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Kind words from our lovely clients, couples retreat participants, and students
Kind words from our lovely clients and students
Center for Thriving Relationships Reviews
...nothing short of brilliant
“I am at a loss for words as to how to describe how totally incredible this experience was. I have been involved in counseling for years now, both as the clinician and the client, and their ability to transform clinical perspectives into practical information in a loving and hilarious manner is nothing short of brilliant. Jim and I were both blown away… We would easily pay 3-4x what they charge to experience this opportunity.”
Annie Sever-Dimitri
...more than I thought possible!
“My heart warmed up more than I thought possible! I’m all ears to my beloved, and admiration is strong. I absolutely love you two!”
Erik Owen
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
“A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We had a chance to deal with the two of our biggest conflicts and find simple, easy, and effective solutions for both of them. Thank you deeply, with all my heart.”
Samantha Stuebe
Masters at understanding what makes relationships work...
“Christine and Bret are masters at understanding what makes relationships work and share their knowledge in ways that will lead to profound results.”
Michael and Lily Kessler
What I learned felt essential...
“Such a profound learning experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Bret and Christine both have such kind, tender hearts. There is an inner depth and warmth that welcomes everyone wherever they are. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone without second thought. What I learned felt essential.”
Ezra Fox
It was very enlightening...
“Absolutely wonderful! It was very enlightening, not only as a couple but on an individual level for each of us. Thank you so much for all that you guys do! This helped us on more levels than we can even express.”
John and Destinie Apao-Hepa
We made an awesome reconnection...
“Amazing, enlightening, so healing and restorative, full of so much peace and good energy. We made an awesome reconnection and would suggest this to any couple.”
Eli and Holly Gill
Saved our marriage...
“Bret and Christine taught us the most powerful relationship gems of wisdom that saved our marriage, as well as strengthened our bond tremendously. Thanks to the incredible support, inspiration and role modeling that we received from Christine and Bret, we are proud to say that we shifted from being on a verge of a divorce to the most fun, creative, connected and empowered relationship of our dreams.”
Gabriel Lantz and Yulia Azriel
Justin and Kimberly McKee
We would not be together if not for you.
“We wouldn’t be together if not for you. We met you guys at the absolutely perfect time — you were truly heaven sent to us. I am blown away by what you are doing for the world. May you always be blessed with abundance, joy, and love.”
Rachel Gratz
HECK YES it will work
“You guys changed my marriage for the better! Before we went on your retreat we were a step away from divorce. Neither of us were happy about that, but it seemed likely. After your retreat we have decided to get remarried (even though we never actually got divorced) so we can put the past behind us. We are putting new habits together on a daily basis so we never go back to where we were. I can’t thank you enough, and to all of those of you trying to decide if it’s worth it…if you’re both ready to listen to these two wise minds then HECK YES it will work.”
Lisa Levin
These tools will excel us unto the future
“Transformative and awe-inspiring. This was an amazing experience. These tools will excel us unto the future with renewed love.”
Justin and Kimberly McKee
Highly recommend for every couple!
“Super positive, revealing, and blissful. We received more than we thought possible. Highly recommend for every couple!”
Shagun Mehndiratta
So, so perfect...
“Amazing, calming, connecting, beautiful, powerful! So, so perfect. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this joyous and inspirational weekend!”
Katie King
...this weekend was the most important for our relationship we have spent...
“I was not looking forward to coming to this event. We had to miss the first IU homecoming in two decades. I could not have been more wrong, as this weekend was the most important for our relationship we have spent. Thank you!”
Ron Foster
Bret and Christine helped save and transform our marriage…
“Fantastic. Exceeded all expectations. Bret and Christine both have a special gift. They have provided insight and tools that will add so much to our relationship. Thank you!”
Nick Miller
“AMAZING & relationship changing! Bret and Christine helped save and transform our marriage! This was supposed to be a place for us to reconnect, instead it was a place we discovered our true potential for a thriving relationship! Thank you so much.”
Kate Miller
My entire life is benefited...
“Such a blessing! Exciting, amazing, growing, so fun, and enlightening! Christine and Bret have incredibly vast knowledge, patience, true kindness, and you can tell that their priority is making the world a more loving place. My entire life is benefited from knowing them.”
Laura McCormick
Brought us to a new level!
“Amazing! This brought us to a new level!”
Jenn Hamilton
So much more than I expected.
“Life-changing. What I got was so much more than I expected.”
Tim Hamilton
Thank you both so very much.
“Very enlightening and informative. Thank you both so very much. I saw no way out besides divorce, but now I have hope that things will get better with these strategies!”
Courtney Cole
Life-changing!
“Wonderful and life-changing!! Everything was excellent.”
Julie and Tim Gilpin
Amazing!
“Amazing! So grateful for you both and what you have opened us up to. It was more than I expected.”
Kirk Gerling
Best value workshop in this world for couples wanting to save their marriage.
“Out of this world, amazing, and more than what I expected. This one weekend retreat was better than 3+ years of marriage therapy and much more inexpensive and fast-acting. Best value workshop in this world for couples wanting to save their marriage. Christine and Bret are a true gift to us all.”
