Marital First Responders Training

If friends confide in you about their relationship challenges and you want to feel more confident in how to be supportive and helpful, join us for Marital First Responders training on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Marital First Responders are people who others open up to about relationship problems. But they are sometimes unsure about how to be helpful, how to avoid taking sides, and how to steer friends and family members to the right resources.

The training will help you be more intentional, confident, and effective when others come to you for support and perspective on relationship struggles, whether it’s the complaints of everyday married life or bigger issues like thoughts of divorce.

Training topics include:

• Listening and empathizing without taking sides
• Offering helpful perspectives on relationships
• Keeping good boundaries
• Challenging when needed
• Helping people find the right kind of help

Trainer: Bill Doherty, Ph.D., University of Minnesota Professor, marriage therapist, and co-founder with his daughter Elizabeth Doherty Thomas of The Doherty Relationship Institute. Bill’s research has shown that the great majority of Americans have been confidants on marriage problems, and that their friends and family members turn to them first for help.

Registration: To sign up, email Rev. Jen Crow at jen@firstuniv.org.