Finding a significant other is usually a high priority for people of all ages, but one group is more concerned with helping make that relationship lasting and healthy.
"We would rather people spend as much time or even more preparing for their marriage as they do for their wedding," said Roberta Jackel, program manager for Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Initiative. "The emphasis in the public media is all about the wedding preparations."
To help promote healthy relationships, from dating to engagement to marriage, free workshops titled "A Healthy Relationship: Worth the Effort?!" are being provided through funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"We've been doing healthy marriage classes across the state of Alabama for the last five years," said Mallory Lucier-Greer, graudate student, licensed marriage and family specialist and one of the facilitators for the upcoming workshop. "We thought, 'You know what, we really need to have programs here in Lee County.'"
The first workshop will be offered Friday from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Jackel described it as "a chance to interact with your partner (and) learn some new things from experts."
"This isn't like being in school," Jackel said. "This is really fun ... It is not therapy. There's really a big difference between relationship education and therapy."
Jackel said they anticipate a variety of age groups to attend. As of Sunday, 24 people were signed up for the February workshop, which has a cap of 30 participants.
Lucier-Greer, who will present the workshop along with Scot Ketring, professor in human development and family studies, said the classes will be a mixture of presentations as well as group activities.
"The activities can be really brief things, like showing a clip of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and saying, 'OK ... what are some of the things they could have done differently in this scene?'" Lucier-Greer said. "It's going to be a fast-paced workshop that has lots of activities and times to give your opinions and times to reflect with your partner about how can we be intentional about our relationship."
Being intentional is a principle Lucier-Greer said is essential for a healthy relationship.
"From the beginning of the relationship, I'm intentionally deciding to be in a relationship with you," Lucier Greer said. "The next step, I'm being intentional about the way that I treat you. I'm going to decide to sit down and resolve this conflict ... I'm going to decide that this relationship is worth my effort."
Couples or individuals who want to attend should be ready to commit to both sessions. Child care and light meals will also be provided.
Jackel said the classes will be beneficial for people no matter the status of their relationship.
"I don't think any of us are in perfect relationships," she said. "Just about all relationships can benefit from a little tweaking, sometimes some gentle reminder. Sometimes individuals may slip into some patterns where they're maybe not as thoughtful, or maybe don't communicate in the most effective ways, and it's just a chance for couples to remember why they were attracted to each other in the first place.
"If you're in a relationship that's facing some challenges ... we can give you some tools to make you think about your relationship or marriage a little differently and allow you to maybe get over that difficulty."
The reason for the classes is a firm belief in the value of a healthy relationship.
"The foundation of a healthy relationship spills into just about every other facet of life," Lucier-Greer said, mentioning parenting, being a good employee and maintaining personal health. "Really, a healthy relationship can be a protective factor for so many areas in your life."
Workshops will be offered throughout the spring on March 2-3, April 13-14 and May 4-5. Jackel said they hope to continue offering them in the fall.
For more information, visit www.alabamamarriage.org or call 334-844-3238. To register for a class, visit www.auburn.edu/ccconline.
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