Course Registration Has Closed

January 10, 2025: Thank you for your interest in this course. We have a full course of 51 learners from all over the world! We plan to offer this course again in 2025. If you wish to hear about it so you can register, please subscribe to the Marriage Transformation newsletter at the bottom of the home page on https://marriagetransformation.com/ . Susanne Alexander, [email protected]

Cost to Participate in the Course

Taking this course is one of many ways to step into the journey toward creating an eternal marriage relationship, something that requires commitment. This course invites you to commit time, effort, and money. We hope you can afford the cost of the course, as that helps cover the cost of the course platform and a small amount to faculty members for their service. However, we recognize that factors like being a student, currency exchange rates, or living on a limited income could make it difficult to afford the fee. We do not want financial difficulties to prevent registration. If you (or your family) cannot afford part or all of the fee, there are coupon codes available to reduce it. Just let us know how much you can afford or how much discount you need: Please contact Susanne Alexander, course administrator, at [email protected] with your request.

Course Description and Schedule

ONLY for 18-39 years old never-married individuals (or couples)

Individuals 18-39 years old who have never been married are invited to this online study group course to explore the practical application of the Bahá’í teachings for healthy relationships and marriage! Course opens January 11, 2025, and it ends about February 15, 2025. At the start of the course, all participants will be assigned to groups, each with one or two faculty-mentors, taking into consideration time zone proximity and ages. The groups will meet weekly and set their own days and times to meet. Participants study content on their own prior to each group session. The faculty-mentors are here to serve you and assist you with things such as setting goals, answering questions related to your circumstances, and encouraging you. Personal study and group meetings will aid you in learning about yourself and what is important to discover in a partner. Participants do not have to be Bahá’ís, but they may find it helpful to be familiar with the Bahá’í Faith (bahai.org).

Why Take This Course?

Include this course as one of the ways you can move toward a healthy and happy relationship that leads to marriage, and build your capacity to be successful in the process!

  • Learn about yourself and about the Baha'i Faith's teachings on relationship and marriage topics.

  • Discover potential relationship/marriage partners and learn new relationship skills.

  • Calibrate what to look for in a partner and how to get to know them, so that you can be intentional and purposeful in a relationship.

  • Empower conversations on these important topics with peers and family members.

  • Gain knowledge and skills that may assist those who wish to be involved with the Ruhi Institute's Book 12 on “Family and Community”, which is about families being involved in building the unity and strength of communities. Unit 1 of the book addresses “The Institution of Marriage”, and it includes some content about both marriage preparation and marriage.

Why take this course?

This course can guide you toward building a healthy, happy relationship that leads to marriage, and enhance your ability to succeed throughout the journey!

  • Learn

    Learn about yourself and about the Baha'i Faith's teachings on relationship and marriage topics.

  • Discover

    Discover potential relationship/marriage partners and learn new relationship skills.

  • Empower

    Empower conversations on these important topics with peers and family members.

  • Calibrate

    Calibrate what to look for in a partner and how to get to know them, so that you can be intentional and purposeful in a relationship.

  • Gain knowledge & skills

    Gain knowledge and skills that may assist those who wish to be involved with the Ruhi Institute's Book 12 on “Family and Community” and “The Institution of Marriage”.

Learning Goals

Personal study and group meetings will aid you in learning about yourself and what is important to discover in a partner. You will study the wisdom of being friends, explore your expectations, understand the importance of character, and learn ways to be in a healthy relationship that could lead to marriage.

  • Prepare yourself for being in a relationship, with a focus on deepening your knowledge of your own self and character, building your capacity to know a partner's character, and understanding character as a vital part of successful relationships and marriages.

  • Understand friendship as a foundation element of couple relationships.

  • Explore and apply some of the Bahá’í Faith's teachings about choosing and spending time with a relationship partner.

  • Build your communication skills (sharing thoughts, listening, exploring personal application of the learning...) for relationships by studying/discussing with a group, interacting with your faculty-mentor, and posting to course discussions. Further enhance your skills by sharing your learning with others in your life and community. Learn about why it might be important to participate in marriage as a sacred institution and a “fortress for well-being”; gain confidence about moving in this direction.

