Upcoming relationship weekend

Amy Lauver, Layout Editor

   Are you engaged or in a serious, committed relationship? Then you are eligible to attend RENEW counseling center’s Relationship Weekend. The retreat will be January 24th-25th, and costs $50 per couple.

     When asked about her experience at Relationship Weekend, sophomore Meagan Green said, “The experience I had at Relationship Weekend was very positive. We engaged in several sessions led by professionals from Renew counseling center and some by everyday couples that were doing a great job in their relationships. It was really fun, really insightful and very much worth it. I learned so much about myself and about Blake that helps me be a better and happier girlfriend.”

   Kimberly Campbell, from RENEW counseling center, explained, “This is a weekend that helps many couples realize their strengths and increase their confidence in their future together.” Students can expect to learn about aspects of life that will help better their relationship from experienced married couples. Topics that will be covered include finances, communication and conflict resolution, negotiating family, personality differences, love languages, intimacy and more. Couples will engage in many creative sessions, married couple panels and discussions with other couples interested in growing their relationship.

   One student who attended last year, but is no longer dating the person she attended with said, “I think I took away a lot about how I function in relationships in general and how to better support a person I’m dating to have a healthy relationship. I think anyone dating can benefit even if not engaged. It is helpful to take time and discover more about themselves and how to prepare for a healthy marriage/relationship!”

   When asked what couples can look forward to about the weekend, Campbell said, “Couples who open themselves up to grow, who are willing to be challenged, will not be disappointed.  Our satisfaction surveys over the last 15 years have been very positive; they have also been utilized to make this retreat the best it can possibly be.  The individuals leading the sessions are doing this because they care about young couples and want to invest their energy in helping couples become stronger and more prepared for the journey of marriage.”

    If students are interested in attending this weekend, they first need to call Sallye Siems at RENEW to sign up. Campbell explained that couples are asked to then take two inventories that are helpful towards building a stronger relationship: the PREPARE and the MBTI. “The PREPARE is an inventory that allows us a snapshot identifying the strengths the couple already possesses, and in our follow up counseling sessions we utilize these strengths to grow and/or address the areas of growth identified for the couple.  The MBTI (Myers-Briggs Trait Inventory) helps us to understand how the couples’ personalities work together.”

   Green mentioned, when asked what she took away from the weekend, “I can’t really say there is one major thing that Relationship Weekend gave me, rather it gave me lots of new skills and perspectives that work together to contribute to an overall better relationship between Blake and I.”

   The deadline to sign up is January 21st. To attend, the couple must be seriously dating or engaged, with one of them attending SNU.