What is paarlife?

Stress and the couple relationship

Research about couples shows that daily hassles are a strong burden for the intimate relationship. Although most of the stress is experienced in absence of the partner, for example at work or at home with the children, it can shatter many relationships.

Stress, that is experienced outside of the relationship and is not coped with adequately, spills over into the relationship and can poison the couple environment.

Conflicts in a relationship occur more often when one or both of the partners are stressed. Studies show that stress can lead to an essential impairment of the couple communication and can also lead to alienation in the long run.

Relationship care therefore starts with adequate stress-coping. The better both partners are able to cope with stress, the better they can handle strains and deal with conflicts. In turn, the couple is more satisfied and profits from a more stable relationship.

Therefore, paarlife is offering trainings for couples where they can strengthen their coping with stress together as a couple.

What is the training about?

You will get a short theoretical introduction about the topics: dealing with stress together as a couple, communication within the relationship and joint problem solving.

Self-reflection exercises, which everyone will fill out by themselves, detect one’s own strengths and weaknesses in relation to the mentioned competences. The core of the training are guided and personally supervised couple exercises, in form of conversations. To guarantee privacy, every couple has their own room for the conversations.

• mainly offered on weekends
• four to eight couples
• special attention is given to each couple: one trainer for two couples
• anonymity and discretion are guaranteed
• the program is also available as an individual training which is specifically tailored to the needs of a couple with their own trainer

Quality of the training

The paarlife-training was developed in 1996 by Prof. Guy Bodenmann (from the University of Zurich), in the form of the “FSPT – Freiburger stress prevention training” on the basis of years of international research, as well as his practical experience with couple patients.

Studies could show that positive effects of the training lasted even after two and four years. The training is continuously being reviewed to ensure quality.

The paarlife-training is conducted by professionals with additional training and licensing. They are also regularly supervised and given feedback.

Who is suited for the training?

The paarlife-training is generally suitable for all couples: young couples, couples who want to prepare living together, as well as those in long-term relationships who would like to strengthen their relationship. For an acute crisis, couple therapy or counselling is recommended.

paarlife in companies

paarlife business is a stress prevention training, which is offered specifically in the context of workplace health and burnout prophylaxis. The intimate partner is actively involved in this stress prevention, providing social support as they act as a buffer against stress, thereby ensuring a sustainable burnout prevention.

Participants learn to manage personal and work stress, which increases their well-being and relationship satisfaction. Subsequently, creativity and job performance rise.

Formation for professionals and practitioners

In Switzerland and Germany, we offer regular training to become a paarlife-coach. This advanced training provides scientifically based knowledge and practice about conservational techniques and couples coaching. Courses and supervisions will allow professionals to pass on skills about communication, problem solving and stress management in the relationship to their future patients.

Suggested literature

Bodenmann, G. (2007). Stress und Partnerschaft. Gemeinsam den Alltag bewältigen (4th edition). Bern: Huber Verlag.
www.paarlife.com

Further information

Switzerland
University of Zurich
Chair for Clinical Psychology focusing on children/adolescent and couples/family
Tel. +41 44 635 75 47

paarlife@psychologie.uzh.ch

Germany
paarlife Germany
leitung@paarlife.de

www.paarlife.com