Course curriculum

    1. Please Introduce Yourself!

    2. Course Description and Units

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Course Learning Goals

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Course Orientation

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. Participating in the Discussions

    6. Tracking Your Action Commitments

    7. Frequently Asked Questions

    8. Change Notes for the Course

    1. Unit 1: Learning Goals; About the Topic

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Unit 1: Diving into the Bahá’í Teachings

    3. Video of youth talking about community and marriage

    4. Unit 1: Reading (see PDF) and Potential Art Project

    5. Unit 1: “Building a ‘Fortress for Well-being’, an Essay on Marriage Preparation” (PDF)

    6. Unit 1: Reflection and Consultation Questions

    7. Unit 1: Optional Extra Reading

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Unit 2: Learning Goals; About the Topic

    2. Unit 2: Diving into the Bahá’í Teachings

    3. Unit 2: Observing and Knowing My Character (Ch. 3 Starting with Me)

    4. Unit 2: Activities (Choose what is most useful)

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. Unit 2 Activity: PrepSheet 4 (PDF)

    6. Unit 2 Activity: PrepSheet 7B (PDF)

    7. Unit 2: Videos

      FREE PREVIEW

    8. Unit 2: Reflection and Consultation Questions

      FREE PREVIEW

    9. Unit 2: Optional Extra Reading

    10. Unit 2 Optional: Bahiyyih Khanum (PDF)

    11. Unit 2 Optional: Do You Have a Tail? Essay (PDF)

    12. Unit 2 Optional: Do You Want to Bloom? (for women) (PDF)

    13. Unit 2 Optional: Stand Tall (for men) (PDF)

    1. Unit 3: Learning Goals; About the Topic

    2. Unit 3: Diving into the Bahá’í Teachings

    3. Unit 3: Choosing a Marriage Partner; Soul Mates

    4. Unit 3 Activity: Expectations

    5. Unit 3 Activity: Seek and Avoid in a Partner

    6. Unit 3: Videos - Podcast

    7. Unit 3: Reflection and Consultation Questions

    8. Unit 3: Optional Extra Reading

    9. Unit 3 Optional: Buffalo Wing Principle Essay (PDF)

    1. Unit 4: Learning Goals; About the Topic

    2. Unit 4: Diving into the Bahá’í Teachings

    3. Unit 4: Activities

    4. Unit 4: Happiness, Joy, Laughter, and Humor (PDF)

    5. Unit 4: Videos

    6. Unit 4: Reflection and Consultation Questions

    7. Unit 4: Optional Extra Reading

    1. Unit 5: Learning Goals; About the Topic

    2. Unit 5: Diving into the Bahá’í Teachings

    3. Unit 5: Relationships with Parents

    4. Unit 5: Social Transformation-Standard of Purity (PDF)

    5. Unit 5: A Focus on Service (PDF)

    6. Unit 5: Communication and Consultation (PDF)

    7. Unit 5: Activities

    8. Unit 5: Videos

    9. Unit 5: Reflection and Consultation Questions

    10. Unit 5: Optional Extra Reading

    11. Unit 5 Optional: Being a Cross-Cultural Couple Essay (PDF)

    12. Unit 5 Optional: Intercultural Maturity Essay (PDF)

    13. Unit 5 Optional: Sexual Health-sex in marriage, chastity, masturbation, porn... (PDF)

About this course

  • $75.00
  • 70 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content

Instructor(s)

Susanne M. Alexander

Relationship and Marriage Educator and Coach; Course Developer and Administrator

Hi, I’m Susanne M. Alexander, your course creator and companion on this learning journey. While I am a Relationship and Marriage Educator and Coach, I’ve also had a lot of experience. I’ve likely walked in your shoes. I’ve been single, dating, engaged, married, divorced, and widowed (currently married). I am a child, stepchild, sibling, step-sibling, parent, step-parent, grandparent, and step-grandparent. All of this has given me a diversity of experience to share! I meet with clients globally via the Internet for relationship preparation and navigating, marriage preparation, and couple relationship or marriage strengthening. I coordinate the faculty team and am the lead instructor here at Transformation Learning Center (www.transformationlearningcenter.com). My company is Marriage Transformation®, www.marriagetransformation.com, where I am President and also the author and publisher of numerous books. Books authored or coauthored include Couple Vitality, Creating Excellent Relationships, All-in-One Marriage Prep, Marriage Can Be Forever--Preparation Counts!, and Re-Vitalizing Our Marriage. I am certified by Prepare-Enrich to offer a research-based assessment to couples at any stage and accompany them through learning about themselves and their readiness for the next stage in their relationship (www.prepare-enrich.com) I'm also certified to offer the Character Foundations Assessment and have Completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I'm a member of the National Alliance for Relationship and Marriage Education. Media and Writing Experience: Quoted as an expert in Upjourney.com, HerCampus.com, eHow.com, Washington Woman, Ladies Home Journal, Inc., and more. I'm also a journalist with a background in freelancing for Newsweek, SimpleMarriage, and many others. I have been creating and offering online relationship and marriage courses for over 10 years.

