Become a Marriage Educator

Marriage educators help individuals and couples gain the knowledge and skills needed to create a strong and loving marriage. They teach couples how to better manage conflict by developing and practicing effective ways of communicating with one another and of recognizing and responding to the ongoing issues and challenges of a life-long marriage.

Marriage educators are one of the most crucial components of a healthy marriage program as they deliver the program’s material and related skills and interact directly with program participants. In other words, they are the "face" of a healthy marriage program.

Steps to becoming a marriage educator include:

  • Learning about marriage education programs and curricula
  • Attending a training in the program or purchasing a teaching kit
  • Starting or joining a program in your community

Marriage Curricula

The NHMRC provides a list of existing marriage curricula from across the country. Some healthy marriage programs are very new while others have been around for decades. Many of these programs are taught across the country. To learn more about a specific curriculum, we encourage you to contact the curriculum developer directly.

Although curricula approach marriage education in different ways, typically they discuss the qualities of a healthy relationship or marriage and are designed to help participants increase their knowledge of or develop skills in the following areas:

  • Communication
  • Conflict resolution
  • Commitment
  • Problem solving

Some of the differences to be mindful of when choosing a curriculum are:

  • Training requirements: What are the requirements of the curriculum in terms of time and cost (participation, materials, etc.)?
  • Hours of curriculum: How many hours are required for completion of the program?
  • Target audience: Is the curriculum designed for a specific audience (engaged couples, married couples, etc.) or is it for a general audience?
  • Faith-based or secular: Is the program designed for a faith-based setting or a secular one?

Marriage Educator Training

Marriage educators must complete a curriculum training program that often ranges from 2-5 days to become certified or approved to teach that curriculum. Download our tip sheet: Characteristics of Successful Marriage Educators (PDF, 70K).

Training to become a marriage educator can range from "out of the box training" through DVD, videos, and other instructive materials to more formal trainings that require attendance at multi-day training workshops. Some curriculum developers have strict requirements, while others do not. Most training programs charge a fee. View our list of existing marriage curricula and contact these programs directly for the most up-to-date information on training on a particular curriculum of interest.