Couple Links
Falling in Love is Easy....Staying in Love Requires Recalibration
The Couple LINKS program applies the RAM to couples’ relationships with emphasizing and normalizing that the balance of the RAM connections will naturally fluctuate. The key is that couples need to regularly balance their imbalances by strengthening and setting goals with each of the five dynamics of the RAM in weekly “huddles.”
Program Versions
- Military
- Christian
- Spanish
- Mandarin
Program Sessions
1: Relentlessly Pursuing Intimacy
It is easy to lose touch with each other in marriage. This session explores the ways to keep up with deeply knowing your partner.
2: Respectfully Cultivating Trust
Negative thoughts and opinions of your partner can sabotage your feelings of closeness. This session explains how you can maintain and strengthen a positive opinion of your partner and heal any wounds to your trust.
3: Reciprocally Meeting Needs
In this session, you will lean that a mutual determination to know and fulfill your partner’s needs is the core of a happy marriage. Creative ways to accomplish this on a regular basis are explored.
4: Resiliently Charting Your Course
Belonging to each other is the heart of commitment and the soul of sexual intimacy. This session develops a resiliency model of commitement for changes and crises in light of rediscovering each other throughout the course of your marriage.
5: Romantically Renewing Your Union
Sexual intimacy is essential to the ongoing bond of closeness, attraction and vitality in marriage. Learn about romance, sexual drive and keeping lovemaking alive.
FAQ
Who is the LINKS program designed for?
The LINKS program has been used in many different settings including: Churches, all branches of the military, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations. The LINKS program has been used in Singapore and with Spanish speaking populations. Feedback/research from participants as well as from instructors has supported the applicability of the LINKS program with diverse populations including: Hispanics, Asians, low-income individuals, African Americans, and same-sex couples.
What is the LINKS Program?
The LINKS (Lasting Intimacy through Nurturing Knowledge & Skills) Program is a five-session secular curriculum that certified instructors can teach. Each session is based on a two-hour teaching timeframe, but is designed to be adapted to many different timeframes and group settings.
What are the LINKS videos?
The LINKS Educational Program on video (DVD) is a live presentation by Dr Van Epp- kind of like a standup- to a diversified audience of about 50 couples. This was filmed in the summer of 2006. The five sessions of the LINKS curriculum are presented in forty to fifty minute timeframes. These lively and humorous presentations follow the power point outlines that are also contained in the LINKS workbook. The video can be purchased at the Love Thinks Online Store. It is included in the Instructors Certification Packet and is used in part or whole by some instructors when they teach the LINKS curriculum.
What are the LINKS Workbooks?
The LINKS workbooks are designed to be used either by couples who are watching the LINKS videos in a self-study format, or are part of a group being taught by a certified instructor. This workbook contains the outlines of the five sessions of the LINKS Program, the graphics used in the videos and power point, exercises and activities and many discussion/self-reflection questions for couples to answer. Several workbook versions are offered: Christian (C-LINKS), military, Spanish, and Mandarin.
What are the C-LINKS Workbooks?
The C-LINKS workbook contains the entire LINKS workbook, but has an additional Bible study on each of the five sessions. These five Bible studies supplement the LINKS curriculum and show the harmony between the LINKS Program and Christian principles. Many certified instructors in churches use this workbook when they teach LINKS.
How do I become a certified instructor?
Certification can occur in one of two ways. First, Dr. Van Epp conducts live certification seminars that you can attend. These training seminars require the purchasing of the Instructor’s Certification Packet. The second way that you can become certified is by purchasing the Instructor’s Certification Packet (ICP) from this website’s online store. This packet includes a DVD live presentation of the instructor’s course. After viewing the DVD you must take an online test, and then you will be added to the certified instructors list. This list gives you access to the instructor’s section of this website where you can obtain discounts on the purchase of workbooks, download supplements to the LINKS curriculum and much more.
What is included in the Instructor’s Certification Packet (ICP)?
The ICP described above is necessary for certification in the LINKS program. The ICP comes with the following materials: a large RAM board with magnetic sliders that can be used when you teach the LINKS, DVDs of the 5-session (45-50 minutes per session) course taught by Dr. Van Epp, DVDs of a live presentation of the instructor’s training course, a PowerPoint disc that can be used when you teach the program or adapted to meet your needs, and lesson plans to use when you teach the program. The included lesson plans have recommended discussion questions and activities. The ICP also allows you to access the instructor’s section of our website which includes free resource downloads and discounts on workbooks and materials.
Is there research on the LINKS program?
Yes, we have compiled a research booklet on the LINKS program and you can find that here. Also, feel free to visit the research portion of our website.
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