STRONG BONDS, STRONG COUPLES LLC

BECOMING A COUPLE AGAIN: CREATING CONNECTION
A GROUP FOR POST-DEPLOYED COUPLES

OVERALL GOAL/ORIENTATION:
To use an attachment model of adult love relationships and EFT interventions and place these in an educative format for army couples in order to:

KEY ASSUMPTION:
The connection and comfort found in a loving marriage is a powerful antidote to combat stress and is a preventative factor in the development of post traumatic stress. Soldiers with positive secure relationships recover from stressful deployments more easily and have less anxiety and depression after potentially traumatic events. Emotional isolation, on the other hand, exacerbates the aftermath of stress and trauma for the soldier and his or her spouse. The transition and readjustment of homecoming is also a critical period for the future of family life and health and the future of the marriage. Extensive research now demonstrates that secure emotional connection with a significant other is a powerful source of resilience and impacts physical and mental health.

FORMAT:
Twelve hours of educational and experiential large and small group sessions for 24-50 couples in which one or both partners have returned from deployment in the last year. A SBSC workshop leader trained in emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT) by Susan Johnson, Ed.D., facilitates the large group sessions. EFT trained therapists & military personnel co-facilitate small group sessions which are focused on hand-outs the couples complete together.

MATERIALS:
Workbooks/handouts for participants, DVD’s of couples interacting and partners talking about their experience with deployment to engage participants and demonstrate points.