Top Sessions in Atlanta - 3/6/07

[Smartmarriages]

On the theory that if one asks, many wonder, I'll share my reply to Judy
with the list.  Most of these top rated sessions will be repeated in Denver
- come see them live. Or, order these at
http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com/ or at 800-241-7785 on CD or as MP3
downloads.  I'm getting calls from people who now have their brochures and
are miserable because they can't decide between all the great sessions.  It
does make people crazy and I apologize.  Maybe this list will help a bit.
I've also been asked three times today to print a list of everything will be
brand in Denver. That list is next. - diane

on 3/6/07 5:39 PM, Judy & Jim at judyjim at optonline.net wrote:

> Diane,
> 
> I seem to remember that you put together a list of the highest rated workshops
> after each conference.  Is that true?  If so where can I find it. I'm
> particularly interested in 2006 conference
> 
> Judy Johnsen
> 
Based on conference evaluations, the highest rated sessions, are, of course,
going to be keynotes. All 2300 attendees see those, so they're going to come
out with more positives.  All the keynotes got rave reviews, but these were
the top five:

P-2 Message to Our Daughters Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, PhD Today¹s young
women are better educated than any previous generation but are strangely
misinformed about marriage.  The good news is the substantial body of new
social scientific evidence on the ³do¹s² and ³don¹ts² of mate selection and
marriage.  The even better news is that we have every reason to believe we
can all play a part in helping the next generations of young women become as
successful in marriage as they are in their school and work lives.

Message to Our Sons Rozario Slack, DMin Today's young men need their fathers
and their elders to step up to the plate and tell them the truth.  They need
their fathers and elders to stop standing silently by and letting them
continue to make critical mistakes.  Men must tell their sons, nephews,
friends, and brothers that it takes a real man to create a high-quality,
life-long marriage and family.  That there is no greater or more manly
accomplishment. Old men must teach young men that marriage is the glue, the
crucial factor if we are to save the village.  This is what men must do.

------------------------ P-6 Saturday, June 24, 8am - 9:45amLearning
Sobriety Together William Fals-Stewart, PhD This program works with couples
together -- the drug/alcohol abuser and spouse -- to improve communication
skills, build cohesion and to both promote and maintain sobriety

You Don't Have To Take It Anymore! Steven Stosny, PhD Untreated, resentment
will eventually destroy a relationship. Eventually it leads to verbal
aggression and frequently to infidelity and/or divorce. Learn how to treat
resentment by increasing core value.

Porn Addiction Mark Laaser, PhD, MDiv Porn has become the #1 seller on the
internet and extremely damaging to marriage. Learn to recognize the symptoms
and to prevent and help overcome addiction to internet sex.

--------------------------- P-8  Saturday, June 24, 4:45 - 6:00pm Breaking
the Cycle of Divorce Pat Love, EdD, Kathleen McFadden This mother/daughter
team talk frankly about breaking the legacy of divorce -- using the latest
research - as well as hard-earned personal experience - they describe the
victories and challenges facing marriage educators.

How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk John Van Epp, PhD Adult-children-of-divorce
face a substantially higher risk of their own marriage failing. Changing
this sad legacy requires changes in courtship knowledge and practice. The
Relationship Attachment Model (RAM) provides a continuity plan - a way to
build intimacy in courtship that will carry through to a stable, sexy,
successful, till-death-do-we-part kind of marriage. ___________

P-9  Love & Respect Emerson Eggerichs, PhD Couples have to learn how to
break the "Crazy Cycle".   Eggerichs demonstrates how to use unique tools,
like c.h.a.i.r.s, air hoses, and "unconditional respect" in ways that you
won't soon forget. _____________

P-10 Mars Venus Makeover: Get Your Mojo Working! John Gray, PhD A whole new
synthesis that will help us understand how diet, exercise and communication
skills combine to affect the production of healthy brain chemicals and how
these play out differently in men and women to govern mood, motivation,
passion - and marital happiness.


Top 40 workshops:

202 Divorce Busting Programs - MINI Michele Weiner-Davis, MSW Marriage
Breakthrough & Keeping Love Alive: two programs to help even last-ditch
couples avoid divorce, even if only one spouse attends! Teach classes or use
the techniques in your practice.

206 Enhancing Relationships With Body Wisdom Kathlyn Hendricks, PhD Learn
body-based exercises that enable couples to unlock the 5 secrets to Lasting
Love, resolve power-struggles, create variety, and rekindle romance.

