One of our most important projects is to identify as many marriage education (ME) programs as possible and then evaluate them for their effectiveness. Our plan is to provide evaluation tools free of charge on the condition that the results are shared with us. The datebase that we hope to create will help identify the most effective ME programs that are currently in use. That information will help develp new ME programs that build on the best outcomes.
We will be sorting ME programs into various categories. One category will be the goals of the program which turn out to be quite different between programs. The goal of some ME programs is to help couples accept each other without trying to change each other. Others, want couples to develop a deep understanding of each other without trying to change each other. Still others, want couples to learn how to accommodate each other through change.
Another category will be the types of marriage problems it claims to address. Unfortunately, many ME programs fail to provide clear guidance regarding what specific problems they are designed to solve.
It's generally assumed that a marriage education program will help marriages thrive. But research doesn't always support that assumption. There are many popular programs that actually tend to make marriages fail. We plan to make it easy for couples to know the difference between programs that will help their marriages, and programs that will hurt them.
Some of the information that we are planning to provide already exists on other websites. Here are a few links to websites that have been listing and studying the effectiveness of Marriage Education programs:
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT): This association highlights the effectiveness of marriage and family therapy in treating various mental and emotional disorders, with high client satisfaction rates and significant improvements in emotional and physical health. [ https://www.aamft.org/About_AAMFT/About_Marriage_and_Family_Therapists.aspx ]
Everyday Health: This platform discusses the effectiveness of marriage counseling, noting that nearly three in four couples report increased marital satisfaction after counseling. [ https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/does-marriage-counseling-work/ ]
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI): This organization provides research on the short and long-term effectiveness of couple counseling, showing significant improvements in relationship satisfaction and general well-being. [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3490822/ ]
NCBI - Couple Therapy in the 2020s: This source reviews and synthesizes the current status and emerging developments in couple therapy, affirming its effectiveness in reducing relationship distress. [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10087549/ ]
Choosing Therapy: This site offers statistics and insights into the success rates and benefits of marriage counseling, supporting its effectiveness in improving relationship dynamics. [ https://www.choosingtherapy.com/marriage-counseling-statistics/ ]
Another website that lists marriage education programs, but does not provide an evaluation of them, is the San Antonio Marriage Initiative. We hope to partner with this program to provide evaluation tools for its users.