worked in an unexpected way:  http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2010/05/12/escape_from_marriage_retreat_hell.

Choosing a Marriage Retreat Options

Author: Seth Brownstein

Marriage retreats are a great way to enhance your marriage, get through a crisis, or get moving on long term problems. Most marriage retreats provide a way to step away from your daily routines and concentrate on your marriage. To do a retreat, you must first decide between the different retreat formats and options. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of marriage retreat?

Religious

In religious retreats your marriage is understood within the context of religious beliefs about marriage. Most religious marriage retreats are run by clergy and are group format. They tend to be affordable and accessible.

These marriage retreats are at their best only when you both have very similar strongly held religious beliefs. Problems can occur if the needs of one or both partners conflict with the religious tenets. Another possible downside can be that while some retreat leaders are very skilled in marriage counseling, others are not.

Secular

These non-religious retreats are usually run by therapists, and may be group or individualized. The advantage here is that most of these therapists are trained, experienced marriage counselors who are supportive of marriage but incorporate a wide variety of participant needs and orientations.

There are disadvantages of course. Secular retreats are harder to find, frequently require travel, and are generally more expensive. Further, therapists vary in quality, theoretical approach, and personal style – and it can be tricky sorting this out.

Group

The advantages of group retreats include positive modeling, support offered by others and by their example, and a reduced sense of isolation for participants. Group experiences often help open new insights for participants. Group retreats also tend to be less expensive.

One of the main problems with group retreats is the time spent on group exercises or other couples’ concerns. Some of these may not apply to you or be helpful because groups are not focused on your unique needs or obstacles. Additionally, many people feel that their marriage problems are just too private to share openly in a group format.

Individualized

The central strength of these marriage retreats is the singular, concentrated focus on your problems and concerns. Other positives include enhanced privacy, comfort for reserved people, and in depth focus. The downside of individualized retreats is that they tend to be more costly, are harder to locate, and may require travel.

Choosing

To sum it up, if expense is an overriding concern, consider group format retreats first. If one or both of you are hesitant to share in a group, or if you just want the retreat to focus solely on your marriage, consider only the individualized marriage retreats. If you both share equal, strongly held religious beliefs, consider the religious retreats; but if you have differing religious beliefs, or differing intensity of belief, focus in the secular direction.

Whichever options you choose, spend time interviewing the therapist or leader to assess whether you are comfortable with their style, skills, and approach. Ask plenty of questions and make sure you’re both comfortable with the answers. The skill of the therapist or leader, and your comfort with them, are the most important factors.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/choosing-a-marriage-retreat-options-499704.html

About the Author

New Page 1 Seth Brownstein, MA, Licensed Psychologist-Master – MaryAnn Bock, MS, Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Together, they operate Associates in Couples Counseling in Burlington, VT, specializing in marriage counseling and personalized marriage retreats. http://associatesincouplescounseling.com