You may need a little guidance, a book, or a complete course. Start with where your marriage is today.
We want you to choose the help you need and use your time, money, and energy well. That’s good for you, and good karma for us.
Everyday misunderstandings and small frictions can call for patience, a kind word, and a little extra care. If you already understand what helps your spouse feel loved, start there. Keep showing love and staying connected.
For practical guidance, explore our free resources. Our books are also available when you want to learn more.
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You may feel disconnected, frustrated, or as though you’re just getting by. You want to understand how marriage works and what you can do differently.
Start with Paul Friedman’s books. They explain the marriage principles behind our approach and offer practical guidance you can apply in daily life.
Lessons for a Happy Marriage introduces Paul’s teachings about love, marriage, and the habits that affect your connection.
Breaking the Cycle offers a deeper look at those teachings and at changing destructive patterns.
If you’re unsure where to begin, ask a TMF marriage counselor a question for free.
When your marriage feels at risk, you may need a structured program and support as you put what you learn into practice.
Our online marriage courses are designed for individual study. You can begin without waiting for your spouse to take a course.
Each course includes video lessons, written material, and email support from TMF marriage counselors. Work through the 12-week program at your own pace, with lifetime access to the course.
A 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee are available. Review the payment plans and trial information on your course page, along with the full terms.
Your safety comes first. If you or your children are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services when it is safe to do so. A specialist domestic-abuse service can help you plan safely. If alcohol or drug abuse is part of your situation, seek professional help for it. Our marriage resources and counselor form are not emergency services or a substitute for that care.
If you’re looking for online marriage counseling, you probably want to know what kind of help you’ll receive and whether it fits your situation. At The Marriage Foundation, our system combines marriage education with email guidance from TMF marriage counselors. You study the lessons yourself and ask for help as you put them into practice.
The course is organized around the work you can do in your own marriage. You learn about the habits that damage a relationship, the reactions that keep arguments going, and ways to bring more love into everyday life. Your spouse does not have to attend sessions with you or agree to take a course before you begin.
This format matters when you want help but your spouse refuses counseling, has lost interest in working on the marriage, or doubts that another conversation will change anything. You can start learning while those questions remain unresolved. The course gives you a place to begin with your own understanding and conduct.
Some people search for marriage coaching online because they want ongoing guidance. Our support is by email alongside the course. If you want live appointments with a particular professional, ask about that service directly before enrolling; a self-paced course has a different format. You can ask a TMF counselor a question for free to find out whether our approach suits the help you’re seeking.
Our purpose is to teach you how to care for your marriage, with happiness and marital love as the goals. You can read more about our approach before choosing a book or course.
The online marriage course gives you a sequence to follow, material to revisit, and someone to ask when you need guidance. The men’s and women’s courses are designed for individual study.
Video lessons and written material take you through Paul Friedman’s marriage teachings in stages. Study when you can give the material your attention, then practice what you’ve learned between lessons. You can pause a video, replay a section, and return to an earlier lesson.
The 12-week structure describes the program. It does not set a deadline for your marriage or promise that a particular change will happen by a certain week. Give yourself time to understand the teaching and use it in daily life.
Your course access continues after the initial program. That lets you revisit a lesson when a familiar reaction returns or a new difficulty brings up questions. You don’t have to rely on remembering everything from the first time you watched.
If you’ve been searching for online marriage classes, this is the format to consider: recorded teaching you can return to, rather than a live class that both spouses must attend at a scheduled time.
You can ask questions about what you’re studying and describe difficulties you encounter as you practice. TMF counselors support students in applying the course’s teachings to their marriages. Read about our counselors to understand their role and training.
You don’t have to wait until you’ve completed the course to ask for guidance. If you’re unsure whether to enroll, the free counselor form is also available before you choose a paid resource.
The courses address husbands and wives separately. Choose the marriage course for men or the marriage course for women to read the full description and current enrollment options.
Each course page explains its payment plans, 3-day free trial, and 30-day money-back guarantee. Read those details and the terms and conditions before signing up. A monthly installment is part of a payment plan; check the number of payments and total cost when comparing options.
Paul Friedman developed TMF’s approach around practical, spiritually oriented teachings about marriage and love. Three principles guide our work.
We recommend starting with the person who is ready to learn: you. Our solo courses focus on your understanding, responses, and daily actions. You can begin that work without requiring your spouse to participate.
We do not blame you or your spouse. Paul’s starting point is that many of us enter marriage without having learned how to care for it well. Our work is to teach skills you can practice.
Happiness, love, and harmony are the goals. Our lessons focus on what you can learn and change now, and how to bring more love into your daily interactions.
When the same problems keep returning, it can be hard to know what to work on first. Our course arranges the teaching so that you can build understanding as you go. You study the principles, notice where they apply in your own life, and practice before moving on.
You may know the moment a conversation starts to turn: a criticism, an interruption, or the urge to defend yourself before your spouse has finished speaking. The course addresses anger, fighting, and reactive behavior. Paul teaches a practice called the SEW technique as part of this work.
