Stanford Marriage Enrichment Program (SMEP) FAQs
Q. How can the SMEP program be so effective in only eight weeks?
A. SMEP, based upon over thirty years of conventional marriage counseling experience, is sharply focused and structured. Time consuming forays into marginal and insignificant areas of discussion are eliminated. Work on primary issues of concern are designed into the course and start from week one. This saves a lot of time.
Q. Is SMEP for everyone?
A. No. There are instances, particularly around abuse issues, where SMEP would not be appropriate. These matters are discussed during the initial pre-course screening interview.
Q. What makes SMEP preferable to conventional marriage counseling?
A. There are a lot of good marriage counselors out there. What SMEP can offer that they can’t is the knowledge beforehand of how long the process is going to take and how much it is going to cost. With SMEP both of those numbers are established from the start.
Q. How do we our confidentiality will be protected?
A. Because SMEP is not involved with any health insurance schemes, there are no narrative statements or summaries being requested or provided. And, working on-line, you need not be concerned with explanations of why you were seen entering or leaving a medical office building.
Q. How can marriage counseling be done effectively via Skype?
A. Skype offers the same visual and auditory cues to the course leader as being in-person does. It makes possible offering SMEP to those living outside of the metro NYC region.
Q. What if my spouse is unwilling to enter into marriage counseling?
A. Many are. The advantage with SMEP is that you can agree that conventional marriage counseling may drag on for months and run into thousands of dollars. If your spouse won’t enter into conventional marriage counseling, they can at least compromise by taking an eight week program at a fixed tuition cost.
Q. What if my spouse refuses to work on our marriage at all?
A. This is a difficult and frustrating as well as commonplace occurrence. As an alternative to living with rising levels of frustration, rage, resentment and despair, I wrote a course that helps. It teaches how to make your life and your marriage better while working on it alone. Click here for details.
Q. How did SMEP come about?
A. For two reasons. Most people have fewer problems with taking a marriage enrichment course rather than marriage counseling. And, the primary concern that most people had about entering into marriage counseling were not knowing how long it would take or how much it would cost. SMEP addresses both these issues, rendering the process of working on your marriage streamlined and affordable.
Q. From where are the course materials drawn?
A. From two sources: my own thirty years of clinical experience and a through review of the latest psychological studies on the subject of marriage.
Q. What qualifications do you hold for offering this course?
A. I have a Master’s Degree in counseling, am a licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York and have over thirty years of successful experience working with individuals and couples.