Fall Online Course Designed for Relationship Educators, Counselors
Educators and counselors who work with couples have seen the signs: A couple embarking on a relationship journey is packed and ready to go. They are excited about the destination, but often are oblivious to the challenges or detours along the way. A new online course from Iowa State University Extension can help local educators and counselors provide guidance to couples no matter where they are in their relationship journey.
Creating and sustaining healthy relationships benefits the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of adults, children and the community, says Donna K. Donald, an Iowa State University Extension family life program specialist.
Healthy couple and marriage relationships exist in a variety of family structures. Likewise both professionals and non-professionals provide education and counseling to couples, Mrs. Donald said. “If you want to increase your knowledge and skills in working with couples, consider enrolling in Journeys – Steps to Healthy Couples, Healthy Marriages, Healthy Families.”
Journeys is a completely online educational program consisting of six training modules designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of educators, mental health professionals and clergy who work with couples in individual or group settings, Mrs. Donald explained. A variety of learning activities are incorporated in each module. Examples of learning activities include online reading, group discussion forums, videos, quizzes, synchronous chat sessions and one- to two-page papers. In addition to the learning activities, each module contains downloadable resources for use in work with couples.
Each module can be completed in two weeks. The modules address the following topics: premarital and cohabiting issues, the early years in a relationship, mid to later life together, healthy relationships in complex families, low resource and cultural issues, and program development and evaluation.
Mrs. Donald said by participating in the Journeys online course, educators and counselors will
- Learn how to conduct effective relationship education programming in the community.
- Apply current research in healthy relationships to work with local families.
- Learn and practice strategies to use with couples based on key components of healthy relationships.
- Increase their awareness of resources and tools to support individual and group work.
- Build collaboration and network with other marriage and couple education professionals.
- Earn continuing education units (CEUs) or social worker credits and a certificate of completion.
For more information about the upcoming class, online registration, facilitators, topics and format, go online at www.extension.iastate.edu/families/journeys. The next class starts Sept. 14.