The aim is to help you recognize what is happening within you and learn a different response. You can ask a counselor about the teaching when you find yourself repeating a reaction you wanted to change. Reading a principle and using it during a tense moment are different stages of learning.
The lessons include Paul’s teaching on the “3 Killers of Marriage” and the habits he identifies as destructive to marital love. You examine your own conduct through those teachings, including the ways criticism and blame can enter ordinary exchanges.
That work calls for honesty without turning your study into an investigation of your spouse. If you recognize a problem in the material, bring the focus back to what you can learn and do. You’ll have more useful questions for your counselor when you can describe a specific interaction and the response you’re trying to change.
Knowing what you want to say is only part of communicating. The course addresses how you listen and how you respond, especially when you disagree. Everyday conversations give you opportunities to practice the care and attention you want in your marriage.
For example, you can notice whether you’re listening to understand or preparing a defense while your spouse speaks. You can also pay attention to what happens after the disagreement: whether the criticism continues, whether you bring it up again, and how you approach the next interaction. These are examples of the daily behavior you can examine as you study.
Our guiding purpose is happiness and marital love. When an argument settles down, the work of caring for your marriage continues. Use your course access to revisit the lessons and keep asking questions about the habits you’re practicing.
You may find that one lesson takes more attention than another. Follow the sequence, allow time for practice, and ask for help when something remains unclear. Your counselor can respond more directly when you explain which lesson you’re using and where you’re getting stuck.
One of the most common questions we hear is whether both spouses have to participate. Our marriage system is designed for the individual who is ready to learn. You can take the course alone, without arranging joint attendance or persuading your spouse to study with you.
That gives you a practical starting point if your spouse says there’s nothing to discuss, refuses marriage counseling, or thinks the relationship has already been talked about enough. Your study can begin with the part of marriage you can work on directly: your own understanding, habits, and responses.
Taking responsibility for your actions does not mean accepting blame for everything that has happened. It also does not make you responsible for another person’s choices. The lessons ask you to examine what you do and learn how to bring more love to it. Your spouse remains responsible for their conduct.
If both of you want to learn, you can each study the relevant course. Keep the attention on your own practice. Using a lesson to point out your spouse’s faults can turn the course into another source of disagreement.
No course can guarantee what another person will decide. If separation or an affair is part of your situation, describe the circumstances to a counselor before assuming the course fits. You can also read our guidance on working on your marriage alone and the women’s FAQs or men’s FAQs.
Your concern may be one painful incident or a pattern that has developed over years. These are some of the subjects covered in TMF’s marriage resources and courses. Ask a counselor if you need help judging their fit for your circumstances.
A disagreement can become a familiar exchange in which both people know what comes next. Our teaching addresses fighting and the reactions that sustain it. You examine your own role in those exchanges and practice the course’s approach to responding with greater care.
If you want an introduction before choosing a course, the free articles and videos let you hear how Paul approaches marital conflict.
Anger can affect your tone, your words, and how you treat your spouse after a conversation ends. The lessons give attention to reactions and the habits behind them. You can study that material and ask a TMF counselor about difficulties applying it.
Read Why Am I So Angry at My Husband? for one of our articles on this subject. Threats, violence, or immediate danger call for specialist help and attention to safety.
You may feel unheard, or find that an ordinary question leads to a defense or an accusation. Marital communication is part of the course’s teaching. The work includes looking at how you listen, the assumptions you bring, and the way you respond.
You can bring a specific question about a lesson to your counselor instead of trying to settle every disagreement at once.
Some marriages become quiet rather than openly hostile. You may share a home while feeling little warmth or connection. Paul’s teaching places happiness and marital love at the center of marriage, with attention to how you care for your spouse each day.
Our article on a husband who does not show affection offers an introduction. The courses give you a longer sequence of study and practice.
Questions about intimacy often sit alongside questions about attention, love, and connection. Our books and courses discuss marriage as a relationship that needs ongoing care. Read the relevant course description to understand how that teaching is presented to husbands or wives.
You can ask about the course’s scope before enrolling. Marriage education does not replace care for a medical or mental health concern.
An affair or a separation raises questions that depend on the circumstances. The course addresses your own conduct and understanding; it cannot promise reconciliation or another person’s return.
Before choosing a course, ask a counselor about your situation. Read the separation question below and the relevant men’s or women’s FAQs for TMF’s stated limits.
You don’t have to begin with a purchase. Our marriage articles, videos, and podcast introduce Paul’s teachings and discuss common questions. They’re a useful place to start when everyday friction has left you wanting some guidance.
If your marriage feels strained and you want a fuller explanation, consider Paul’s books. Lessons for a Happy Marriage introduces his view of a happy marriage and how to work toward it. Breaking the Cycle goes into greater depth. You can read at your own pace and return to a passage as you think about your own marriage.
The online course adds a planned sequence of video lessons, written material, and email support. It is the option to consider when your marriage feels at risk and you want structured study with someone to ask as you practice. Compare the men’s course and women’s course descriptions with the books before deciding.
The free counselor form is available if you’re unsure which resource fits. Explain what is happening and what help you’re looking for. You can ask about a book, the course format, or whether your circumstances fall within the support TMF offers.
