Marital Workshops

Dr. John and Doris Knoles are the co-founders and directors of
        Native American Marriage Enhancement, Inc. (NAME)
            They are Certified Marriage Specialists (CMS) and have been
                mentored and prepared through their many years of affiliation
                  with the National Association of Marriage Enhancement.

The board of directors consists of Dr. John Knoles, Doris Knoles,
  and Rev. Stanley Rios (Tohono O’Odahm).

The objective of NAME is to strengthen the long-term commitment of married
  couples throughout the USA. This is achieved by teaching workshops
      concerning the improvement of marital communications skills.
      This need exists because there are few programs on reservations
          specifically designed to address marital concerns.

Our goals include teaching pragmatic workshops and recruiting couples to
  become Certified Marriage Specialists through the National Association
      of Marriage Enhancement.
        CMS couples learn how to sustain the momentum for marital
          education and will gain the knowledge necessary to train other
            couples under the umbrella of their local churches.

NAME works closely with Native pastors to determine the teachings best
  suited for couples in a given geographical area. 

Workshop topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Dating and Courtship
  • Covenant Marriage
  • Planning for a Great Marriage
  • Pre-Marital Purity
  • Developing Communication Skills
  • Restructuring Communicative Habits
  • Communication Misconceptions
  • Eliminating Communication Roadblocks
  • Cultural Communicative Competence
  • Interpersonal Relationships
  • Native-Specific Sources of Conflict
  • Self-Image and Self-Esteem (Matt. 13)
  • Becoming a Better Conversationalist
  • Developing Memory Skills
  • Selective Recall
  • Listening to Empower Your Mate
  • Barriers to Intimacy
  • Expressing Non-Sexual Affection
  • Balancing Marital and Cultural Power
  • Non-Verbal Communication
  • Culture-Bound Forms of Non-Verbal Communication
  • Basics of Body Language and Facial Expressions
  • The Value of Physical Attractiveness in Marriage
  • Encoding and Decoding Non-Verbal Language
  • Paralanguage (What is said versus how it is said)
  • Developing Competency in Listening Skills
  • Pro-Active Listening
  • Listening to Yourself and to Your Spouse
  • Complaints Versus Observations
  • Sexist Listening
  • Paraphrasing and Rephrasing for Clarity
  • Listening to Empower Your Spouse
  • Conflict Management and Resolution
  • Blended Tribal Families
  • Maintaining a Positive Attitude in Problem Solving
  • How Porn Affects Intimacy
  • Overcoming Stress and Overloads
  • Premature Evaluation: Judgmentalism
  • Argumentativeness
  • Overcoming Addiction
  • Trigger Words and Fuse Blowers
  • Anger Management and Cynicism
  • Infidelity, Deception, and Detection Skills
  • Methods of Confrontation
  • Manipulation Versus Persuasion
  • Accountability
  • Appreciating Gender and Tribal Differences
  • Cultural Perception
  • Money Management: Till Debt Do Us Part
  • Managing Interlopers: In-Laws, Relatives and Ex-Spouses
  • Selflessness Versus Quid Pro Quo
  • Two Becoming One (Genesis 2:24)
  • Integrity, Trust, Honesty, and Credibility
  • Forgiveness and Reconciliation
  • Affirmation and Edification
  • Processing Compliments
  • Your Incredible and Incomprehensible Wife
  • Respect: What No Man Can Resist
  • Spousal Sensitivity Training
  • For Better or Worse: How Tragedy Can Strengthen a Marriage
  • Overcoming Addictions
  • Wounded Warriors: Healing Past Heartaches
  • When the Lights Go Out: Sexual Intimacy
  • Ambivalent Sex: Attraction and Repulsion
  • Let There Be Sex: God and the Marital Bed (Hebrews 13:4)
  • Fundamentals of Love Expression
  • How Your Mate Perceives Expressions of Love
  • Dating as a Married Couple
  • How to Study the Bible as a Couple
  • Rock Solid Marriage: Building a Life Together With Jesus
  • The Power of Persevering Prayer

For information regarding the scheduling of workshops,
    please contact us.
.

 

Maxim of the Moment

Rare is the one you can long hold dear.