Instructor(s)

Wendi Momen

Coordinator

Hi, I’m Wendi Momen, a social activist and a champion of the equal rights and responsibilities of women and men. I’ve been married since 1971 and have two adult children and two adult grandchildren. I grew up in a family of entertainers in the San Fernando Valley, California, and moved by myself to England when I was 18. I had a step-father and two step-mothers, and have a step-sister and two half sisters. Our extended family embraces 26 nationalities and 8 religions. The diversity of our family has given me insights into a number of cultures and ethnicities, has convinced me that humanity is just one big family, living on one planet. I served as a criminal magistrate, a family court judge and youth court magistrate for 38 years, which gave me insights into the dynamics of marriages and families when they are unhealthy and often dangerous to their children. This caused me to concentrate on how to enable marriages and families to embrace healthier patterns of life. I have taught numerous online courses on marriage and family life, am the author of 13 books, and sit on a number of boards that champion women, human rights and the planet, including the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations, Widows Rights International, UK Civil Society Women’s Alliance, Ethical Business Building the Future and the International Environment Forum (iefworld.org). I hold a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics, of which I am a Governor Emeritus. I was honoured to be awarded a MBE by Queen Elizabeth in 2014 for services to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and to the community in Bedfordshire.

Instructor(s)

Kay Hubbard

Facilitator

As a therapist (Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, Masters in Clinical Psychology) with a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, Kay is passionate about supporting the healing journey of her clients to realize and embody their authentic selves. With a focus on natural remedies, mindfulness, and individually tailored therapies, she offers a safe and supportive space for clients to learn to heal themselves and thrive. With a deep respect for the power of the mind-body connection, Dr. Kay believes that healing is a collaborative process that requires trust, empathy, and compassion. Through a warm and non-judgmental approach, she helps clients engage with difficult emotions, build healthy coping skills, and cultivate a sense of self-care, self-love, and self-healing. Dr. Kay offers individual sessions, group workshops, and consulting across the globe through video conferencing and is licensed in California in the United States. Kay has been a member of the Baha’i Faith for over 10 years and served in communities, as well as at the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, USA. Kay currently resides in Mexico, but she can often be found slow traveling around the world. [email protected] www.artkure.com https://www.instagram.com/artkure/ https://www.tiktok.com/@artkure

Instructor(s)

Hadrien Toure

Facilitator

Hadrien Toure is a husband, father and relationship coach & educator based out of Weston, Florida, United States. His approach centers on empowering individuals and couples to embrace transformative values and virtues, facilitating profound personal growth and healing. Through tailored methods, Hadrien (known as Coach Adrian on his online coaching platforms) supports individuals and couples in transforming their relationships into a resilient and enduring bond, fostering the creation of a shared life vision specific to their unique connection. Over the last 10 years Hadrien has had the privilege of positively impacting the lives of countless individuals globally, assisting numerous couples to rebuild faltering relationships and nurturing healthy love across different cultures and geographic locations. Hadrien also finds great joy in serving his community alongside his family both as an Animator for Junior Youth in a nearby neighborhood, and also as a tutor for young people. Learning about the transformative impact of the Training Institute on individuals and community life has been a focus of his service over the past few years.

