HOW
A "TIME-OUT" COULD SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE
from:
Ladies Home Journal, November 2005 issue Pg 76
For marriages in trouble, a trial separation
is often the first step to divorce. But for couples seeking to
work things out, a “controlled separation” may be the better
choice.
These civil “time-outs” involve customized contracts in which
husband and wife agree to sort through their issues in order to
reunite. The practice, which is slowly but steadily on the rise,
was popularized in the mid-1980s by Lee Raffel, a marriage
therapist who felt that “couples had no structure and often made
havoc of their separations.”
Raffel’s controlled separation contract, explained in detail in
her book, "Should I Stay or Go? How Controlled Separation
Can Save Your Marriage", covers 12 topics ranging from
social interactions to child care to budgets. Participating
couples, who agree not to file for divorce during their
separation, address each issue according to the plan they’ve set
up. In the process, they begin to communicate in a healthier way,
says Raffel, who claims that she is able to save the marriages of
more than three-quarters of her clients.
– Leslie Fay
----------------------------
Controlled
Separation is one of the most highly evaluated workshops at the
Smart Marriages Conference and will be offered as a full-day
Training Institute in Atlanta. You can order a recording of the
90-min Dallas workshop session on CD, MP3 or cassette for only $15
for a great overview/intro of how it works. Decide if you want to
take the training and become a certified instructor. Or, if you're a
struggling couple, decide if this might be an option for you.
To order a recording, call 800-241-7785 and ask for tape 755-714.
755-714 Divorce
Prevention: Controlled Separation Lee Raffel, MSW, Elsie Radtke, MEd
Help stalemated couples restore their marriage using time-limited
guidelines, assessment, contracts and ?active waiting? skills that
put children first and avoid extended-family trauma.
To order the book on amazon for only
$14.95 click http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0809225131/smartmarriages
To contact the program:
School for Marriage Lee Raffel, MSW and Elsie Radtke,
MEd, co-founders The training provides hope for seemingly hopeless
marital relationships on the brink of divorce. Discover the
practical roadmap that shows couples how to avoid making an
impulsive divorce decision, how to slow down, cool down, and rebuild
a healthy marriage. Email: leeraffel@msn.com Web: http://www.leeraffel.com
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