Couple Testimonial - Jody and Mark

Marriage is hard work even for the most compatible couples. We realized that anything we could do to bolster our chances of success in our future marriage was time well spent, and the Gannons’ workshop may be some of most important time we’ve spent together as a couple thus far. It’s inevitable that conflicts arise in a relationship – especially after a few years – and having the skills to navigate those conflicts constructively is one of the most essential ingredients of a successful marriage. We found the portions of the class dedicated to conflicts extremely helpful and hope that we’ll incorporate them into our own relationship toolbox.

We appreciated the Gannons’ concrete examples from their own marriage. They’re a typical modern couple with two careers, children, and a busy lifestyle. Knowing that it’s possible to make it work – and knowing that it is a lot of work – is sobering but also reassuring. Talking about the tough work of marriage can be intimidating, but the class’s atmosphere puts everyone at ease and facilitates positive, enlightening, and entertaining discussions.

Jody and Mark - July 2008

Couple Testimonial - Karen and Bob

My fiance and I took this course and absolutely loved it !It provides a neutral setting to talk about challenging issues in the relationship and focus on the resolution.You also get to reflect on many of your strengths as well. I found the instructors to be knowledgeable and real. They do not preach about how a marriage should work in theory, they talk about the tools we can all use to make a marriage work in practice. I would recommend this course to anyone getting married. In fact my fiance and I plan to attend the course every five years.

My advice, don't wait until you have a conflict to discuss it.Chances are at that point one of you will be defensive. This is a great way to put everything on the table and talk about it in a rational way. Thanks again!

Karin & Bob - June 2008

Couple Testimonial - Valerie and Chris

I truly believe that this workshop should be required for any couple on their way to the altar. At first I wasn't sure if I'd feel safe expressing myself in a format such as this. But I really did feel 'safe' to speak honestly with my partner. What really rang true for myself and my fiance is the fact that the presenters brought up the term "intentional marriage" to describe a more proactive way of being married. I never thought of my future marriage in that way,but now it really makes sense. After this workshop, my fiance and I truly know where each of us stand in our hopes, views and intentions for our marriage. I know that we are in a better spot because of what we learned and overcame in the workshop. We will recommend it to anyone considering getting married. It's INVALUABLE. It may be the best money spent during our entire wedding planning process.

Valerie and Chris, Feb 2, 2008

Couple Testimonial - Kunjal and Therese

We really enjoyed the Marriage Prep 101 workshop. The format was a nice blend of learning helpful concepts and tools and testing them out through practical exercises. We really appreciated the honesty and openness of the instructors. Michelle and Patrick used their own relationship experiences as examples - we got a first-hand account of how they learned to use the same techniques they teach. This provided an authenticity to the material that you don't get from instructors who simply lecture. By listening to Michelle and Patrick's experiences, we also understood that many issues are universal - it's how you maneuver through them that make a difference. The material from the workshop will definitely help us communicate better, especially around conflict.

Couple Testimonial - Ron and Marie

Hi Patrick and Michelle, We’re back in Park City, and both wanted to thank you for the great weekend. It was everything we had hoped for as we rapidly approach our wedding day. Marie and I both agree that San Francisco is a wonderful venue, and wish to encourage other out-of-area couples to take the course. We used our free time to enjoy the sights and the great restaurants, while discussing the concepts, exercises, and studies you both presented. Like most couples, the time we spend together is often cloudy with busy schedules and daily dealings (and my 11 year old in the house), and we might never really be able to set aside time to work on our relationship. Marriage Prep 101 helped us to dedicate that time, with a well constructed plan of action. The Relate test, and the way you both integrate it into the curriculum, was a very useful element that otherwise would have been informative, but unintelligible - you made the science approachable. We both agree that the course helped us to discover new insights into each other's thoughts and feelings, while also affirming the strengths in our relationship that will help us grow as a couple. In fact, we spent Sunday just enjoying each other’s company with a sort of relief that we had many of the right tools, and some new skills to use them. One of the great aspects of San Francisco is the diverse selection of restaurants and activities- far beyond what we can find at home. We enjoyed some great Italian, and a Korean restaurant (that was new for both of us) we took a Ghost Walk, and shopped for some awesome wines to take back. We hope other couples considering the workshop (or parents who wish to get them a great gift) will take our word and sign up. It is both time and money very well spent. Thanks again.

All Our Very Best, Ron Shepard and Marie Kuipers

Couple Testimonial - Nina and Forrest

We are really happy that we decided to attend the Marriage Prep 101 workshop, and we felt that it was a very worth while investment in our future. We were confident in our relationship going in, but the workshop solidified that we are good partners and gave us some very practical tools that are going to be very useful for getting through challenging situations. We found the conflict resolution topic to be the most useful for us – the exercises gave us a way to talk about subjects that are usually more stressful in a very constructive way (money, how we incorporate religion, etc.), and it also highlighted some surprisingly simple insights – like the fact that you don’t have to actually solve an issue in one sitting. The format of the workshop works great – the Gannons alternate lecture-style presentations with personal experiences and anecdotes, and give the couples plenty of time and good structure to go through individual exercises. As a result, the whole experience feels very productive without being too long or overwhelming. Finally, we appreciated that the workshop doesn’t have a religious affiliation – something that was important to us because we come from different religious backgrounds.

Thank you for a great experience, and we highly recommend Marriage Prep 101 to anyone who wants to strengthen their relationship!

