join a psychodrama group

using psychodrama with addicts and ACoAs

what is EMDR trauma-resolution therapy?

what is voice dialogue?

healing the heart of grief

what is experiential
therapy?

what is solution-
focused therapy?

using experiential therapy

relationship issues

specialty issues


meet Mark Felber

seminars & classes

free group seminars

community service
presentations

what clients say

contact Mark

home

Road Map for Life Seminars:

HEALING TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS: HOW TO TALK SO YOUR PARTNER LISTENS
FOR SINGLES AND COUPLES

Topic Outline

I. Skills For Creating A Successful Relationship

1. Relationship Roadmap
   
   1. Normal stress to meet needs
   2. Biologically based needs
   3. Bonding
   4. Distress (negative)
   5. Eustress( happiness)

2. Stress Styles
   
   1. Placater
   2. Blamer
   3. Super-Reasonable
   4. Irrelevant/Distractor

3. The Nine Tasks Of A Successful Marriage
   
   1. Separate emotionally from family-of-origin
   2. Create Sense of togetherness
   3. Make transition from being a couple to family
   4. Prevent adversity from destroying relationship
   5. Express differences safely
   6. Don't allow life demands to impair sex life
   7. Share laughter and fun times
   8. Comfort and encourage each other
   9. Keep romantic and ideal view of relationship

4. Why Marriages Succeed and Fail
   
   1. Inability to handle conflict
   2. Ratio of positive to negative moments should be 5:1
   3. Stable equilibrium in marital ecology
   4. Conflict is inevitable

5. Four Conflict Management Skills
   
   1. 15 minute limit
   2. Calm yourself and avoid flooding
   3. Speak and listen non-defensively
   4. Validate the other person

6. Four Relationship Destroyers
   
   1. Criticism
   2. Contempt
   3. Defensiveness
   4. Stonewalling

7. Barriers To Communication
   
   1. Lack of skill
   2. Lack of planning
   3. Fear

8. 12 Roadblocks To Communication
   
   1. Ordering, directing, commanding
   2. Warning, admonishing, threatening
   3. Moralizing, preaching, imploring
   4. Advising, giving suggestions or solutions
   5. Persuading with logic, lecturing, arguing
   6. Judging, criticizing, disagreeing blaming
   7. Praising, agreeing, evaluating positively, buttering up
   8. Name calling, ridiculing, shaming
   9. Interpreting, analyzing, diagnosing
   10. Reassuring, sympathizing, consoling, supporting
   11. Probing, questioning, interrupting
   12. Distracting, diverting, kidding

9. Listening Skills
   
   1. Open-ended statements
   2. Summary statements
   3. Neutral questions and phrases
   4. Dialogue Guide

What You Will Learn
Topic Description

Upcoming Seminars and Classes

Return to Seminars Index
Return to Seminars Introduction

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Contact Mark Felber and schedule this series for your group.

Office:
Human Connections Counseling Services
1131 Rockingham Drive
Suite 230
Richardson, Texas 75080

Phone: (214) 796-2323

E-mail: mark@marriagecpr.com

Top of page

E-mail mark@marriagecpr.com