This weekend is an opportunity to nurture your relationship with your spouse in the beautiful and sacred space of St. Crispin’s. Take a weekend to connect, to learn, to grow, and to pray together in a retreat led by two licensed therapists and encouraging clergy.
Join us for 2024 Marriage retreat Feb. 9th-11th at St. Crispin's Conference Center! This weekend is an opportunity to nurture your relationship with your spouse in the beautiful and sacred space of St. Crispin’s. Take a weekend to connect, to learn, to grow, and to pray together in a retreat led by two licensed therapists and encouraging clergy. You and your spouse are invited to reflect on your values, the ways you connect, how you resolve conflict, and more. This year, a new module focuses on relationship roles and dynamics, from sex, money, to getting things done.
What to expect:
Tara Fritch, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, will lead Friday night and Saturday workshops, bringing professional content and experience. The Revs. Tim and Kirsten Baer will lead a session on Marriage as a Sacrament. Saturday night will include a fun game night and relaxed community time. The retreat will end with some time to reflect on your learnings and takeaways with your spouse, before closing worship. The clergy and counselors are LGBTQ+ affirming. It is recommended that couples have been married at least a year, but we believe all couples will benefit from this intentional retreat format.
The Cost:
The registration of $250 is all inclusive of meals, lodging in Oakerhater Lodge, and the workshops with the professional counselors. Space is limited. If you have any questions please contact, Kate Bond at kbond@epiok.org.
The Counselor:
Tara Fritsch, MA, LMFT, PLLC
As a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist since 2008 and a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, Tara believes in the power of relationship as a primary tool for healing. There is no perfect relationship. In fact, renowned relationship researchers at the Gottman institute have discovered that "69% of relationship conflict is about perpetual problems" In other words, about 31% of conflict has a direct solution and about 69% of conflict in a relationship is due to fundamental differences in worldview and/or personality and those problems can be managed but are unlikely to have an easy solution. Using our voices in ways in which our loved ones can hear us allows us to make relational change and to deesacalate conflict that arises from perpetual problems.
Utilizing tools from a wide variety of sources including the Gottman's research on couple relationships, Brené Brown's research into shame and vulnerability and Kristen Neff's research into self compassion, as well as tools from systemically based family therapy, Tara can teach you to communicate with your partner, or your Mom, or your Dad, or your BFF or your boss, in ways that fundamentally change and improve your relationships and/or your boundaries with folks who are unable to be emotionally healthy themselves. Tara has a past life in the theatre arena and brings the skills she learned as an actor and director into her speaking engagements making her retreats both fun and engaging.
The Priests:
The Rev. Tim and Kirsten Baer are a clergy couple. Fr. Tim serves as Vicar of Grace Church in Yukon, OK, which he founded with Mthr. Kirsten in 2014. Mthr. Kirsten now serves at Casady School as Chaplain, and assists at Grace Church. They have been married since 2007, priests since 2011, and are parents to Hannah (11) and Andrew (7).