Contrary to throwing your heart over the fence . . . the Love Thinks program is about how to use your Head, in addition to your Heart, in order to choose a healthy partner for dating and marriage.
Love is blind - at least for a while in a new dating relationship. Just when you think you've met the man or woman of your dreams and everything is perfect, the rose-colored glasses turn clear when you begin to see the "flaws" or "red flags" in your partner. That's when it's time to stop and ask yourself: "Have I met an unhealthy partner?"
The Love Thinks program was designed because there is a huge need in our society today for a new social revolution: partner selection education. Love Thinks offers a lot more than learning how to avoid dating and marrying an unhealthy
partner. It's about how to build a relationship in a safe way, and in a way that you can really get to know the key areas of
your partner so you won't have any surprises if you marry them.
Love Thinks was developed by John Van Epp, Ph.D. Dr. Van Epp has a M.A. in Pastoral Counseling and Psychology, a second M.A. in Church History from Ashland Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychology from the University of Akron. His popular Love Thinks program is being taught in 45 states, seven countries, over 250 military bases, thousands of churches, singles organizations, educational settings and agencies. www.lovethinks.com
The two main components of the Love Thinks program are the "HEAD" and the "HEART."
Have you ever heard anyone make these comments after a breakup?
- I should have known better . . . and
- I saw it when dating, but I just overlooked it
These reflective comments reveal the two most prevalent sources to an unhealthy "blinding love."
The first comment: I should have known better - reveals an underdeveloped education of the mind or the HEAD. Too many
people simply do not know what to look for in a dating relationship (i.e., how to identify unhealthy patterns of behavior that
may cause difficult problems in the future).
The second comment: I saw it when dating but I just overlooked it - reveals an overattachment of the HEART. In this case,
too many people simply do not know how to keep a dating relationship in balance.
The "Head"
The five predictable areas of a prospective partner can be identified by their F.A.C.E.S.:
- F amily dynamics and background
- A ttitudes and maturity of conscience
- C ompatibility potential
- E xamples of past relationship patterns
- S kills in relationships
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The "Heart"
The five bonding dynamics which create feelings of love and attachments in relationships:
- How to best get to KNOW someone
- What is TRUST
- Why people RELY on each other
- What is COMMITMENT
- How the physical part (TOUCH) of a relationship impacts thoughts and emotions
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By attending a Love Thinks workshop, you will learn the crucial areas to explore within the framework of a conceptual model using the "R.A.M" (Relationship Attachment Model). When these five bonding dynamics get out of balance, we tend to overlook future difficulties in our relationship in order to maintain our emotional closeness. Without knowing what these dynamics are, most people will form overattachments of the heart, which override the judgments of the head. You will discover
which factors cause people to fall in love and stay in love; how each of these factors are related, and the risks involved in
creating an imbalanced relationship.
Love Thinks is designed to be taught to singles in all walks of life: high school students, college students, Church singles
programs, Bible studies and/or small groups, military bases, newly divorced, women's shelters/transitional centers, and
recently widowed.
Please join me at one of the scheduled workshops as I share exciting and pertinent information about one of the most important decisions you will ever make: Choosing a partner for life!
THE VALUES YOU USE - DETERMINE THE PARTNER YOU CHOOSE!