Paul Friedman worked as a divorce mediator before developing his marriage teachings. His work became the basis of TMF’s books, online courses, and training for TMF marriage counselors.
The Marriage Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Our About page describes the organization’s work helping couples since 2003 and its formal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2009, headquartered in San Diego, California.
Paul’s approach is spiritually oriented. He teaches about love and the soul as part of understanding marriage, while TMF is not affiliated with a religious organization. You can explore his teaching through the free resources before deciding whether it fits your beliefs and the kind of help you want.
Students can ask TMF counselors for guidance with the material. Read about our counselors and their training, and read students’ accounts alongside the course descriptions. A student’s experience is their own; your circumstances and your spouse’s decisions will also shape what happens in your marriage.
If you have a question about the teaching or its suitability, contact a counselor before enrolling. We want you to understand what you’re choosing and use your time and money well.
“Our marriage is being restored and it’s wonderful to have tools that work!”
“What they are doing to me as a soul is unbelievable.”
“I think of your book as a manual, something I never had.”
We offer free articles and videos, Paul Friedman’s books, and online marriage courses for men and women. The courses combine self-paced lessons with email support from TMF marriage counselors. Choose according to the help you need: an introduction to the teaching, a fuller explanation in a book, or structured study with counselor support.
If you’re searching for online marriage counseling or coaching, read the course description to understand this format. You study individually and ask questions by email. You can also ask a counselor for free before enrolling.
The courses are designed for individual study. You can begin even if your spouse does not want to participate. You’ll focus on your understanding of marriage and the habits and responses you can work on yourself.
If both spouses want to learn, each can study the relevant course. Neither arrangement guarantees reconciliation. The purpose is to give you teaching you can practice, without making your ability to begin depend on your spouse’s willingness to enroll.
You may have specific reasons for feeling hurt or frustrated. Studying the course does not require you to take responsibility for another person’s behavior. It asks you to examine what you can understand and change in your own actions.
You cannot make your spouse respond in a particular way. You can learn about your own reactions and decide how to apply the teaching in daily interactions. Describe your circumstances to a counselor if you need help understanding that distinction, especially where safety, an affair, or separation is involved.
Our resources address fighting, anger, marital communication, emotional distance, and the habits that affect love and connection. People also contact us when there has been infidelity or when one spouse is considering separation. The circumstances matter, so the presence of a topic in our teaching is not a promise that the course can resolve every situation.
Read the relevant women’s FAQs or men’s FAQs, and ask a counselor about your situation if you’re unsure whether to begin.
Marriage education has limits. Our resources and counselor form are not emergency services. If you or your children are in danger, seek appropriate emergency or specialist support when it is safe to do so. Alcohol or drug abuse also calls for professional help.
We cannot promise reconciliation or control over another person’s choices. Some separation circumstances fall outside what TMF can offer hope for; see the next answer for a specific limitation. Ask about suitability before purchasing if you have doubts about your circumstances.
The circumstances matter. If your wife has left the home and is involved with another man, we cannot offer hope for a full recovery through our system. Please read the Men’s FAQs for this specific limitation, or ask a counselor about your situation.
If your circumstances are different, explain them when you contact us. Separation alone does not tell a counselor what has happened or what each spouse has decided. Give enough detail to help us respond to the question you’re facing.
The current men’s and women’s courses are organized as 12-week programs. You study at your own pace and retain lifetime access, so you can return to lessons after the initial program.
There is no fixed timetable for every marriage. The course gives you a sequence of lessons to study and practice. It cannot guarantee reconciliation or your spouse’s choices. Ask for guidance when a lesson or its application is unclear, rather than judging your marriage against a promised completion date.
You can ask a TMF marriage counselor a question for free, and our articles and videos are available without buying a course. The complete online marriage courses are paid programs with a 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the trial and payment details on your chosen course page before enrolling. A free trial is different from a free full course. If you want to begin without enrolling, use the free resources or counselor form.
The women’s course payment section and men’s course payment section show the current options. Review the total cost as well as the installment amount, the number of payments, and the trial terms.
Our course format includes ongoing access to the lessons and counselor support. Compare those details with the kind of help you want. If you have a payment question, contact TMF before signing up rather than assuming an installment is the total course price.
If both of you want to enroll, contact TMF about the current couples enrollment options before purchasing. Ask for the combined total and any conditions that apply.
Both spouses can study, but your own participation does not depend on your spouse taking a course. Choose the format that allows you to begin the work you’re ready to do.
Paul’s teaching is spiritually oriented and places love at the center of marriage. TMF is not affiliated with a religious organization. The teaching includes Paul’s understanding of the soul and marriage; you can hear his approach in the free videos and read about it before enrolling.
If you have questions about whether the approach fits your beliefs, ask a counselor. We want you to understand the teaching you’ll be studying.
Yes. The Marriage Foundation’s About page describes its formal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2009. Our work includes marriage education through books, courses, and free resources.
You can read about Paul Friedman, our counselors, and supporting the organization on the TMF website.
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