The Marriage Course
Want to build a better, stronger marriage?
Why choose this course
The Marriage Course runs over seven sessions, and each session begins with sharing dinner as a couple, followed by a fun, insightful video covering topics that are relevant for every couple like Good Sex or Resolving Conflict. In short? Your marriage. But better.
- Relationship tools
Learn practical tools to help you invest in your relationship for a lasting marriage.
- Totally confidential
Enjoy private, intimate conversations as a couple giving you the space to engage openly and honestly throughout each session.
- Tried and tested
The Marriage Course has been run in over 117 countries for over 1.5 million couples since its inception in 1996.
- Insights from experts
Gain insights from interviews with leading psychologists, authors and psychosexual specialists.
- Globally accessible
Translated into 45 languages, created for use in any country, by any church or organisation using pre-prepared video material by world leading experts.
- In person or online
Choose to go through the course at a local venue in the company of other couples or online in the privacy of your own home.
Who's it for?
Is The Marriage Course for us?
- The Marriage Course is for couples who are married or have been living together for more than two years.
- It is based on Christian principles but designed for couples with or without a Christian faith.
- It is for any couple looking to invest in building a better, stronger marriage.
Nicky and Sila explore what it means to understand and respond to each other’s needs, work through challenges and review your relational connection. Through the analogy of tending a vineyard, they explore the aspects of adjusting, pruning, supporting and renewing in marriage. The episode also touches on the amazing impact of making time for each other and learning to nurture each other.
This session tackles effective communication, the importance of recognising and expressing your feelings, and barriers to talking. It also unveils five bad listening habits and the transformative power of reflective listening. As a couple, you will work on your communication one-on-one, through sharing a significant memory with each other and practicing a listening exercise as demonstrated in the video.
Session 3 reveals how couples can grow closer by learning methods to resolve conflict. You will discover four principles for resolving conflict and learn ways of showing appreciation; how to recognise and appreciate your differences; plus how to implement the all-important "10 o'clock rule". The session also covers five practical steps to help reach agreement and helpful ways of supporting each other.
How can a couple recover from the ways they may have hurt each other? In this session, you will learn whether you are a rhino or hedgehog as you hear about harmful approaches for dealing with anger. You will hear the effects of unhealed hurt and the importance of dealing with underlying problems, alongside a practical three-step process for healing hurt and an exercise in "clearing the drain" and comforting each other.
Couples carry different experiences and expectations into marriage from their upbringing, and Nicky and Sila share the importance of leaving our parents and creating a new decision-making structure and centre of gravity as a couple. You will learn tools for creating a safe place for each other, through resolving disagreements, considering boundaries with parents and in-laws, and reflecting on any negative patterns from your past.
Keeping the spark alive in marriage requires a good emotional connection and an other-oriented approach. Nicky and Sila reveal five secrets for a good sexual relationship, and four ways to affair-proof a marriage. This episode is full of practical advice, from leaving screens outside the bedroom to being creative when it comes to sex. It also addresses research into the damaging effects of pornography and fantasising about other people.
In the final session, Nicky and Sila look at the different ways a person may feel most loved, using Gary Chapman’s “five love languages”. Emphasising the importance of discovering how your partner feels appreciated and that loving intentionally can take real work, they unpack each of the five love languages (words of affirmation, gifts or presents, quality time, kind actions and physical touch). They also discuss how commitment in marriage can create a liberating feeling of safety and intimacy.
What to expect
Here’s what you can look forward to from each session of The Marriage Course:
Eat together
At the start of each session, you will share a special meal together. This is an opportunity to unwind and connect, helping to create the romance and enjoyment of a date.
Watch an episode
Each engaging and enriching episode explores a different topic through real experiences, expert insights and relevant teaching, with breaks for conversations.
Talk privately
Through workbook prompts and questions, you will be invited to enjoy private, intimate conversations that help you to engage with honesty and openness throughout the session.
