MML Skills in California

Welcome MML Facilitators!

This page has been created especially for you!  California Healthy Marriages Coalition (CHMC) has selected Mastering the Mysteries of Love as a core Marriage Education curriculum.  CHMC believes that equipping MML Facilitators for success is as important as getting couples into the classes or recruiting Skills Coaches. 

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MML LEVEL 1 AND LEVEL 2 CLASS FORMATS

For an effective facilitator teaching and couple learning experience, we have divided the 16-hour MML class program into two 8-hour segments which we are calling MML Level 1 and MML Level 2.

MML Level 1 covers the first four skills: Showing Understanding, Expression, Discussion, and Conflict Management.  Click to open, download and print these two format options:

• MML Format for Facilitators – Level 1 – One 8-Hour Day
• MML Format for Facilitators – Level 1 – Five 2-Hour Evenings

MML Level 2 covers the next six skills: Problem Solving, Coaching, Self Change, Helping Others Change, Generalization, and Maintenance. Click to open, download and print these two format options:

• MML Format for Facilitators – Level 2 – One 8-Hour Day
• MML Format for Facilitators – Level 2 – Five 2-Hour Evenings

We hope you find these class format outlines helpful as you plan and schedule your MML Classes!  All the best!

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TRANSITIONING COUPLEHOOD CLASS GRADUATES INTO MML

CHMC considers “COUPLEHOOD: The Imago Path to Real Love” by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D., to be an excellent introductory marriage education program to MML. If you will be teaching MML to graduates of a Couplehood class, we have written a Facilitator’s Script to help you explain the transition from the Couplehood skills to the MML skills–this should help the transition go smoothly. Click on this link to open, download and print the Facilitator’s Script:

• Transitioning COUPLEHOOD Graduates into MML

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CHMC has sponsored a wide-range of MML-related Bridgeline calls over the past couple of years that enabled Facilitators from across California to convene by phone to sharpen their skills and share ideas to address the MML-related issues.  Topics included presentation ideas, promotional issues and logistical subjects.  We recorded the calls and have posted several of them here for you to listen to.

RECORDED MML BRIDGELINE TRAINING CALLS TO HELP PREPARE YOU TO TEACH AN MML CLASS

TO LISTEN TO THE RECORDINGS BELOW:

1. Click on the title to get to the audio page, then
2. Click on the musical notes icon, then
3. Click on on the word “SNAP” inside the pop-up window, and wait a few moments and the audio file should begin to play.

RECORDING TOPICS:

About MMLSkills.com:

• Bridgeline Call – “Exploring MMLSkills.com – its Pages, Features, and Benefits for Your MML Work” – WAV file – 44 min

General Q&A:

• Bridgeline Call – “Q&A with Mary Ortwein, Co-Author of MML” – WAV file – 54 minutes

Presentation Topics:

• Bridgeline – “Getting Started Teaching MML” – WAV file – 52 min
• Bridgeline – “Tips for Overcoming Barriers to Teach an MML Class” – WAV file – 51 min
• Bridgeline – “Tips for Teaching Showing Understanding Skill” – WAV file – 52 min
• Bridgeline – “Tips for Teaching Expression Skill” – WAV file – 52-min
• Bridgeline – “Tips for Teaching Problem Solving Skill” – WAV file – 52 min
• Bridgeline – “Tips for Teaching Maintenance, Self Change and Helping Others Change Skills” – WAV file – 54 min
• Bridgeline – “Creative Ways & Demo’s for Teaching MML” – WAV file – 51 min – 11/24/2008
• Bridgeline – “Creative Ways & Demo’s for Teaching MML” – WAV file – 50 min – 3/24/2009
• Bridgeline – “Coaching – Helping Couples Dialogue” – WAV file – 43 min
• Bridgeline – “Four Tools for MML Skills Coaching” – WAV file – 50 min
• Bridgeline – “How To Handle Tough Coaching Calls” – WAV file – 53 min
• Bridgeline – “How To Recruit, Train and Motivate Coaches” – WAV file – 53 min
• Bridgeline – “Recruiting, Advertising & Marketing for MML Classes” – WAV file – 55 min
• Bridgeline - “Advertising Your MML Classes Using the Internet” with Marc Payan – WAV file – 60 min
• Bridgeline – “5 Tips for Engaging Your Audience” with Keith Bailey – WAV file – 55 min
• Bridgeline – Implementing “Premium MML”, Part 1 – WAV file – 52 min
• Bridgeline – Implementing “Premium MML – Coaching” - WAV file – 31 min. 

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CIRCLE INTRODUCTIONS to Start an MML Class: 

This is a great way to get people to introduce themselves at the start of an MML Class. It’s fun, engaging, and a great ice-breaker!

Here’s the procedure:

1. Put 4 to 6 participants in a circle with their backs to each other facing outward. Match another participant with each person, so they are facing each other. This makes 2 circles — one inside the other. Duplicate with additional circles if the group is large. Make sure each person has a partner. You can lead this activity from within the circles if you are needed to make things even, or you can have coaches in or out — whatever works. All participants should be part of the circles.
2. Give the following directions: “I am going to ask you to talk about several topics — each for just a minute. Then I will ask you to change partners and talk about a new topic. So each time, introduce yourself to the person in front of you, “Hi, I’m Mary”; “Hi, I’m John.” Then both of you talk about the topic until I say, “Okay, stop and change partners!”  Then the people on the outside move one person to their left, and we’ll do the same for the next question until all 6 topics are done.”
3. Then tell these topics one at a time: 1) Talk about something that happened to you today …OR… name something you especially like about his season; 2) What does the term “relationship enhancement” mean to you? 3) What excites you about being part of a Mastering the Mysteries of Love class? 4) What is important to you about having good relationships? 5) Talk about a time when you felt really understood. 6) What do you hope to accomplish from participating in this class?
4. Remember: Each time, only give participants a minute to discuss the topic. When you have gone through all 6 topics, ask the participants to return to their seats.
5. Process the activity by asking, “How did you like that activity? What did you get from it?” You’ll get a variety of responses.
6. After their comments, explain that this activity used Experiential Learning. Point out to them that they actually went deeper in conversation as the topics progressed. The first topic was an “event-chit-chat-topic”, the second was “thoughts”, the third was “surface feelings”, the fourth was “concerns”, the fifth was “deeper feelings”, and the sixth was “desires”. Thus, through the course of their short conversations on these 6 topics the participants “experienced” going through the Experience Diagram — going deeper in conversation as they went along. Plus, it’s a fun and energetic way to begin the class!  Try it!

Circle Introductions was developed by Mary Ortwein, co-author of Mastering the Mysteries of Love.

Please give us your comments about the above by writing a note in ”Leave a Reply” below. Also, let us know what other topics you would like to have discussed about teaching MML. Thank you!