Alpha Marriage Course
Marriage ought to be fun! If you're not having fun, what's the point?
Dr. Henry Cloud
What is it?
The Alpha Marriage Course is designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a vibrant and strong marriage. It offers practical tools to strengthen your marriage by building strong foundations, learning to communicate more effectively, and resolving differences in a healthy way. It is not counseling and couples discuss privately – there is no public sharing.
Who is it for?
The Course is for couples who are seeking to strengthen their relationship. Some couples do the course to intentionally invest in their relationship, others are looking to address more specific challenges. Either way, the course offers essential tools and practical ideas to help you build a relationship that lasts a lifetime. It is based on Christian principles combined with current tools from experts, and suitable for all couples with or without a faith or Christian background, whether married for two years or fifty.
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How does it work?
Each session comprises watching a dynamic video with time in between for private discussions using the course journal. The Alpha Marriage Course was designed by Nicky and Sila Lee, who have been running it for over 20 years, reaching more than 50 countries worldwide. Being part of the Alpha organization, you can be assured of the quality of the content and video production.
I was unsure, but went in with an open mind. I loved it and found it so useful. The course should be for all married couples, not just Christian marriages!
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– A.D. after completing the Marriage Course at CTR
​What is the format?
Each week, there is an engaging video, interspersed with a series of exercises for couples in between. There is no public sharing. Couples do exercises in private.
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How can we prepare for the course?
The more you bring into the course, the more you will get out of it. Be open and try the exercises – give it a chance. We also encourage couples to make each session special, like a date night, for example, to have a special dinner or dessert date at home when it is an online session.
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What topics are covered?
Over seven sessions, the course will help you to:
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Understand each other’s needs
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Communicate more effectively
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Grow closer by learning methods to resolve conflict
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Recover from the ways you may have hurt each other
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Recognize how your upbringing affects your relationship
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Improve relationships with parents and in-laws
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Develop greater sexual intimacy
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Discover each other’s "love language" and much, much more
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My spouse is not Catholic / Christian. Is that a problem?
No. While the course is based on Christian principles of marriage, it is relatable to everyone because it is centered on love and provides proven practical techniques developed by experts for all couples.
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What if I’m keen but my spouse isn’t?
Pray. Then gently tell your spouse this is important to you and your relationship. Ask your spouse to “come and see” – just try the first session. Recently an unenthusiastic spouse agreed to try the first session but stood away from his wife while he listened. By the third session, he was sitting next to her, glued to it. They completed the course and reported that it was worth it!
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We’ve been married so long, what can we possibly learn?
Your marriage is so much more than simply measured by years – it’s a living relationship that needs to be nurtured in order to be thriving, healthy, and happy!
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Our marriage is good, why do we need it?
Your marriage deserves to be even better!
Marital love is not defended primarily by presenting indissolubility as a duty… A love that fails to grow is at risk. Growth can only occur if we respond to God’s grace through constant acts of love, acts of kindness that become ever more frequent, intense, generous, tender and cheerful.
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– Pope Francis
I learned so much from the topic "love in action" about how to give and receive love. Even for strong marriages, the discussions allowed us to go even deeper with each other and to grow from that.​
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– C.F. after completing the Marriage Course at CTR
Is this something new?
The Marriage Course started in 1996. Today, it is in over 50 countries, in more than 20 languages and has reached over 1 million couples. As part of Archbishop Miller’s goal of “Strengthening Marriages and Families,” The Archdiocese of Vancouver started this program last summer and has reached over 100 couples since.
Ready to try the Marriage Course?
Stay tuned for the next Marriage Course at the parish!
