Dyadic adjustment and the use of imago skills by past participants of the 'Getting the Love You Want' workshop for couples

A 2002 National Vital Statistic Report revealed that 40% of marriages end in divorce. Of those couples who choose to remain married, many experience relationship distress that will require some type of counseling or other intervention to restore harmony to their marriages. The "Getting the Love You Want" workshop is one intervention that claims to improve and transform marital relationships and lives of the couples who attend. However, there is no empirical data to provide information about this claim. This mixed methods qualitative, quantitative study researched past participants of the "Getting the Love you Want" workshop for couples to discover the after workshop use of the Imago skills taught in the workshop and to learn more about current relationship quality. This explorative, descriptive study provides information about the claims of transformation. Research methodology included the use of numerically scored surveys and the use of open-ended questionnaires that provided qualitative thematic information. The study surveyed 102 past workshop participants using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Imago Intentionality Measure (IIM) to obtain numeric measures about relationship adjustment and the specific use of specific Imago workshop skills. The open-ended questionnaire obtained information about the use of Imago skills from past workshop attendees in their own words. The DAS scores revealed that past workshop attendees currently have an average level of dyadic adjustment. IIM revealed that past Imago workshop attendees in this study had mean scores that indicated an average use of Imago skills according to survey standards. However, separate explorations into specific skills indicated that the majority of responders were more likely to use the Imago skills of validation and empathy than any other Imago workshop skill. The findings of this study provide information that indicates that study participants are doing well in their current relationships and that they utilize Imago skills in their relationship interactions. The common theme information indicates that study participants are knowledgeable about Imago skills and report significant use of the Imago practices and connect Imago practices to improved relationship connections. The study results also help to gain some specific demographic information about the people who take the workshop. This study is the first research to explore the GTLYW after workshop relationship experiences from a mixed model study. Knowledge about relationship enhancing programs such as Imago and the GTLYW workshop can direct couples towards programs that facilitate positive individual and relationship change that hopefully has the potential to be used for the improvement of society at large.