Our family and relationship education programs are based on the belief that fulfilling relationships are vital to wellbeing. However, it is not uncommon for families and individuals to experience relationship difficulties, and our programs offer a range of strategies for working through these.

In this work our aims are:

• To assist people to develop skills to achieve and sustain positive valued relationships
• To assist people to deal effectively with relationship difficulties and challenges
• To assist people to develop a healthy sense of self in their relationships with others.

Our courses define family in the broadest way, encompassing a diversity of social circumstances, living arrangements and different ways of belonging and attachment. We are aware of, and sensitive to, social complexities.

Courses address a wide range of relationship issues. They can be customised for community groups by negotiation, or taken by individuals from our timetabled brochures courses. These courses build on people’s strengths as a basis for moving forward.

Our After Separation programs have undergone some developments over the past year to offer more flexible and varied methods of delivery. These programs are an important complement to our counselling and family dispute resolution services, as they provide opportunities for people to develop skills in building and maintaining healthy and mutually rewarding relationships with one another, after separation has occurred.

Communication programs focus on effective ways of communicating; assertion; conversation skills; and managing anger. They suggest ways of communicating confidently in all types of situations, in order to improve professional and personal relationships.

Wellbeing programs focus on managing life’s stresses and emotions, for example depression, anxiety, grief and loss. They also include courses on meditation and relaxation and feeling good about yourself. They are designed to help you develop a strong sense of self and personal agency over your life, which is vital for wellbeing.

Parenting programs present a number of strategies for positive parenting, with courses on babies and toddlers; raising confident children; helping anxious children; and adolescents.

Relationships programs focus on a range of relationship issues including: love and intimacy; emotional confidence; making relationships and marriages work; dealing with anger; confronting violence and abuse; divorce and separation; single living; and friendships.

Confronting family and domestic violence programs are designed to help confront violence issues, stop the hurtful expression of anger, and empower people to stand up to verbally abusive relationships.

Workplace education programs focus on issues such as conflict resolution; time management; inter-cultural communication; managing services for diverse populations; leadership; facilitating groups; presentations and counselling.

We are experienced in negotiating the needs of particular groups and collaborating with community agencies such as community health centres and schools. The Institute is committed to principles of social justice and we are therefore very keen to encourage groups who may not previously have had good opportunities, to access services. As with the Institute’s other programs, these courses build on people’s strengths as a basis for moving forward.

Support for fathers separated from their children. We are the South Australian trainer for the Staying Connected Program. Staying Connected is a group program aimed at fathers who are separated from their families. This program provides separated fathers with tips and tools to:

• Improve communication skills
• Develop a ‘business like’ relationship with past partners
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with their children
• Increase awareness of support services available.

We believe that families are a key element of our communities and we are committed to ensuring that families are strong and healthy. With certified instructors we can provide the family wellness program Survival Skills for Healthy Families, to teach patterns and skills that support healthy family life.

In addition to this, we are currently exploring new ways to make our relationship education programs accessible to more people by planning new online resources for separated parents and their children. These resources will also be adapted for different languages and cultural contexts.

You can enrol in these courses online or browse through the course brochure.

For more information

If you have any questions about family and relationship education please contact Iain Henderson by telephone on (08) 8245 8100.