Review of Marriage Crisis Programs

Which one works best?
Who has the most success?

Do you need marriage help? People used to go to marriage counseling, but counseling failed previous generations and its dismal success rate is now well documented (see New York Times "Married with Problems? Therapy May Not Help," 4/19/05). Research shows that in the majority of cases marriage counseling does not work.

Now people use a number of marriage counseling alternatives. Some of these programs are veryeffective. They are also more convenient and affordable than marriage counseling. They are private too.

But which of these programs works best? Who has the most success saving marriages? And what can you expect from these programs?

Below is a review and a ranking of the most popular marriage help programs.

The programs include: Marriage Fitness with Mort Fertel, Keep Your Marriage, Save The Marriage, Save My Marriage Today, Joseph Grant's Program and Stop Your Divorce.

Rating: 90%

Overview
Mort Fertel's Marriage Fitness is the most effective marriage counseling alternative out there. The success stories outshine all of the other marriage programs. Marriage Fitness with Mort Fertel works for almost every marital situation, including when only one spouse is trying to reconcile the marriage.

Content
The methodology of the Marriage Fitness program is different than marriage counseling and the other programs available. Mort Fertel's advice is sound. The information found in the Marriage Fitness program is easy to apply and practical. The crux of Mort Fertel's approach to saving marriages is truly groundbreaking in the field.

Formats
There are 3 formats available:

The most popular is the Marriage Fitness Tele-Boot Camp... a multi-media program that includes CD's, a workbook, teleconferences, a 1-on-1 with Mort Fertel and an optional DVD. This is the complete program. It's comprehensive.
The Marriage Fitness Audio Program is a 5 CD budget/starter set.
Free marriage fitness e-help is available too. Take it! People find it helpful.

Customer Service
Dedicated administrative staff. Very responsive and easily accessible. Emails returned within 1 business day. Office staff available via phone during normal business hours.

Summary
Our top choice. Highly recommended. Hardly any complaints about Mort Fertel's program. Visit Marriage Fitness with Mort Fertel web site.

Rating: 65%

Overview
Keep Your Marriage is a good program. Nancy Wasson advises from a traditional marriage counseling perspective. Reliable and offers modules for different marital issues. This program does a good job "cheerleading" people not to give up on their marriage.

Content
The quality of the content varies from module to module. It's informative, but it's basically traditional marriage counseling "in a box."

Formats
There are not so many different formats as much as different products:

Keep Your Marriage. This is the flagship product. A downloadable book.
"Overcome Control Conflict." An 8 CD set.
"How to Survive a Marriage Crisis." 1 CD.

Customer Service
Responsive and accessible. Emails returned promptly. Availabe via phone.

Summary
This is a good second choice. All the products are useful to some extent, but they lack a comprehensiveness needed to fully reconcile a marriage.

Rating: 50%

Overview
Lee Baucom has done solid work categorizing various types of marital dynamics, helping people understand conceptually what they're dealing with, and prescribing solutions that fit for each situation.

Content
The Save The Marriage content is good if you accept the way different situations are categorized and if your situation fits one of the categories. But you may feel that your situation is not described.

Formats
Downloadable book only.

Customer Service
Does not take phone orders, but otherwise responsive. No admin staff. A 1 man operation.

Summary
A unique way of looking at things, which may work for some and not for others. May be worth a try.

Rating: 50%

Overview
Save My Marriage Today is an established program with a loyal following that is easy to understand and apply. Amy Waterman succeeds to avoid psychological technical language and explain relationship dynamics in layman's terms.

Content
This program is mostly common sense advice, but for most users not common practice.

Formats
Downloadable book. Other programs available once you're a customer.

Customer Service
Located in New Zealand and only available via email.

Summary
A good book, but no advantages over the more successful programs listed above.

Rating: 45%

Overview
Joseph Grant's program is a "this is what you should say" to stop your divorce program. It's not just for marriages; it can also be used to stop a lover's rejection. It is not clear who Joseph Grant is, where he works, or what his credentials are.

Content includes:
The 13 Most Common Relationship Repair Strategies that Never Work.
Playing Hard to Get.
How to Break the Nagging Habit in 21 Days.

Formats
Downloadable book

Customer Service
Responsive and accessible via email only.

Summary
A lot of reverse psychology tactics; some of which could be considered manipulative, and many of which could cause long term damage to a relationship. Some good points too.

Rating: 30%

Overview
The Stop Your Divorce program is sold by an internet marketing company. The author gets private phone sessions from it. The program attempts to describe how to stop a divorce. It tells you what to do and what do say. Many of the practices are not sound, and in some cases even unethical.

Content
How to trick your spouse into not divorcing you.

Formats
Downloadable book only.

Customer Service
Responsive and accessible. Emails returned promptly. Available via phone during normal business hours.

Summary
A downloadable ebook marketed by an internet marketing company and written by a marriage author. The program contains some questionable and ineffective practices.