Creating and Maintaining Healthy Relationships

Positive supportive relationships with spouse, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers are a main component of personal happiness, emotional health, physical well-being, and even financial success. Yet many people struggle to establish or maintain close relationships because they lack essential understanding and skills.  This course provides valuable insights into the basic elements of human relationships and useful ways to improve them.

In this course, you will help learners to:

1) understand the value of improving their personal relationships

2) recognize the losing strategies they use that interfere with their success

3) realize that there are alternative winning strategies that work well

4) learn how to understand others by attentive listening and speaking

5) find better ways to deal with financial stress in relationships

6) move forward with acceptance and forgiveness for self and others

Although the concepts taught in these lessons are completely consistent with the core doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and draw inspiration from the scriptures and teachings of church leaders, the material also incorporates the research of many recognized secular authors and researchers.  Consequently, this program is appropriate for both religious and completely secular audiences and is relevant to all adults.

The course is best taught in a group setting of 12-16 people to establish trust that facilitates class discussion. Where possible, encourage couples to attend together. The individual lessons build on each other so attendees should be encouraged to commit to regular attendance. The standard course material contains multiple lessons, but instructors are free to choose those topics they deem most relevant to the participants. Class sessions normally include 40 minutes of presentation and 20 minutes of questions and discussion.

Each lesson is a separate PowerPoint presentation with notes that can guide instructors with a useful “script” to follow if desired. These materials are meant as a guide and teaching aid but are best taught with candor and your personal experiences to encourage openness and hope.  Please refer to the website loveunparallelled.com for an overview of the course purpose, basic lesson information, recommended reading lists, and supplemental information for married, single, and blended families.

Program Coordinators - John and Jean Muir

John and Jean Muir have been Stake Coordinators and teachers of Marriage and Relationship courses for almost 20 years in stakes in California and Utah. They have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. John has been the CEO of several innovative technology companies and Jean has taught children with learning disabilities.

For the detailed course material please visit the Muir's website at www.loveunparalleled.com.