Read Cate's Personal Story

And how this Relationship Marriage Prep Course became the heart of her practice

It all began before her failed marriage.......

‘We thought we had everything as a young married couple. But in hindsight, we didn't have the skills to cope with the challenges that inevitably came after the honeymoon stage. No guidelines on how to transition into a healthy, mature relationship. Three children and 13 years later, we separated with sadness, grief, anger, and shame. Where did it all go wrong? Well, for me, it began with my parent's poor marriage and ultimate divorce. For my ex-husband, it started with being sent across oceans to boarding school before he could tie his shoelaces.

If only someone had given us a road map as young adults, taught us what we hadn’t learned growing up, and continued to be just an appointment away when needed. We could have been prepared for the inevitable relationship pitfalls and given our children more relationship stability to pass on to their children...our grandchildren.

My passion for helping couples was borne from this failed marriage and my quest to understand where and how things went wrong. The answers came through my own counselling experience. One penny after another dropped. What I discovered made so much sense; it wasn’t rocket science! I had to learn what makes a good relationship because as much as I loved my parents, their marriage was a poor example despite having six children ..

Early in my counselling career, I was drawn to giving couples starting their journey of commitment a fighting chance to succeed—especially those like me who didn’t learn the skills from their parents or at school.

So, I created this versatile program specifically for those in the early years of commitment. I wanted these couples to feel they had a safe place to learn the skills needed to be true to themselves AND strengthen their bond. This course is usually their first experience of professional support. When you make a warm, insightful connection and help their unique relationship, they'll be more open to future help if needed, and you'll likely be the first person they contact.

This training, integrated with any previous training, helps you spot potential issues as you read through your couple's assessment questionnaires and get to know them on their course. This gives you the perfect edge for working competently with this client group.

I've learned that my marriage prep clients are loyal and a great referral source. They've helped build my reputation and are a stable part of my practice.

I'm sharing my story to help you understand why this Relationship/Marriage Prep Course is close to my heart and why I am passionate about passing it on to you to extend its reach.