WHAT IS PREPARE?
It is an inventory resource designed to assist a couple develop a clearer picture of their relationship. It enables them to identify their areas of strengths and those areas on which they may need to do some more work. It is used extensively by over 8000 religious and civil celebrants and clinicians in Australia.
PREPARE-ENRICH CUSTOMIZED VERSION
is the latest form of the PREPARE-ENRICH resources. This on-line system has been available in Australia since mid-September, 2009.
The program is designed to assist a variety of professionals (mainly counsellors, educators and religious celebrants) working with premarital or married couples.
This inventory has been carefully constructed to be comprehensive, diagnostically valuable and is designed to facilitate a meaningful dialogue between the Facilitator and the couple. It has been scientifically developed to have high levels of reliability, validity and clinical utility. Standardized norms have been developed for the inventory.
As well as providing important demographic and background information for a couple, 22 areas are assessed and individual and couple responses in these areas are summarized in reports made available to the Facilitator:
A. Significant Issues for Couples (10 scales):
· Communication · Conflict Resolution · Partner Style & Habits · Financial Management · Leisure Activities · Affection & Sexuality · Family and Friends
· Idealistic Distortion · Relationship Roles · Spiritual Beliefs
B. Relationship Dynamics (4 scales):
· Assertiveness · Self Confidence · Avoidance · Partner Dominance
C. Couple and Family Map (4 scales):
· Closeness and Flexibility of Family-of-Origin
· Closeness and Flexibility of Couple Relationship/Marriage
D. Personality (4 scales)
· Social · Change · Organized · Pleasing · Emotionally Steady
Couples also answer questions about STRESS and, depending on their circumstances answer questions about cultural/ethnic issues, interfaith/interchurch issues, parenting issues, cohabitation issues, forgiveness issues, commitment issues and issues arising from a previous marriage.
This process is aided by the Facilitator and Couple Reports provided on-line to the Facilitator. Couples also receive a a Couples Workbook that contains over 20 exercises designed to help a couple to respond to the feedback dialogue being facilitated by the Facilitator.
There are six core couple exercises to complement the larger feedback process:
- Sharing and Growth areas
- Creating a Wish List using Assertiveness and Active Listening
- Ten Steps for Resolving Conflict
- Couple and Family Map - Mapping the Relationship
- Personal Stress profile - Identifying the most critical issues
- Personality Exercise
The Prepare-Enrich Customized Version inventory was developed in the United States by:
DAVID H. OLSON Ph.D
Emeritus Professor, Family Social Science, University of Minnesota; Licensed Consulting Psychologist and Licensed Marital & Family Therapist, State of Minnesota. Founder and CEO of Life Innovations, USA. PETER J. LARSON Ph.D
President of Life Innovations, USA., Licensed Clinical Psychologist. |
Work was done on applying the Customized Version resources to the Australian context by Dr. Alan Craddock (Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology, University of Sydney) who sought feedback and advice from many Australian marriage educators and counsellors.
Paul Cameron is a trainer for these materials.
Other resources are contained on this page.