Its purpose is to support and and help its members and to improve their contribution to the planet. Through the path of loving, committed relationships, couples and singles, both straight and gay, may be empowered to find healing and growth for their own good and the good of future generations., It includes The Association of Imago Relationship Therapists of Ontario and Québec in Central Canada and Imago Therapists In Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick.
Introduction to Imago, printable pdf format
This unique approach to therapy is focused on personal growth and healing through committed relationships and brings together the major psychological theories of the century. IRT proposes that there is an unconscious purpose (we call it imago) guiding us in our selection of a mate and our conduct of our relationships. The difficulties we experience arise from our lack of awareness about what we're doing in our relationships, not from our choice of partners.
When you come to your first session with your partner you will probably feel nervous or apprehensive, but you will soon be pleasantly surprised. Your imago therapist will explain the structure of therapy to you, which will include: A recommended commitment to a minimum of 10-12 sessions. Homework assignments that are designed to help you become aware of and share valuable information with your partner. Coaching and practice of communication processes that will make it safe to share. Learning skills that will help you resolve conflict and enhance joy together.
IRT was developed by psychologist Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. and his wife, Helen Hunt during the early 1980's. Dr. Hendrix wrote the best-selling books, Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples and Keeping the Love You Find: A Guide for Singles. Since the 80's Dr. Hendrix has established the Institute for Imago Relationship Therapy (IIRT), which now has trained fifteen hundred therapists around the world who contribute to the theory and practice of IRT.
Only licensed and credentialed professionals, who have been through a yearlong training (over 96 hours) in IRT through the Institute, are qualified to call themselves Imago Relationship Therapists.
After their training, many Imago therapists join Imago Relationships International (IRI), an organization of professionals and lay members whose “...mission is to transform the world one relationship at a time and create a new model for marriage”.
Are experiencing difficulties and want to resolve their conflicts.
Are just beginning a relationship.
Are considering divorce but want to find out if they can work things out.
Want to enrich their relationship.
Understand why past relationships didn't work.
Create satisfying and fulfilling relationships in the future.
Break destructive patterns.
Heal old hurts and frustrations.
How our early experiences of love with childhood caretakers have profoundly affected our patterns of perception and behaviour in our current love life.
That we bring to our love relationships an unconscious agenda -— to get some kind of love from our partner that we didn't get in our childhood so we can heal old wounds.
That frustration and struggle are a part of the development of a relationship, as we merge our “agendas” and attempt to get our needs met. In the process we often unconsciously rewound each other in ways we were wounded in childhood!
How to develop important skills to resolve the pain and conflict in relationships so that they remain safe, growing and lasting!
How to learn how to really love each other.
