There will be a Retrouvaille programme in Port Elizabeth from Friday to Sunday, February 15 to 17, at St Luke's Retreat Centre in Park Lane.
Retrouvaille is a French word which means "rediscovery" and the course is aimed at teaching married couples effective communication.
It is for married couples facing difficult challenges or struggling in their marriage as well as those who are considering separation, or even already separated or divorced.
Run in more than 160 communities worldwide, the weekend begins on a Friday evening and ends on Sunday afternoon.
It is not a “miracle cure”; so post-weekend sessions have been designed to continue the process begun on the weekend.
"The post-weekend phase is as crucial, maybe more critical, to the healing of the marriage problems" the organisers said. "During these sessions, the techniques learned on the weekend are further developed and used to explore additional areas of your marriage relationship." The three-phase programme consists of:
Phase 1: Retrouvaille weekend experience
Phase 2: Post weekend sessions
Phase 3: Monthly support (core)
The presenting team, three couples and a priest or pastor couple, are not trained marriage counselors, but couples sharing personal stories of marital struggles and the tools they used to "rediscover their love".
All team members share a Christian faith. However, they say the programme is focused on marriage, not religious doctrine and is beneficial to couples of all faiths or no faith at all.
Retrouvaille sees marriage as typically having four stages: Romance
Disillusionment
Misery
Joy "The survival of our marriages depends on how well we are prepared to take these cycles on," the programme asserts. "No matter how much you are hurting, there is light at the end of the tunnel, no marriage is beyond hope." Retrouvaille is a non-profit volunteer ministry and says no couple is ever denied because they are facing financial difficulties. There is a non-refundable registration fee of R1500 for the Port Elizabeth course and a suggested donation, but couples pay what they are able to comfortably pay. Reservations are confirmed on a “first-come, first-served” basis. All information is treated confidentially.
To register call 072-783-6785 and for more information e-mail: pe@retrouvaille.co.za or visit: www.helpourmarriage.com