Marriage Resources

This page provides links to various online marriage resources, including other websites that feature free articles and quizzes on building a strong marriage. There are also links to additional Calgary counselling resources, community agencies, referral services, and links to websites of some of the major professional organizations in marriage and family therapy and psychology. If you would like your organization to be included on this page, please send me your information here.

Marriage Resources

Smart Marriages

The Coalition for Marriage, Family, and Couples Education, LLC. Dedicated to making marriage education accessible to the public, particularly research findings on building strong marriages and families. An excellent website filled with free articles and resources.

Stronger Marriage

I include this site because of its full library of free articles on strengthening marriage. 

The Gottman Institute

Official website for Dr. John Gottman. Geared toward providing workshops and education tools for couples as well as training for professionals.

Marriage Builders

An excellent and comprehensive website by Dr. Willard Harley, author of His Needs, Her Needs. Read a number of excellent articles on infidelity, emotional needs, and conflict.

A great website by Jim and Carrie Gordon, from Ontario, Canada, devoted to helping couples enhance their emotional, sexual, and spiritual intimacy.

Mastering Your Engagement: For Military and First Responder Couples

This is an excellent article written by the Baylor University Masters in Social Work online program. This article discusses some of the unique challenges faced by couples who serve in the military, police, fire or other emergency service. It outlines some recommendations for building a strong relationship and for keeping expectations realistic when times get rough.

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Other Helpful Websites

Addiction and Substance Abuse

Alcoholics Anonymous
Official site of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc..

What its Like to Attend Your First Meeting
Here is an excellent online article that addresses one of the most common psychological barriers to attending AA: anxiety about attending your first meeting. This article, produced by professionals at Futures Palm Beach, can help you feel better prepared with an understanding of what to expect at your first and subsequent meeting(s) and helps to dispel some of the common myths about attending AA.

Evolution Health Care for Everyone
An online support group providing help to those who are seeking to quit or cut down on their drinking. One helpful resource on this site is an online questionnaire you can use to evaluate your drinking. This is the same one used by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (see below). I prefer the final report format on this site, however, as it provides a little more information. An excellent resource with which to evaluate your drinking.

   Alcohol Help Center 2.0 Links and Resources
   Check Your Drinking Assessment Online Questionnaire

American Society of Addiction Medicine
An excellent educational resource, information rich, written in a strong academic style, outlining what addiction is, including the characteristics, neurobiology and genetic components of addiction. The American Society of Addiction Medicine and its Canadian counterpart the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine both offer comprehensive online information (see the "Research and Treatment" menu of the navigation bar at asam.org) to both addiction professionals and the public.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Canada's leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital.

   CAMH Articles and Resources
   Information about Drug and Alcohol Addiction
   Evaluate Your Drinking
   Information about Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving
   Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines
   Dealing with Drinking: How to Quit or Cut Down

Addiction Center
This is another excellent site filled with articles, resources, and information on addiction. It is also a good site to find out about treatment centers available near you.

Recovery Village
The Recovery Village provides comprehensive alcohol and drug rehab programs. Their website, here, is a wealth of information on alcohol and drug addiction and treatment, inpatient and outpatient programs, co-occurring disorders, and so much more. 

Depression

National Institute of Mental Health
An informative site on the topic of depression produced by the NIMH. Includes signs and symptoms, treatment options, depression in men, depression in women, and information about medications.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Update on Depression
A brochure produced by the AAMFT providing information on depression.


Disclaimer: Listing of external websites on this page does not imply full endorsement of the site or its content. Online users of information must use their own judgment when evaluating the merits of a site.

Calgary Area Resources

Calgary Distress Centre
24-hour crisis intervention and support services free to the public

Al-Anon and Alateen
Hope and help for family and friends of alcoholics

1835 House Recovery Acres
An excellent and affordable treatment centre operating in southwest Calgary, offering in-patient and day treatment programs for alcohol and chemical addictions.

Calgary Women's Shelter
A non-profit organization providing emergency shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence

YWCA Family Violence Prevention Centre - Sherrif King Home
Serves women, children, and men who have witnessed, experienced or have been abusive in an intimate relationship. Offers counselling for children as well as gender-specific group counselling and short-term individual counselling for adults.

Calgary Counselling Centre
A non profit organization committed to providing compassionate, professional, and affordable counselling services to Calgarians.

Calgary Eating Disorder Program
Specialized services designed to meet the needs of Albertans with eating disorders

A safe, supportive healing environment for bereaved individuals to process their grief in a meaningful way

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Referral Services

Therapist Locator
Sponsored by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, this online referral directory assists consumers in the U.S. to locate a marriage and family therapist in their area. In the U.S. you can search by city/state, zip code or last name. 

PAA Referral Service
Referral service available to Albertans sponsored by the Psychologists' Association of Alberta. You can specify search criteria according to city, region of city, problem area (i.e. depression, anxiety, etc.), population served (i.e. couples, adolescents, etc.), religious affiliation, treatment approach, language spoken, and gender. A powerful tool.

The National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapists
A registry that links couples to the most highly qualified marriage therapists in their area. The requirements for being listed on the registry include extensive training and experience in marriage and couples therapy, a high value placed on marriage and life-long commitment, and dedication to helping marriages succeed if at all possible. Only available in the United States.

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Professional Organizations

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
The national association for marriage and family therapists in both Canada and the U.S. On this site you'll find clinical updates for consumers on over fourty family problem areas, such as marital distress, depression, and the effects of divorce on children. You'll also find a therapist locator which you can use to locate a marriage and family therapist near you.

College of Alberta Psychologists
The provincial body that regulates the profession of psychology in Alberta. The place for visitors to find information about ethics and legislation pertaining to the practice of psychology.

Psychologists' Association of Alberta
An organization whose mission is to enhance and promote the profession of psychology in Alberta. Their public information page is a useful resource for visitors.

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Mental Health Support Organizations

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Canada's leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital

Canadian Mental Health Association Calgary
Part of a national organization focusing on education about, prevention of, and support for mental health issues

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