Ajay and Vibha Ahuja
Feels amazing to be heard by my husband and see him break down walls...
“I feel so loved and supported by everyone in the room. It feels amazing to be heard by my husband and see him break down walls for communicating his emotions. Transformational”
Marni Lavaley
...caught in a bad power struggle...exactly what we needed
“Invigorating! We have been together for 12 years, and we were caught in a bad power struggle. This is exactly what we needed! As life goes by so quickly, it’s easy to forget what brought you to your beloved. Bret and Christine make it easy to remember. We appreciate everything you both do! You are absolutely wonderful!”
Melissa and Jeff Bryant
I re-found my best friend!
“Revitalizing and eye opening! We were lost together and fighting coming to this retreat. I re-found my best friend!”
Jemiah Piesyk
More than I ever expected.
“Insightful, personal growth and development. More than I ever expected. Bret and Christine’s energy, love, and understanding is amazing. I wasn’t sure what to expect but am so grateful to have attended this weekend!”
Lisa Mills
Saved our marriage at this retreat
“Four years ago this August, Ken and I saved our marriage at this retreat. So many of us never really learn how to be in a healthy relationship. I definitely didn’t learn from my parents and it’s certainly not taught in schools. Christine and Bret are amazing. Not only do they teach tools for a healthy relationship, but they demonstrate it too. I cannot recommend this retreat enough to any friends who may be struggling or even just want to do better.”
Karen Hill
Fulfilling, amazing...just what we needed to get back to us!
“Fulfilling, amazing. We have been married almost 23 years. We forgot how to communicate and have just been going through the motions. This is just what we needed to get back to us!”
Eddie and Lindy Weinberg
I was totally against this trip when Lee first suggested it...
“Absolutely wonderful! I was totally against this trip when Lee first suggested it. I’m so thankful she changed my mind. I got everything I came here for and more. We all need this. Desperately. The world needs you guys.”
Terry Cullipher
PRICELESS
“Absolutely amazing! I would suggest this to any couple wanting to invest in and grow their relationship. The tools you learn for communicating with each other are PRICELESS.”
Lee Rimer
...immensely important for any relationship!
“Inspirational and immensely important for any relationship!”
Tammy and Yuval Fuchs
Allowed us to see what IS possible
“Beautiful! Educational! Much needed. This weekend allowed us to see what IS possible…”
Angela and Jorge Ramirez
Eye opening...so powerful
“Very transformative and eye opening. We received more than expected. So powerful. We are very grateful!”
Yllari Briceno
So relevant and amazingly helpful...
“Absolutely amazing… We were able to work through barriers, issues, and identify how to best move forward, together. You were both so relevant and amazingly helpful.”
Royce Wagner
...truly committed to their clients and the success of their relationships.
“Years ago, after a stressful relocation, we found ourselves repeating damaging patterns and unable to effectively communicate with each other. From the beginning stages of working with them in navigating our relationship stress to our celebration of 10 years of marriage at their Thrive in Love retreat, we have always felt wholeheartedly supported and believe they are truly committed to their clients and the success of their relationships. I can sincerely recommend their services to any couple. The Center for Thriving Relationships is an invaluable asset to our world.”
Michelle Izzo White and Ricky White
Turning point in my most important relationship
“We participated in Thrive in Love in 2013, and I cherish the vivid memory of that wonderful turning point in my most important relationship. What a breath of fresh air it was to finally feel heard – to feel known and loved! My partner and I are now blissfully married, and still we practice the habits we first learned through Thrive in Love every day. In fact, Bret and Christine’s method of conflict resolution is so effective that I have used it to break through interpersonal deadlocks on multiple crucial occasions in other relationships over the years. Their teachings are essential for everyone.”
Michael Gough
Amazing value...
“Amazing value of practical steps and ideas to improve my relationship with my best friend.”
Rick Wells
I feel more connected...
“We’ve been married 11 years, and I feel more connected to my wife than I ever have before.”
Josh Johnson
I had multiple breakthroughs...
“Amazing! I had multiple breakthroughs in my relationship and was overflowing with the love I felt from you two”
Gretchen Fultz
Absolutely amazing and wonderful...
“Absolutely amazing and wonderful… I am just absolutely grateful and thankful for this… approach to a connection retreat. The need for this is hugely underserved in most areas.”
Sarah Wagner
...a weekend I will never forget.
“It was a great, powerful, learning weekend. I never wanted to attend an event like this in the past but to reconnect with my wife I said yes. I stepped out of my comfort zone, laughed, smiled, cried, and more with my wife. It will be a weekend I will never forget.”
Neil Cooper
It's been YEARS since I have felt this connected to my husband.
“Such a blessing. Thank you. It’s been YEARS since I have felt this connected to my husband. What a perfect jumpstart to our transformation.”
Shannon Cooper
A rejuvenation of what we really want in a relationship...
“A rejuvenation of what we really want in a relationship – joy and connection.”
Beth Piekarsky
A fantastic opportunity to deepen your relationship.
