Couple enrichment for the third age

This is a workshop for couples in a committed relationship who wish to enrich their relationship and explore how it might grow and change in their third age — those last unknown number of years of growing old together when careers and children may no longer be central drivers of daily life.

The heart of the workshop is Couple Dialogue, a structured form of sharing with your beloved that involves deep listening and reflection, and a focus on emotions as a path to understanding and intimacy.

During each daily session there will be time for reflection and to practice dialogue in the presence of the group as loving witnesses. At the beginning of the workshop we will agree on guidelines to create and maintain the sanctity of the space. This is enrichment, not therapy. No fixing allowed!

The five days of the workshop will be a time for couples to dialogue to become awake and aware of how they can intentionally nourish their relationship in the final third of life. Themes that we may touch upon could include: identity, purpose and legacy; the asynchronicity of aging; our hopes and fears around issues of money, family dynamics, and intimacy as we grow older. Our hope is to create a safe, sacred space for couples to deepen their capacity for communication, intimacy, joy, and discernment. While the topic of preparation for death may arise, the focus of the workshop will be on how we wish to live together as beloved partners, rather than discussing practical preparations and documentation surrounding death, such as wills, burials, etc. We will begin and end each of our times together with worship.

This workshop is offered at the FGC Online Gathering with the prayerful support of Friends Couple Enrichment (www.friendscoupleenrichment.org) which has been offering workshops at the FGC Gathering since the 1970s. We welcome ALL couples who define themselves as being in a committed relationship, regardless of how long that relationship has existed.

Leader Experience

Mike and Marsha have been leading Friends Couple Enrichment workshops since 1998 at FGC Gathering, Pendle Hill, and within the Quaker Community across North America and New Zealand. During the covid pandemic of 2020-2022 we led online workshops and discovered how rich they could be because couples coud participate from the comfort of their own homes. We are pleased to continue this ministry both online and in-person under the care of Friends Couple Enrichment.

COST

The FGC Gathering includes many other activities besides workshops, and the cost this year is structured as a pay-as-led basis. The FGC website outlines various access options, with suggested costs ranging from $150 - $500.  Visit https://www.fgcquaker.org/fgcprograms/the-gathering/registration-and-logistics/fees/online-fees/#eventpackages for details.