Instructor(s)

Raelee Peirce

Facilitator

With over 27 years of experience fostering a strong Baháʼí family, Raelee Peirce brings invaluable insights to the "Foundations for Healthy Relationships" course. Her personal journey, including her commitment to finding a Baháʼí partner with parental consent, reflects her deep respect for the faith's principles on marriage. This foundation has given her a profound understanding of the importance of choosing a partner who shares the same spiritual values and beliefs. As the mother of two children (now 22 and 18), Raelee has firsthand experience raising youth who actively serve their community and prioritize finding partners aligned with Baháʼí values. She is especially excited to co-facilitate this course with her 22-year-old daughter, offering a unique multi-generational perspective. Passionate about sharing practical applications of Baháʼí teachings on love, marriage, and family life, Raelee equips young adults to navigate the path to meaningful, lasting relationships. Her perspective as a parent coach further enriches her guidance on cultivating healthy and harmonious family dynamics.

Instructor(s)

Isabel Peirce

Facilitator

Isabel Peirce is a future Marriage and Family Therapist. She is a Baha'i college student at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, majoring in Human Development and Family Science. Isabel is passionate about fostering healthy relationships and families, drawing particularly on evidence-based research and the Baha'i Writings. Her focus is on exploring the role of religion, attachment, and human development in marriage and family dynamics. When she's not studying or contributing to community-building activities, Isabel enjoys listening to podcasts, going out to coffee, and creating any type of visual art.

Instructor(s)

Sahba Sanai

Facilitator

I’ve always been interested in understanding what makes a relationship thrive. This interest grew significantly in my early 20s, after witnessing three couples that I knew divorce shortly after marrying. It struck me that none of them had set out expecting their marriages to end — they believed in their ability to make it work — yet something still went wrong. This realisation led me to question whether I, too, might face similar challenges someday. Around that time, someone said to me, “People spend more time preparing for their wedding than for their marriage.” That simple statement rang very true and inspired me to take an unconventional step: I sought out a relationship therapist — even though I was single at the time! That experience was very positive. I decided to dive deeper into the topic of committed relationships. I interviewed therapists, talked to both successful and divorced couples, read extensively, and eventually wrote a book to share what I learned. While the book was a commercial failure, it turned out to be life-changing in a way I could never have predicted—one of the few people who bought it later became my wife! Although my professional background is in engineering, and I work as a project manager, my passion for understanding and fostering healthy relationships has been a big part of my life. I’m excited to continue exploring, learning, and sharing - and I hope to inspire others to invest in building strong, lasting connections.

Instructor(s)

Roya Massarrat

Facilitator

Roya Massarrat lives and works in Spain as a licensed psychologist and psychotherapist with Masters degrees in systemic family therapy and in couple mediation. She was born in Iran and came to Spain with her family as pioneers in 1972. She has also lived in China. She speaks English, Spanish, Catalan, and Farsí. Roya offers deep psychotherapy for clients who have experienced mistreatment and abuse, as well as support for couples facing conflict and challenges. She specializes in humanistic integrative psychology and trauma processing, with advanced training in Brainspotting, a neurophysiological approach that leverages the brain's natural healing abilities to address trauma. She works with individuals related to stress, depression, alcohol abuse, sexual disorders, phobias, anxiety, compulsive behavior, grief, personality disorders, and eating disorders. As a marriage consultant for the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain, she also leads workshops for Bahá’í communities on topics such as marriage, communication, consultation, parenting, and education. She has a young adult son and daughter. +34-619989289 [email protected] www.consulterapia.com

Instructor(s)

Jackie Najafian

Facilitator

Jackie Najafian is a Solution-Focused Therapist and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in North Carolina in the United States. She works with couples in need in most areas; marriage issues during and after an affair, family issues, work balance, childhood trauma, depression, anxiety…. She is married and has two adult children. +1.704-576-4935 [email protected]

Instructor(s)

Shiva Sabet-Kazilas

Facilitator

Shiva is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and clinical supervisor specializing in working with adult children of immigrant families, particularly in the context of their relationships. With a systemic and trauma-informed approach, Shiva integrates existential, narrative, and attachment-based perspectives in her practice. She offers both couple therapy and individual therapy for adults (18+), with extensive experience in relationship dynamics, perinatal mental health, grief and loss, life transitions, and interracial relationships. Additionally, Shiva is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and is dedicated to supporting individuals and couples through various relational challenges. Shiva Sabet-Kazilas, MA, LMFT Clinical Therapist & Supervisor Stories of Hope Counseling Phone: (425) 298 6220 www.storiesofhopecounseling.com