FOCCUS Inventory:
FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) is an inventory designed to provide you and your fiancé with a personalized profile that can be used to help you both learn more about yourselves and your unique relationship, promote discussion, and help you to name and work through issues before marriage. It is not a test, nor is it a predictor of success or failure in marriage. FOCCUS provides feedback on where each partner stands in regard to topic areas important to marriage.
FOCCUS helps each of you to identify how you think and feel about issues as you read and respond to the FOCCUS statements. It also helps your relationship by promoting discussion between the two of you as you discuss what you both think and feel about the topics. This first level of discussion helps to prepare you if more problematic areas need to be discussed with the help of your FOCCUS facilitator.
Using your couple profile report, the facilitator will work with you to look at patterns in your responses, discuss issues, and problem solve where necessary.
STEP #1: Fill-out the FOCCUS Inventory. Fill out the inventory independently and not as a couple. After you have completed the questionnaire, you can and should discuss the questions and your responses with each other.
STEP #2: Return the FOCCUS Inventory to John Prandini, FOCCUS facilitator at the Newman Center, and call or e-mail to set up an appointment to meet with him to review your personal couple profile. Call 436-3439 or e-mail prandinij@cusfnewman.com for an appointment.
STEP #3: Meet with John Prandini, FOCCUS facilitator, to review your personal couple profile. STEP #4: Schedule follow-up sessions if needed; and register to attend one of the day-long Marriage Preparation Workshops offered by the Newman Center. Call John Prandini at 436-3439 or e-mail prandinij@cusfnewman.com to register.
Marriage Preparation Workshops:The Newman Center offers one day, Marriage Preparation Workshops, held at the Newman Center, to assist in fulfilling the pre-marriage training requirement of the Diocese of Fresno. The date for the next Marriage Preparation Workshop is February 6, 2010. Workshops begin at 8:00AM and conclude with Mass at 5:00PM. The cost is $200 per couple. This fee includes the Workshop; the FOCCUS Inventory and follow-up counseling session; and a single counseling session with a licensed marriage-family therapist. *If you are marrying at the Newman Center, these services are included as part of the Newman Center’s wedding fee. Due to space limitations, the required completion of the FOCCUS Inventory and its follow-up meeting prior to the Workshop, ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
PDF Workshop Flier & Registration form
Counseling: A network of licensed marriage and family therapists associated with the Newman Center are used as educators within our Marriage Preparation program and are referral resources when needed. Each couple will participate in one session with a licensed marriage and family therapist as part of their marriage preparation. If for some compelling reason a couple cannot attend the one day workshop, they can see a counselor associated with or approved by the Newman Center for 3-5 sessions. The additional cost is the responsibility of the couple.