A Marriage Meeting, as explained step-by-step in Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted, is a simple, powerful tool that builds on your natural abilities to keep your relationship thriving. We all have room to grow, always, as individuals and as couples.

No matter how good your marriage is now, you can make it even better. Whether you are married, about to get married, or in a committed relationship, by implementing the recommendations in this guide, you can create the long term relationship you’ve always wanted.

Weekly Marriage Meetings support the growth and vitality of both partners. By putting into practice easy-to-follow instructions, you will gain more intimacy, romance and teamwork. You and your partner will deal more smoothly with the ups and downs of daily life.

Marriage Meetings are Proactive

The statistics about failed marriages and relationships are frightening. Can an ounce of prevention hurt? Marriage Meetings are a proactive solution for strengthening relationships.

Some of us grew up in families in which healthy communication was lacking. Perhaps because my parents divorced when I was thirteen, as an adult I made it my business to learn everything I could about how to succeed in marriage. My husband and I have been holding weekly marriage meetings four about twenty-five years. I give the meetings major credit for our happiness together.

By becoming familiar with its information in this book and by doing the exercises it describes, you and your partner will prepare yourselves for successful marriage meetings.

Husbands Like Meeting’s Structure

In case you are feeling uncertain about this program, you are not alone. As one initially reluctant husband reported, “When my wife suggested a meeting, I expected disaster, but I agreed to give it a try. I’m glad we did. Taking time to share our feelings and discuss our concerns every week nurtures our marriage.”

Another husband said that the meetings deal with marriage issues “directly, immediately, and in a positive environment.” He called the approach, “refreshing and sorely needed.”

Beneifts Abound

In our fast-paced world you may hesitate before adding a new weekly routine that consumes about 30 minutes. However, you can expect a high return on the small amount of time you invest in a Marriage Meeting for these reasons:

• Marriage Meetings prevent crises by addressing concerns regularly and proactively.

• The meetings promote closure, so issues are not left hanging.

• The direct approach prevents holding grudges.

• Ground rules for the meetings foster respect and courtesy.

• Marriage Meetings level the playing field for the less verbal partner.

• They encourage collaboration, a sense of “we’re in this together.”

• They foster love, teamwork, and romance.

• Marriage Meetings bring about smoother resolution of conflicts.

Saving Time

The meetings typically save you much more time than the minutes you invest in them. You may save money too, as a result of decisions you make together during a meeting. Tasks may be divided in better ways or even get eliminated. Better planning of leisure time will occur.

Your initial meetings may feel contrived. This is normal. Continue to hold them. As one wife said, “I’ve learned that it is better to communicate with intention than without intention.”

Published by New World Library,  Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted is available online and at many local bookstores and libraries.

Author: Marcia Naomi Berger LCSW

Marcia Naomi Berger, MSW, LCSW, author of Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted (New World Library, 2014), is a licensed clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in San Rafael, California. She says, “My special area of interest as a therapist is to help people create relationships that are emotionally and spiritually fulfilling, as well as satisfying physically and materially. I believe in marriage and recognize how societal changes have resulted in new relationship challenges for many people.” She sees individuals, couples, groups, and families in her private practice in San Rafael, CA. Marcia Naomi Berger is a popular keynote speaker and workshop leader. She offers simple, practical tips for enriching marriage and other relationships by using positive communication skills and helps people reversing unconstructive habits many people learned as children. She offers executive coaching services and corporate trainings including topics such as “How to Deal with a Difficult Person,” “Mindfulness Training,” and “How to Say No.” Her online class, “The Marriage Meeting Program: a Strength-Based Approach for Successful Relationships ,” appears on the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) site. She has taught continuing education programs at UC Berkeley...