01-31-05

ISU Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic offers "Relationship Check-up"

AMES, Iowa -- This Valentine's Day, couples may want to think about getting a "Relationship Check-up" to accompany the traditional flowers and boxes of chocolates, said Ronald Werner-Wilson, director of Iowa State University's Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic.

"Many couples traditionally make plans for romantic dinners or the giving of special gifts, which is a great way to mark the holiday," he said. "But, just like it pays to get a regular medical check-up or engine tune-up, relationships also can use a little introspection and reflection."

The free Relationship Check-up is available to the public all year on the center's Web site at http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/marriage/check-up.asp.

The survey has 32 short answer questions that range from how often you and your spouse or significant other share a stimulating exchange of ideas, laugh together or work on a joint project to how would you describe your degree of "happiness" with your relationship.

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, Werner-Wilson said. Participants will immediately receive an automatically generated report from the responses provided.

For more information on this and other services provided by the ISU Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic, call (515) 294-0534 or visit http://www.fcs.iastate.edu/marriage/clinic.htm.

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Quick look

For Valentine's Day, couples may want to complement the traditional box of chocolates with a free Relationship Check-up available to the public on the Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic Web site. The 32-question survey can be completed in 15-minutes and provides instant results.