Couples Therapy Training

Below is a comprehensive overview of the different training options for couples therapists, marriage counselors, and relationship coaches looking to train in Relational Life Therapy. From introductory trainings to our full certification program, these programs will equip you with the skills and confidence to help even the most fractured couples build deeply connected, meaningful relationships. 

Why train in couples therapy (RLT)?

Couples therapy requires a specific skill set that many therapists and marriage counselors haven’t been taught—from tackling resistant partners to working with conflicting attachment styles. This is because traditional marriage counseling training doesn’t equip us with the in-depth training we need to understand the nuances of couples work. 

However, Relational Life Therapy (RLT) is a progressive approach to couples therapy that provides practitioners with a roadmap for guiding even the most challenging couples back into connection. RLT empowers you to go deep and understand the negative patterns in the relationship quickly to help clients make rapid and substantive changes.

Developed over 30 years by renowned family therapist Terry Real, LICSW, RLT teaches you how to effectively restore balance to bring about profound transformation in each partner and the relationship as a whole. You will learn how to work with grandiose (superior) partners effectively, heal relational trauma, to restore balance in relationships and teach essential relational skills to your clients so they can sustain intimacy long after their time in therapy comes to an end. 

If you’re new to working with couples, we recommend this introductory training. If you have had first experience, please consider the training below.

"I've done all kinds of trainings over the years but never found a model that truly fit for me. I had become "eclectic" in my approach, never really mastering any one approach. I longed for a model that encouraged me to myself—open, authentic, and most importantly, effective. I found my home in RLT. My practice was already very successful, but since RLT certification, it's skyrocketed.”

How to begin your training in Relational Life Therapy?

If you’d like to start incorporating RLT into your couples therapy sessions immediately, the RLT Level 1 online course is the best place to start.

In this 10-hour couples therapy online course, you will gain a solid grounding in RLT theory and practical tools to use with your clients straight away.

Over 5 pre-recorded modules (with at least one Q&A session per module), you will explore: 

  • The 3 phases of RLT and how RLT differs from traditional therapy
  • The 3 parts of the psyche and how to work with them in sessions
  • How to use the Relational Grid to understand each partner’s relational stance
  • The different approaches to working with grandiosity
  • The concept of leverage and how to use it to engage clients in therapy 

*10 CE credits are available to apply for at the end of the course, following a short assessment.

*First step towards being fully certified in RLT, all RLT Level 1 payments will later be fully discounted off the RLT Certification for you.

How do you get certified in RLT?

The 200-hour RLT Certification program is the most in-depth training in the model to equip you with the skills, confidence, and practical experience you need to be a successful couples therapist. 

The certification is delivered entirely online via a blend of self-paced study and live practice and mentoring. 

Below is a summary of what’s included in the certification:

1: Core Curriculum  (30 hours of self-paced study)

Establish a thorough understanding of the RLT model via 3 levels of theory, delivered via pre-recorded video trainings direct from Terry Real. 

2: Special Topic Courses (30 hours of self-paced study)

You receive all of Terry’s courses on specific topics (currently 10) on a range of subjects from Relational Parenting and Multi-generational Trauma to Love, Sex, and Power and Working with Grandiosity, but you only need to take 3 to certify.

3: LIVE Casework with Terry (50 hours of live sessions with Terry Real & faculty)

This is a unique opportunity to learn directly from the creator of RLT as you observe his RLT couples therapy sessions in real-time in the Couples Experiential workshops. You also join our monthly interactive membership calls, delivered by Terry and our faculty where you can ask questions directly and learn from other practitioners’ clinical cases.

4: Practice & Integration (65 hours of live sessions with the RLT faculty)

Put theory into practice by working in small groups facilitated by the RLT faculty in a supportive environment. Each practicum contains live lectures, video clips, group discussions, and role plays to dive deeper into the theory.

If you have any questions as you move through the training, you can drop into the weekly office hours with senior faculty members.

To enroll in the RLT Certification—or to find out more—please complete the application form here. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete and there’s no obligation to enroll by applying. Someone from the applications team will reach out to you with more details specific to your level of experience and training.

Who can train in Relational Life Therapy?

“The practical and positive approach of RLT has helped my clients see change almost immediately. By weaving past trauma and its impact on relationships and by building new skills together, my clients have expressed new deep and meaningful connections. RLT is not just a training program, it is a community that works in unity to offer ongoing support to therapists as well as clients.”

Our RLT trainings are suitable for therapists, coaches, and mental health practitioners who want to work confidently and comfortably with couples.

As RLT is primarily focused on couples therapy, prior training or experience working with couples is highly recommended, however not compulsory.

Our trainings will benefit any licensed therapist (or those on the way to becoming licensed),  including psychotherapists, psychologists, marriage counselors, and social workers.

For more advice on which training is most appropriate for you, please take 5 minutes and fill out this application form. Our team will reach out to you and will help you calrify any questions you may have!

