Two Days
FOCCUS and REFOCCUS
Maria Micheletto, MA, Lynda Madison, PhD, Bob Thome
This new and comprehensive two-day training institute provides integrated training in the
use of two research-based tools for guiding and strengthening healthy relationships. It
prepares participants to use FOCCUS and REFOCCUS and to train others to facilitate the
use of these marriage preparation and enrichment inventories in their own organizations.
· FOCCUS is the marriage preparation inventory recognized internationally
as user friendly, affordable, flexible in design and content, and supported by research.
· REFOCCUS is the marriage enrichment tool used with married couples
with groups or individual couples as a guide for them to recognize and respond to their
unique marriage as an ongoing process.
Participants will learn all six editions of FOCCUS (General, Christian
Non-Denominational, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Spanish and Alternate) and
be prepared to facilitate couple discussion and problem solving using the
nineteen FOCCUS categories, 50 patterns, and dozens of optional follow-up questions to provide an
individualized profile for each couple. Models will be presented for FOCCUS
use by itself or in conjunction with educational or mentor programs.
Participants will receive resources for use with couples and to train others
in their organization to use FOCCUS and REFOCCUS.
The FOCCUS & REFOCCUS Institute:
Is designed for use by both professional and lay facilitators of marriage
preparation and marriage enrichment. FOCCUS and REFOCCUS are instruments with
high reliability and validity written to elicit couple awareness and discussion around their
individualized profile without subjective interpretation by the facilitator or scoring process.
Will teach participants to use inventories with couples. And, it will prepare them to train others
in the use of FOCCUS and REFOCCUS.
Will introduce participants to research-based content on current as well as standard,
basic issues for couples. Examples are unique FOCCUS sections or patterns on dual careers,
domestic violence, challenges for interfaith couples, remarriage couples, and cohabiting
couples, family of origin patterns, and understanding of individual and couple spirituality.
Will introduce multiple options that make FOCCUS available to diverse groups.
Participants will receive five editions of FOCCUS: three editions adapt to the religious and/or spiritual
backgrounds of couples (Christian Non-Denominational edition, Orthodox Christian, and Catholic
editions for Christian couples; General Edition for those with or without religious
backgrounds): the fourth Alternate Edition is for persons with learning difficulties or those with English
as second language. Participants can request other language FOCCUS inventories:
Spanish, French Canadian, Chinese, and Korean.
Will introduce scoring options that make FOCCUS affordable to all couples and facilitators.
A central scoring service provides turn-around service at $15 per couple. A central scoring service
provides 24 hour-turn-around service at $20 for each couple; FOCCUS users can purchase a PC scoring
CD (available currently in English, Spanish and French Canadian): contracts for providing scoring
services are available in countries outside the U.S.
Will present models of the adaptability of FOCCUS to the total marriage preparation process.
Models will include the use of FOCCUS with an individual couple or with groups of couples;
use of FOCCUS as a stand-alone process and discussion/problem-solving tool; use FOCCUS
as a “first step” to help couples identify and own their issues before they begin skill training
programs; educational programs on weekends; series with other couples, sponsor couples,
mentor couples.
Will introduce the uses of REFOCCUS, a marriage enrichment inventory and provide it to
participants along with the Manual for Group Use.
Completing the Two-Day Training Institute certifies you to train facilitators
for your designated church area or organization. Certification is a 5 year
designation. Recertification is available. You are a phone call away from Training Support
from a Certified National FOCCUS Trainer designated by FOCCUS, Inc.
PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE:
- The FOCCUS notebook with five editions
- FOCCUS Facilitators Manual with explanation of nineteen categories, fifty patterns and hundreds of
additional discussion questions, and:
- The REFOCCUS Instrument and
- The REFOCCUS Manual for Group Use
The second day of the Institute will be directed to preparing participants to train others in the use of FOCCUS.
Participants will receive:
- The newly developed Trainer’s Manual, videos and exercises for use in their training work.
For more information:
FOCCUS, Inc
3214 North 60th St
Omaha, Nebraska 68104
877-883-5422, or 402-551-9003
Email: foccus@foccusinc.com
Web: www.foccusinc.com
Back to Institutes page.
This institute is part of the week-long Smart Marriages conference.
Conference Details: download a conference brochure, Register ONLINE, hotel & travel information & discounts, etc.