Sincerely, Nina and Forrest
June 9/10 2007

Couple Testimonial - Yukie and Pete

Hello Patrick and Michelle,

Pete and I want to let you know how much your Marriage Prep 101 workshop has helped us to realize what we want from our marriage--and that we are on the right path to making that happen. We know that we have decided to marry for myriad of reasons, but knowing what we want from each other sometimes gets nebulous. Your exercises in class helped to clarify our expectations and helped us to define goals for what we want our marriage to be. By the time Pete and I sat down and discussed our the "keys" and "goals" when we created out Marriage Bond, we understood that what we wrote was not just a confirmation of values we shared, but a lifetime gameplan for how to make our marriage last.I especially enjoyed the language of love exercise. I have even played the game with other couples (married and unmarried) and they too have found it interesting. Thank you for providing a way for couples to explore and appreciate their similarities and differences, enabling them to find healthy ways to build companionship and love.

Sincerely,Yukie and Pete

Couple Testimonial - Andree and Michael

Hi Michelle and Patrick,

Andree and I are your biggest fans!

We got so much out of your Marriage Prep 101 class. We believe we have a solid relationship with very few issues. But your course gave us the tools to fine tune our communication skills and taught us how to identify our differences in a positive manner. Andree and I agree that we should take a class similar to yours every few years just to stay the course.As a family law attorney, I see couples at the end of their relationship. I makes me sad to think what could have been had they gotten off on the right track by using the skills we learned in Marriage Prep 101. And we thought the content of your course would be helpful to ALL couples, not just engaged and newlywed couples.Please keep us in mind if we can be of any assistance to you or Marriage Prep 101. Thanks again for a great workshop!

Sincerely,
Michael Christy and Andree Merchant

Couple Testimonial - Peter and Emmy

We were very happy with our experience attending Marriage Prep 101 workshop in July. We had previously attended Engagement Encounter, the workshop required by the Catholic church. We decided to attend Marriage Prep 101 also because we felt we would benefit from a scientific-based approach to creating a healthy foundation for our marriage. The fact that the Gannon's are both psychologists in addition to being parents was a big plus for us. We were both impressed with their use of studies to support fundamental points throughout the workshop. The Gannons' approach was more comprehensive and focused more on the relationship aspect of creating a healthy marriage instead of the child-rearing aspect, which the church workshop focused on. We both felt we learned many valuable tools for improving the quality of our relationship, especially communication with the 5 Languages of Love' exercise and learning how to slow the communication process down. We found the Fort Mason location on the beautiful San Francisco waterfront very relaxing and a terrific environment in which to learn. We are confident the time and money invested in the workshop will pay off handsomely over the next 50 years. Peter Woodke and Emmy Goriup Walnut Creek, CA

Couple Testimonial - Mark and Carrie

We signed up for Marriage Prep 101 because we liked the idea of taking a marriage prep course from folks who (1) are happily married, (2) are licensed psychologists, and (3) use a research-based, secular approach. We were not interested in a religious approach to marriage preparation. As it turned out, we liked everything about Marriage Prep 101, starting with the online relationship questionnaire we took before the workshop. We reviewied the 21 page report and how we answered the questions and discussed what they meant for us. In the workshop itself, we particularly appreciated the role-playing exercises we did with earch other to try out new ways of communicating. We also learned a lot from hearing how the Gannons and other couples have resolved various relationship issues. Marriage Prep 101 was educational, practical and thoroughly enjoyable and more than lived up to its advertised billing.

Mark & Carrie, San Francisco

Couple Testimonial - Catherine and Aaron

Marriage Prep 101 is a wonderful, practical and inspiring workshop that teaches couples how to create their own "dream" marriage. We learned that successful marriages are created over time and don't just happen--no matter how in love you are right now!

We went into the workshop (May, 2002) feeling very confidant about our relationship and came out of it with so much more than we ever expected. It affirmed our strengths but also identified areas that we could do better at.

Michelle and Patrick are natural presenters who have created an easy, comfortable atmosphere in which to share their knowledge. They have a unique skill in presenting information in an engaging, clear way that makes it easy to apply to your own relationship. The workshop is organized around seven relationship skills that serve as the foundation for a healthy marriage. We liked that the program is based on research and there was no religious content.

Couples build their own customized Marriage Bonds as they go through the workshop and learn about themselves and their relationship. We were encouraged to play to our stengths, be aware of our challenge areas, identify behavioral keys that need change and create a set of marital goals that gives direction and purpose to what we want to achieve in our marriage. We liked that there is plenty of room for individual differences in their program and couples were encouraged to create their own vision of what they want their marriage to be.

We found the communications skills training the most helpful. The Gannons presented several tools and techniques in a very thorough, step-by-step fashion. We then practiced these tools with our partner to communicate more clearly and listen more carefully. The Gannons also demonstrate ideas and skills using examples from their own married and family life. They do some very funny role play situations that capture the complexities of modern relationships! Also, their self-disclosure and interpersonal banter creates a level of safety, openness and informality that is contagious and allows for more openness with your partner.

Overall, we felt that Marriage Prep 101 was an invaluable experience that we strongly recommend for ANY couple, married or not. The workshop was first class all the way with plenty of refreshments, great catered lunch, easy to use workbooks and numerous personal touches that the Gannons pull off with their obvious love and humor for each other! The Take Home Message?

Do yourself and your partner a favor and TAKE THIS WORKSHOP!

Catherine and Aaron, Mill Valley