 

CE REQUIREMENTS:

The Relational Life Institute is pleased to offer:

The RLT Level 1 Training Course

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

FORMAT: Five LIVE Online Sessions on Zoom, facilitated by Kate Harris, Phd; plus teaching by Terry Real, LICSW; Cathy Hill, PhD; and Anna Sterk, LMFT

Continuing Ed credits offered:  10 credit hours for 5 Classes

At the completion of this course, all participants will be invited by email to purchase the 10 CE credits for a $40 fee. To receive a certificate, you must attend the full course. There is no partial credit, attendance will be taken.

Content:

Over five live classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principals behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT). RLT Level 1 is designed to give you an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. 

Discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy. Also considered are the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples; according to RLT, true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” with each other. RLT is about action and swift results, helping people to make major changes to the negative parts of their character, and the critical role and stance of the therapist is described. Presented also are the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through the Truth, and psychological patriarchy.

RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and will prepare you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives: At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

  1. Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy
  2. Describe the role and approach of the therapists in RLT
  3. List the seven lenses
  4. Explain the role of data gathering

  

Throughout the course, you’ll learn: 

    • True intimacy can only happen when partners are “same as”—neither one-up nor one-down
    • That RLT Therapists and Coaches will confront and teach their clients how to actually live relationally
    • How to use the RLT Lenses in Intervention & Finding Leverage
    • How RLT Therapists and Coaches use judicious self-disclosure, sharing stories of they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Target Audience: Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Chemical Dependency Counselors 

Course Content Level: The course content is appropriate for Beginner level clinicians.

Cost: $497 in full; or 3 payments of $179 each

Course Dates & Hours: 

January 14, 21, 28; February 17, 11, 2025

Hours: 12pm to 2pm Eastern Time each class

Cancelation Policy: You may request a refund up to 2 days after the first live session.

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us.

Registering for the course on the RLI website for is required to receive a Continuing Ed Certificate.

FAQ’s

How do I receive the Zoom link?

The Zoom link is emailed to you from ZOOM when you register for the course. If you do not receive the link, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Should the name you register with match your Zoom name?

Yes, your first and last both names must be entered on your registration and then displayed on the screen during all classes. Please do not use nicknames, or employee ID numbers or log into Zoom using a co-worker or family member’s Zoom Account as this will post you as ABSENT.

When will I get my certificate?

Certificates will be available within ten business days of the event. Certificates will be emailed to the email address you used to register for the course.

Please contact our Support team if you have any questions support@terryreal.com

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW: Terry Real is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression, the straight-talking How Can I Get Through to You? Reconnecting Men and Women, The New Rules of Marriage: What You Need to Make Love Work and most recently Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship just debuted in June 2022.

He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians.   Terry’s work, with its rigorous commonsense approach, speaks to both men and women. A proponent of “full-throttle marriage,” Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Kate Harris, PhD: Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Kate is a Clinical Psychologit and a certified Martha Bec, North Star Coach. In 2015, Kate watched Terry Real work live with 5 couples and was instantly committed to becoming an RLT therapist. Kate believes that RLT honors “the worth and dignity of all people” and it aligns clearly with her own personal values. After attending a Relationship Bootcamp workshop, she and her husband learned first hand the tools Terry reaches and they continue to use them today to deepen their 32 year relationship. Kate became RLT Certified in 2018 and is a valued teacher.

Anna Sterk, LMFT

Anna began training in RLT with Terry Real in 2012 and has been providing therapy, Essential Skills Bootcamps, consultation and supervision through the RLT model for years; Anna was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach and train practitioners as faculty with the Relational Life Institute (RLI) beginning in 2022.  Anna’s style as a therapist, teacher, and supervisor is to balance compassion and collaboration with direct feedback. Anna’s roots are in systems theory and cultural studies, which was a natural fit for the RLT model, and supports her goal of teaching the skills to navigate long term relationships and support relational living for both clients and students alike. As RLI Faculty, Anna teaches the Practicum courses and Small Group Mentoring for RLT certification students, along with special topic courses.

Cathy Hill, Ph.D., R. Psych:

Cathy Hill began training in RLT in 2010 after attending her first Relationship Bootcamp and from that experience was determined that Terry needed to teach others to do RLT. Cathy persisted in this idea and Terry ended up having Cathy set up adanced training for his senior therapists which was very well received. Soon after she was named Director of Training for RLI. Cathy is trained in the ‘scientist-practitioner’ model, and is devoted to getting RLT ‘evidence-based’ which requires excellent in training in order to translate into excellence in practice.

CONFLICT of Interest: There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support for this event.

Grievance Procedure:

If a student believes they have been discriminated against, they can submit a written

complaint that includes their name, address, phone number, location, date, and a

detailed description of the issue. If a student with a disability disagrees with the

accommodation provided or has any other grievances, they can schedule a meeting to

discuss and attempt to find a solution together. If the student is still not satisfied with the

accommodation after further discussion, they can contact the Operations Director for

the Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan, via phone, email, or mail. If the

grievance cannot be resolved, the complainant will be advised to contact the

appropriate Ethics Committee or Licensing Board. The Operations Director will keep all

grievances and their resolutions confidential in locked files. A copy of this Grievance

Procedure is available upon request.

Contact information: ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459; 617-861-3030 lisa@relationallife.com