207 The Essential Humility of Marriage**** Terry Hargrave, PhD Stability,
security, and sincerity are the "right stuff" that help couples move past
"me and my happiness" to the respect, humility, reliability, and sacrifice
that produce solid marriages and secure kids.

211 Sex and Romance in the Biblical Marriage - MINI*** Hon Jim Sheridan, JD,
MBA Scripture describes marriage as a dynamic relationship between equals
filled with passion and love. Learn how to put this into practice with
disagreements, sex, and the realities of lifelong marriage.

301 1-2-3 Magic ­ MINI Tom Phelan, PhD Teach parents easy-to-follow steps
for disciplining kids ages 2-12 without arguing, yelling or spanking and
when - and how - silence can speak louder than words.

302 Soul Healers Leaders Training ­ MINI Beverly Rodgers, PhD, Tom Rodgers,
PhD Practical, easy-to-learn tools for professionals or lay mentors to help
couples that face even the most difficult, on-the-brink problems: adultery,
addiction, abuse or other deep wounds.

307 De-Mystifying the Relational Space Hedy Schleifer, MA Seven principles
and practices will change the way you think about relationships and help you
guide couples to embrace differences, harness passion, and deepen
connections.

308 Affairs: Step-by-Step to Recovery****** Michele Weiner-Davis, MSW There
isn¹t one right approach, but it helps to have a map of the territory. How
much disclosure? When? Moratoriums? Why? Learn a flexible, adaptable
structure that helps.

315 Marriage-Friendly Therapy** Bill Doherty, PhD Marital therapy is a
challenge. Learn about the essential skills and values of a good marital
therapist and about an exciting new resource for locating these therapists
in your community.

401 Divorce Busting for Clinicians***** Michele Weiner-Davis, MSW Couples
seek therapy when making the most important decision of their lives: whether
or not to divorce. Learn advanced solution-oriented techniques that can help
even last-ditch couples choose marriage.

402 Affairproofing Marriage Frank Pittman, MD, Tina Pittman Wagers, MSW,
PsyD Teach behaviors like honesty, intimacy, equality, and manners to steer
people away from the enemies of monogamy: narcissism, romanticism, and
hanging out with people who have the habits and attitudes of chimpanzees.

405 You Don¹t Have to Take it Anymore***** Steven Stosny, PhD Learn how to
use this approach in marriage ed settings to help overcome entrenched
resentment, anger, verbal and emotional abuse BEFORE you try to teach
communication skills.

406 The Black Marriage Curriculum - MINI Nisa Muhammad, Rozario Slack, DMin
Black Americans are the most unmarried group in the world. Learn to teach
the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will reverse this trend and
maintain the momentum.

407 Internet Sex Addiction - MINI*** Mark Laaser, PhD, MDiv Porn has become
the #1 seller on the internet and extremely damaging to marriage. Learn to
recognize the symptoms and to prevent and help overcome addiction to
internet sex.

412 Rekindling Desire***** Barry McCarthy, PhD One in five marriages is
non-sexual, i.e., have sex less than 10 times a year. Specific exercises
bridge the cycles of avoidance and self-consciousness and reestablish
desire. Case illustrations.

418 Marketing Chattanooga Style Julie Baumgardner, MS Learn strategies that
use both paid and free advertising to get out the message about marriage,
fathering, and abstinence and increase participation in community marriage
events and classes.

501 The Secrets of Happily Married Men Scott Haltzman, MD What makes a man a
good husband? Help men learn the secrets to winning their wives¹ hearts.
Using their manly fix-it skills, men can improve their marriage, and find
their own happiness in the process.

502 The Marriage Course - MINI*** Nicky & Sila Lee This practical course, an
offshoot of the famed Alpha course, uses a video-based dinner format that is
easy for lay couples to teach, transforms & strengthens marriage, and draws
couples in ³like magic².

510 WAIT (Why Am I Tempted) Training** Joneen Krauth-Mackenzie, RN Teach
teens to have the best sex by waiting and preparing for marriage. A love,
character, relationship, marriage prep curriculum for schools. 40 states and
abroad, non-sectarian.

511 Warm Things Up! Katherine Robredo, MSW, Maureen Griner, MA You've taken
the classes, now learn how to be a great presenter with 20 icebreaker
activities to enliven any class and enhance group learning. Plus tips on
adult learning styles and dealing with difficult people.

514 Learning Sobriety Together*** Gary Birchler, PhD, William Fals-Stewart,
PhD This program works with couples together - the drug/alcohol abuser and
spouse - to improve communication skills, build cohesion and to both promote
and maintain sobriety.