“Terrific… Loved it… A fantastic opportunity to deepen your relationship.”
Dan Piekarsky
...playful, passionate, and engaging.
“Great. Provided useful information and tools. Presentation was playful, passionate, and engaging.”
Rich Kosmala
Blew away any expectations... left me feeling completely overwhelmed by the depth of love...
“This weekend was completely refreshing and renewing. We explored areas of our relationship that I didn’t even know existed… This weekend blew away any expectations I had constructed and left me feeling completely overwhelmed by the depth of love that my boyfriend has for me”
Naomi Koeplin
...leaving in a completely different, and much better, place than when I came in…
“I am leaving in a completely different, and much better, place than when I came in… I got everything I could have imagined.”
Jon Meredith
Have helped save my marriage and possibly even my life
“You have helped save my marriage and possibly even my life. True story!”
Derik Gratz
I'm amazed at how much more alive I feel
“I’m amazed at how much more alive I feel since the experience. Christine and Bret, we can’t thank you enough!”
Cindy Piper
Heart opening!
“Delicious! Heart opening!”
Kalynn Brower
EXCELLENT, wonderful!
“EXCELLENT, wonderful! A great weekend to focus fully on each other, build each other, recommit to grow in a healthy and thriving relationship. Lots of tools and the environment to create intimacy and share.”
Helene Highbarger
Priceless!
“The thoughtfulness, attention to details, and love pouring through you two is amazing! Priceless! You two together are adorable and amazing!”
Yelena Yahontova
This helped us work through issues we had no idea how to solve...
“Fantastic! Wonderful! Superb! This helped us work through issues we had no idea how to solve – issues that could be very toxic if we didn’t address. Christine and Bret are the perfect partners to teach this workshop. They use realistic situations to help open partners up to struggles that need to be addressed and ultimately broken through. Thank you so much!”
Kimmie Weber
I feel more conscious in my relationship than I have ever been.
When I heard about the Thrive in Love Retreat, I thought I would go and learn some tools to better communicate with my partner, but I had no idea how much I’d learn about myself. I feel more awakened to past habits that I wasn’t paying attention to—I feel more conscious in my relationship than I have ever been. Bret and Christine were welcoming, warm, and thoughtful the entire weekend. I’m happy to say that I use many of the tools I learned on a daily basis, for personal and work relationships. If your relationship is good, go. If your relationship needs work, go. If your relationship is GREAT, go. The lessons you’ll learn from this weekend are invaluable!”
Libby Crow
Broke a 3-year negativity cycle...
“Rejuvenating and healing — exactly what we needed. Bret and Christine helped us learn how to break a three year negativity cycle and replaced that with positive coping mechanisms that will help us flourish and thrive for years to come!”
Amber Richardson
Received what we came here for x 1 million
“We received what we came here for x 1 million. Christine and Bret equipped us with the tools to bring issues that were hard to vocalize to light. Sweet Relief. We are so grateful for them! ”
Lauren Daeger
AMAZING!
“AMAZING! There are so many emotions and not so many words to say how amazing this was!”
Katie Salee
Blissful and educational.
“Blissful and educational. Christine and Bret’s genuineness, honesty, and openness gave us more hope and an amazing, tangible model to look up to. Awesome!”
Hiroko Mori
Amazing!
“Amazing! Possibly the best thing we’ve ever done for our relationship after 30 years together.”
Sharon and Jessica Bussert
Our marriage transformed!
“Amazing! Life-changing. Our marriage transformed! We understand each other better and feel much more in love!”
Kristi Devries
Awesomesauce!
“Awesomesauce! Fulfilling. Safe. Sacred. Perfect. This was just what we needed to break patterns and realize our relationship potential.”
Shelley Landis
It is always an honor to be in your presence!
“You guys are an absolutely beautiful, thriving, inspiring gift to the world, and it is always an honor to be in your presence, whatever you do.”
Goose Wohlt
Transformative and awe-inspiring
“Transformative and awe-inspiring. This was an amazing experience. These tools will excel us unto the future with renewed love.”
Justin and Kimberly Johnson
Exactly what we needed to rejuvenate our relationship
“Amazing and exactly what we needed to rejuvenate our relationship.”
Stephanie (and Brad) Perry
I was amazed at the change
“I was amazed at the change (for the better) in our relationship, and I’m thankful for the tools to grow on.”
Erin Shaw
Thanks for helping me realize I can succeed at marriage and be happy…
“Informative and eye-opening. 3 years into marriage, I started questioning if I was meant for marriage and just maybe I was someone who was just not good at it. Thanks for helping me realize I can succeed at marriage and be happy in one with the proper tools.”
Anonymous female from June 2019 retreat
Free Consultation
It’s inspiring to read about these couples and their transformations, isn’t it?
Your relationship can be so much more amazing too.
We offer couples therapy and coaching, premarital counseling, weekend marriage retreats and couples workshops and getaways, Thriving Relationship Coach Certification training, a virtual sexuality program, and online relationship classes and group coaching programs.
Book a FREE no-obligation consultation below, and let’s talk more about the growth you would love to experience (and that we know is possible for you!).