Learn from leading relationship experts
Meet your experts
Dr Roger Bretherton
Psychologist, Author and Lecturer
Dr Sue Johnson
Clinical Psychologist and Author
Rob Parsons
Founder of Care for the Family
Dra Mosun Dorgu
Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr John Kirkby CBE
Founder of Christians Against Poverty
Emma Waring
Psychosexual Specialist and Author
Dr Henry Nube
Psychologist and Author
Nicky Lee
Founder of The Marriage Course
Sila Lee
Founder of The Marriage Course
Dr Roger Bretherton
Psychologist, Author and Lecturer
Dr Sue Johnson
Clinical Psychologist and Author
Rob Parsons
Founder of Care for the Family
Dra Mosun Dorgu
Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr John Kirkby CBE
Founder of Christians Against Poverty
Emma Waring
Psychosexual Specialist and Author
Dr Henry Nube
Psychologist and Author
Nicky Lee
Founder of The Marriage Course
Sila Lee
Founder of The Marriage Course
Hear what our couples
have to say
Couples from Costa Rica, USA, and Colombia connected, and all were blessed
... by the content seen in the videos and in the course manual, reporting changes in their marital lives that were only possible through the Holy Spirit working in their hearts.
Manuel y Nancy León
Costa Rica
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in some countries, The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have been translated into other languages. Please click HERE y utiliza la sección "Buscar un curso" para ver qué cursos están disponibles en tu país.
In most cases, The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course are free to attend, but some churches or organisations do charge a nominal fee to cover the meal and other running costs. As a guest, you may need to purchase your own Guest Journals.
The Marriage Course was created by Alpha International, which also runs Alpha courses around the world. Alpha is a multi-week series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each week, the session looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe and everyone is welcome. It runs online, in cafés, churches, universities, homes—you name it! No two Alphas look the same, but they generally have three key things in common: hospitality, a talk and good conversation. Click HERE for more information.
The Marriage Course consists of seven consecutive sessions and is designed with the intention that guests attend one session per week.
There are seven sessions in The Couples Course, which discuss the following topics:
- Strengthening connection
- The art of communication
- Resolving conflict
- The power of forgiveness
- The impact of family
- Great sex
- Love in action
There are seven weekly sessions, and each session lasts approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, including conversations between you as a couple.
If you're interested in obtaining these resources, please contact your respective office HERE
If you’ve been cohabiting for more than two years and are not engaged or considering marriage, we recommend you try The Marriage Course. If you’ve been living together or married for less than a year and you are not aware of any major issues to address, it’s a great idea to attend The Pre-Marriage Course.
While The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course are based on Christian principles, they are designed for couples with or without a Christian faith. We would love any couple to feel welcome to attend whether or not they have a Christian faith or any religious faith at all. We are confident all couples will find the courses relevant and helpful for their relationship.
Both The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have a similar structure, with the environment of a date night and an emphasis on private discussions for each couple. The key difference is that The Pre-Marriage Course is for engaged couples and those considering marriage, whereas we recommend The Marriage Course for couples who have been married for at least two years. The Pre-Marriage Course can also include a Couple Survey which each guest completes in advance of the course. Following the course they look at the results of their survey over a meal with a designated married "Support Couple".
Developed in 1996, The Marriage Course has been run in over 117 countries for over 1.5 million couples. It is a not-for-profit offering from Alpha International, and is run globally by many organisations.
For guests
Más información
Alpha International is a charity registered in England & Wales (no. 1086179) and in Scotland (no. SC042906) and a private company limited by guarantee and registered in England & Wales (no. 4157379). The registered office is at HTB Brompton Road SW7 1JA.
EN 
ES
We understood and acknowledged our mistakes. We felt transformed, grasped the meaning of marriage, and why marriage and family are important to God. We asked for forgiveness from each other, and the restoration of our marriage was wonderful.
Azucena y Roberto Mexico