601 The First Dance/Take Back Your Wedding - MINI Bill Doherty, PhD,
Elizabeth Doherty Thomas Teach a program to help engaged couples, in the
face of complex & sometimes conflicted couple & family dynamics, plan a
strong, ³family-systems² based wedding that will lay a solid foundation for
life-long marriage.

605 Married and Loving It - MINI Barbara Petty, MS This 5-week, skill-based
program always has full classes and waiting lists. Learn what makes the
program so successful and how to replicate it in your community.

608 Married Sex for Men Michael Metz, PhD, Barry McCarthy, PhD Ten things
men need to learn to deal with the common problems - low desire, porn
addiction, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, etc. - to build a
healthy, pleasurable sex life.

610 The Five Love Languages - MINI Jay and Julie Baumgardner, MA, CFLE Use
Gary Chapman¹s program to help couples learn to speak their spouses¹ ³love
language², transition from the ³in love² to ³covenant love² stage & avoid
the trap of getting the ³tingles² for someone other than their spouse.

613 The Icy Pole Stick Dance Peter Little Learn to use 15 fun tools from
³down under² - eggs, icy pole sticks, balloons, photos, balls, the camping
game - to make quick progress on communication, connecting & problem
solving. For couples & families.

614 Marriage Education for Good Ole Boys Jennifer Baker, PsyD, MFT Learn to
supplement existing marriage programs with film clips, Country music, humor
and stories to engage often neglected low-income white couples.

618 Grant Writing 101 Dennis Stoica, MBA, Bill Coffin, MEd Understand the
fine points of grant writing in order to qualify for government and private
foundation marriage money.

701 African American Marriage Enrichment - MINI*** Lorraine Blackman, PhD
Learn tips for teaching this program that addresses the specific issues
facing African American couples. Perfect for church, school, community, and
private practice settings.

702 Power Love - MINI**** Steven Stosny, PhD Women maintain and nurture
relationships, but men decide if, and when, they¹ll improve. In this
male-friendly program, learn to engage men and teach
scientifically-validated behaviors to improve marriage.

705 The Essence of Marriage - MINI Pat Love, EdD, Kathleen McFadden This
program uses Enneagram personality types to help couples gain insight, take
personal responsibility, and develop deep intimate connections. For
workshops, retreats, private practice.

708 Torn Asunder: Mending Infidelity*** Dave Carder, MA This model provides
a structure to stabilize marriages in the first crucial 90 days; skills to
differentiate types of infidelity and to start forgiveness and trust
building; plus homework.

801 The #1 Key to Incredible Sex*** Mark Gungor Learn a humorous and
incredibly effective approach to understanding the misinformation that kills
off sex and passion, and how to turn things around.

803 Mars/Venus Communication Skills John Gray, PhD Understand the unique
Mars/Venus principles and concepts brought to life with humor, insight and
helpful advice to use in your counseling or educational settings.

805 How To Avoid Marrying A Jerk - MINI*** John Van Epp, PhD Great marriages
begin long before the wedding. Learn what singles (and parents) should know
about the 5 keys to successful mate-selection, and how to avoid the "love is
blind" attachment-syndrome. Singles, or single again.

807 Marital Sex As it Ought to Be Barry McCarthy, PhD When it's good, it¹s
great. When it's bad or non-existent, it's a bummer. Learn what it takes to
have great marital sex - intimate and erotic - and how to prevent and
resolve sexual problems.

810 Beyond Affairs: Prevention and Recovery Anne and Brian Bercht Learn the
steps to not only recover from infidelity, but to make your marriage even
stronger, from a couple that¹s been successful. Also, learn how to give back
by leading BAN recovery support groups in your community.

811 Celebrating Black Marriages: Arusi Style Andrew and Terri Lyke
Experience rituals and symbols of the African American Christian community
to make your marriage all that it can be - define your marriage mission and
path. Married, engaged, dating or singles.

813 Surviving Your Adolescents: 13 - 18 Year Olds - MINI Tom Phelan, PhD
There are times you must keep quiet as they push toward independence and
times you must take charge. This step-by-step approach will help end the
hassles. Single parents & stepparents welcome.

817 ­ Marriage Rally: Teach In **** Transforming Communities Grassroots
Style Julie Baumgardner, MA, Nisa Muhammad, Jennifer Baker, PsyD, MFT Learn
what communities across the country are doing to strengthen marriage and how
you can follow their lead. Brainstorm about opportunities ­ free media, the
web, funding, volunteers, creating buy-in - and how to avoid the stumbling
blocks.