When we strengthen our own foundation, the struggles of life can feel easier.
- Learn more about Skill 3 – Form Bonds for Two
- This skill is what we call synchronized attachments. This comes from our ability to attach to our primary caregiver and sets the tone for our bonds with our family. This skill helps us share a mutual mind state- allowing us to share emotions like joy or grief together.
- COURSE: The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages Course for Couples
Join THRIVEtoday President Chris Coursey and his wife Jen, along with Deeper Walk’s founder Dr Marcus Warner as his wife Brenda, for this 6-part video series that is designed to help you build a more joy-filled marriage!
- A facilitator version is also available.
- COURSE: The Foundational 5 Introductory Course
Check out this course to grow your capacity to better navigate the ups and downs of life with more joy and peace and less anxiety. As you take the course, notice which skills you want to continue growing and follow our additional resources for that skill on our Foundational 5 page.
This course focuses on the 5 core skills to help you grow your capacity and build muscle mass relationally, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
- Visit our Foundational 5 page
- Learn more about the 5 skills we recommend you start with and begin your journey to transformation.
- Past Online Event: Bonds – True Connection Changes Everything
- Bonds form the foundation for life, using God’s hesed love. In this Online Practice Community you will learn how weak bonds can be strengthened and how true bonds enable us to walk in love, even with our enemies. This event covers Skill 3 (Form Bonds for Two) and Skill 5 (Form Family Bonds).
Our podcast addresses marriage and related topics in these episodes:
- E10 The Value of Appreciation in Marriage
- Appreciation is packaged joy, or actively recalling moments of joy. Chris tell us how important this is in marriage and how it reminds us about the “good stuff” in our marriage relationships.
- E28 It’s Never Too Late
- Chris tells the story of some friends of his who learned about relational skills later in life and how it transformed their family.
- E41 Maturity Matters
- Maturity – what it is and what it isn’t! Chris shares things we can do to grow the maturity in our lives, our families, marriages and communities.
- E51 Bonds for Two
- Chris explains what a “bond for 2” is, how it works in the brain and how it naturally grows. He also gives ideas for how to grow a healthy bond for 2 in your brain if you are missing this skill.
- E52 Family Bonds
- Following ‘Bonds for 2’, Chris explains the difference between that and a family bond, and lists reasons both are important and how they affect us.
- E86 Valentine’s Day Special
- In this delightful episode about the importance of sharing joy with our loved ones, Chris explains some of the science behind connection and shares several helpful exercises that we can use to connect with those close to us in a meaningful way.
- E106 Andy’s Marriage Story
- In today’s interview, Thrive Premier Training grad and Thrive volunteer, Andy, tells us about how relational skills helped when facing some challenges in his marriage. He takes us through his journey of learning relational skills and how he and his wife incorporated skills into their marriage to improve their connection and build capacity together.
- E110 How Relational Skills Can Impact Your Marriage
- We hear from Eric & Jiayan who saw a tangible difference in their marriage when they started learning and practicing relational skills together. As they enter parenthood they are so thankful for a stronger bond. Chris weighs in on what a blessing it is when you are relational in your most important relationships.
- E136 Marriage Series Part 1: Relational Skills and Marriage
- The relationships closest to our hearts, like marriage, often carry both the greatest meaning and the greatest challenges. In Part 1 of our marriage podcast series, Chris reflects on why marriage can be so hard and offers insights on how we can grow, practice healthier connection, and protect what matters most.
- E137 Marriage Series Part 2: Marriage and Maturity
- Nikki and Clinton tell the story of what led to difficulty in their marriage and how, as they gained relational skills and pursued healing together, they learned to keep their relationship bigger than the problem.
- E138 Marriage Series Part 3: Healing Your Marriage with Relational Skills
- No matter where you are in life, growing in relational skills and emotional maturity can be transformational. In this episode, Lori shares her personal journey of developing maturity in the middle of real life and ministry. Along the way, she came to a powerful realization: you can’t teach what you don’t know. Tune in to hear Lori’s story of growth and how that transformed her life and her marriage.
These 30-60 minute FREE WEBINARS address issues to do with marriage and connection:
- Bite-Sized Skill Practice: Depression and Disconnection
- FREE WEBINAR: Hope for Conflict
Listen in as Chris Coursey and Kristy Harrang share relatable stories from their own journeys through conflict. Discover how relational skills can transform the way we approach tough situations, help us build bridges, and show us how to repair relationships when things don’t go well.
- FREE WEBINAR: Bullet Proof Your Marriage
- Join Jen and Chris Coursey with a panelist of couples discussing how the 19 relational skills have impacted their marriage. In one hour you will learn the basics of success in marriage through developing simple skills that you can put into practice immediately. Learn the basics of storytelling, learning to see your spouse as Jesus does, as well as improving skills of capacity and rest.
Find more webinars and videos on our YouTube channel.
These books will help either specifically with marriage, or with getting your relational skills journey started:
- BOOK: The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages
- Learn about shrinking the ‘joy gap’ in your marriage. Regularly feel connected and happy, have your problems feel manageable, and see your marriage become a reliable source of joy.
- See the companion course
- BOOK: 30 Days of Joy for Busy Married Couples
- Chris and Jen Coursey created the 30 Days of Joy handbook so that busy married couples could thrive. If you are like most married couples, your plate is full. Your calendar is booked. Your to-do list is long. Somewhere in the middle of all the hurry and flurry many couples feel their marriage has lost some flavor. This wasn’t planned, but joy levels are not what you want or dreamed they would be. Whatever your situation, this interactive handbook is designed for fifteen minutes of practice each day.
- BOOK: The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled People
- Most of us grew up thinking that joy is random and fleeting, instead of something we can actually count on or build our life around. But brain science has revealed that joy is the perfect word to describe the fuel on which our brains run. So how do we live a joy-filled life? Marcus Warner and Chris Coursey show us how to build habits that fill our lives with greater joy and satisfaction.
- BOOK: The Joy Switch
- Packed with illustrations, expert insight, and helpful self-assessments, The Joy Switch will help you thrive amid life’s everyday challenges.
Free resources and PDFs you can use that will bring your family together:
- Explore these free resources as a result of The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages book:
- Book reviews
- Podcast interviews
- 4 HABITS.ORG: 28 Days to Joy
- 28 days of exercise you can practice with your family that will promote joy.
- Sign Up for 28 Days to Joy
- Do the Daily Exercises
- Watch Your Joy Grow!
- PDF DOWNLOAD: Holiday Connections Bingo
- Keeping joy levels high over the holidays can take a bit of strategy sometimes – we hope you enjoy these ideas we put together to help you build connections over the holiday season.
- PDF DOWNLOAD: Thanksgiving Appreciation Exercise
- A free exercise you can use during any Thanksgiving with your friends and family, in person or from afar.
- YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: Visit our Playlist with parenting videos
- BLOG: Shrinking the Joy Gap
- BLOG: Flames of Fury
- BLOG: Anniversary Fun
