Couples Workshop: Fighting Right
Using Conflict to Strengthen and Elevate Your Relationship
Psychoeducational and skills based approach to intimacy.
Learn How to Create Sustainable Intimacy
Connect. Disconnect. Repair. This is the normal cycle of relationships. We all go through periods of conflict with our partners.
What matters most is how we handle the moments of disconnection and the conscious approach we take to move back into loving connection.
This workshop, influenced by techniques and strategies developed by psychotherapist, Terrance Real, will give you and your partner the roadmap to make sure you are succeeding in your interactions so that you can fully and wholeheartedly show up in your relationships.
What we will teach you:
Relational living: Prioritizing both yourself and your relationship together.
The 5 most common losing strategies that lead to ruptured relationships.
The 5 most valuable winning strategies that are necessary for sustainable connection.
Tools to help you effectively give and respond to feedback.
Skills to help you deepen intimacy and safety in your relationship.
How to take space productively, in a way that does not further enhance conflict.
Information that will help you further understand your own triggers in arguments, as well as your partners.
How to embrace both your own AND your partners perspective.
The difference between intention and impact and how this shows up in your relationship.
"Love isn't something natural. Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, and faith. It isn't a feeling, it is a practice."
- Eric Fromm
Why is it important to talk about fighting right?
Many of us have received or carried the belief that a healthy and productive relationship is one entirely void of conflict. We were either modeled this idea by other relationships we witnessed in our lives or were sent messages that our relationships needed to be free of conflict in order to be “healthy.”
This is far from the truth of honest and deep connection. Sustainable intimacy is a rinse and repeat cycle of harmony and disillusionment. And it is here, in those moments of disconnection where true intimacy is forged.
Relational living means using conflict as a tool to strengthen trust with our partners. And doing it “right” is crucial so that we don’t inevitably create a lack of constructive repair.
Here, you will learn how to take the very important step of breaking the cycle of intergenerational patterns that have perpetuated these false narratives. Here, you will learn how to use the very human and primal responses that create necessary conflict to enhance the intimacy you so desire with your partner.
The Nitty Gritty Details:
Next Workshop Scheduled: TBD
Workshop is 2.5-hours in duration.
Limited to 10 participants (or 5 couples).
This is a closed group, no drop ins.
Pre-registration is required. To sign up please click the button below.
Location: The Path Wellness Center, 895 Embarcadero Dr., Suite 207, El Dorado Hills, CA.
Cost: $99 per person.
Coffee and tea will be available.
Participants will receive a take home package with handouts, at home activities to practice, and a card deck for date nights and intentional time to connect more intimately.
Group Facilitated by: Dr. Kimberly Ciardella, PsyD, LMFT, and The Path Wellness Center Team.
Dr. Kimberly Ciardella, PsyD, LMFT
Hi there. I’m Kimberly. Glad to meet you here.
My passion and focus in the realm of intimate relationships sparks from an understanding of how pivotal a role our partners can play as we are healing old wounds.
It is my belief that if we truly allow our partners to witness our pain, with the right guidance, they can be for us what some of the most important people in our lives, when we were younger, could not be.
When our partners can reflect for us the parts of self that are loved and worthy, it can often give us permission to see ourselves in that same way. This is the foundation from which growth and healing occurs.
In this couples workshop I will show you the tools and skills needed in order to establish safety and a deep level of intimacy so your relationship can be this foundation for both you and your partner.
Couples Workshop FAQs:
What’s the difference between a couples workshop and couples therapy?
A couples workshop and couples therapy can both be helpful in enhancing your communication and changing old patterns of relating. Our workshop is a condensed version of what we teach to many of our clients in therapy without the ongoing processing and practice that comes with regular coupes therapy. Our workshop is structured to provide the tools, strategies and foundational skills necessary to create sustainable intimacy and connection. Couples therapy does the same, but in a longer term, open ended, and more depth oriented process in which the therapist can adapt to your personal needs. Traditional couples therapy may be helpful after attending our workshop, especially if you find it difficult or challenging to implement the skills you have learned here on your own.
What’s the cost of a couples workshop compared to couples therapy?
This 90-minute workshop is provided to you for $99 per person. Our couples therapy typically ranges from $150-$250 for an hour long session, depending on clinician. Duration and frequency are also dependent on your goals and issues you bring into session and therefore can influence the cost.
What issues can a couples workshop help me with?
This workshop is designed to help with effective communication, giving and responding to feedback, learning how to embrace each other’s perspective, relational living skills to both prioritize yourself and your relationship, and understanding how to turn conflict into productive learning moments. You will also learn strategies to take space when needed in a reparative way and to identify and express both you and your partners’ triggers.
Is a couples workshop just for couples who are having problems?
No, this workshop is beneficial for couples in all stages and phases of relational health. The tools you will learn here are meant to enhance your relationship. So, even if it does not feel like you have significant issues, these tools will strengthen the intimacy you already hold together.
Can I go to a couples workshop without my partner?
Yes, the tools and skills you will learn here are applicable to all relationships, not just intimate partner relationships. This means that attending individually is just as beneficial as attending with your partner. While it is of benefit to have your partner here with you to experience the workshop, it is not required.
Can I go to a couples workshop if I am not married?
Absolutely! Our workshops are open to ALL. We welcome couples, partners, married, not married, gay, queer, straight, non-monogamous, open, etc. These tools will benefit any and all relationships even platonic friendships or familial connections.
How is a couples workshop structured?
It is a 90-minute informational seminar that includes discussion, Q&A, and experiential exercises. Your facilitator will share relational knowledge, tools, skills, and suggestions for enhancing your connection and communication. Then, there will be a time for some personal reflection and an open forum for individual questions.
Will I get to take home anything?
Yes! We provide our participants with take home handouts, worksheets and activities to help you implement these learnings on your own, as well as to aid in teaching your partner if they are unable to attend with you. This includes our customized card deck, that includes categorized ideas for deepening connection and intimacy.
Do I have to register for this workshop?
Yes, preregistration is required due to high demand and limited space. Please click the button below to register in advance.
Do we need to bring anything?
You are not required to bring anything but we recommend bringing whatever will make you comfortable as it is a 90-minute session. Coffee, water and tea will be provided and pens and paper will be available if you should desire to take notes.
This workshop is for you if...
You feel like you have a strong relationship but need some help communicating emotionally challenging topics.
You feel connected to your partner but notice that when you argue or fight the disconnect seems to last much longer than you would like.
You want to learn more about what triggers your partner and how to communicate when you are triggered.
You want more ways to deepen the intimate connection you feel in your relationship.
You want to use conflict and tension as a way to build further trust and intimacy, instead of breaches in trust and safety.
If you’re still wondering if Fighting Right is a good fit for you, take a look at our Couples Therapy Page and read more about how we approach this work; or reach out to chat. We are here to answer any questions you might have or to see if you feel a connection to us as facilitators and to this work.