Dr. Bruce Fisher’s: “Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends”
Seminar Outline
The Fisher Seminar is a ten-week educational program to help you adjust to the end of a love relationship. It’s based on the work of Dr. Bruce Fisher, the renowned pioneer in the field of divorce recovery, and his Fisher Seminars. His definitive book, Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends is the foundation for this course.
As a seminar participant, you’ll take the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS) during the first class. The results are graphed and presented so you can see where you are in the adjustment process. Near the end of the program, you’ll answer the questions again to gauge your strides toward a healthier and happier life. The FDAS and course material are time-proven and over half a million people worldwide have already benefited from the class.
Session One
The Rebuilding Blocks
Perhaps you’ll begin this first night feeling, awkward, alone and scared. These are absolutely normal feelings and you won’t be alone in this state. In a comforting, safe and confidential space, you’ll become familiar with the Rebuilding Blocks that the class will focus on over the next ten weeks and you’ll answer the questions on the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale. The concepts of dumper and dumpee will be introduced and you’ll discover which one you truly are. Tonight, you’ll come to understand that rebuilding your life takes time and learn the importance of three essential tools for your learning and growth process. As the evening progresses, you’ll meet the other participants, volunteers, and leaders that will share this journey with you. You’ll begin to relax, make new acquaintances and see a glimmer of hope for a healthy and satisfying life as a single person.
Session Two
Adaptation
Tonight, you’ll receive the results of the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale. You’ll see a profile of yourself detailing several aspects of your life such as emotional disentanglement from your former love partner and your openness to social intimacy. The results are precisely presented and depict the areas that need the most work. And you might be pleasantly surprised at some of the strengths you’ve already developed. Then, the class switches gears and focuses on the healthy and unhealthy adaptive behaviors that have helped you survive life so far. You’ll get to know yourself and others in the class and have the opportunity to talk openly in small groups. You’ll begin to build a network of support with classmates and others in your life.
Session Three
Grief
Sometimes considered to be one of the most difficult and emotionally taxing sessions, this important night teaches you to understand the grieving process. You’ll learn to recognize and understand the symptoms of grieving and the importance of self-care. The evening culminates with a powerful exercise designed to help you let go of your past relationship.
Session Four
Anger
In this session, the myths of anger are dispelled. You’ll learn to use anger to your benefit to help resolve lingering relationship issues. Discover new skills to cope with anger and how to reduce the harmful anger in your life. Finally, positive ways to express anger will be discussed.
Session Five
Self-worth
This mid-point class is the favorite of most participants. In a uniquely wonderful exercise, you’ll learn to receive and accept compliments and make your relationships with others more loving. Find out how to diminish self-judgments and improve your feelings of worthiness. In this session smiles almost always begin to return.
Session Six
Transitions
It’s no surprise that the attitudes and feelings you’ve developed in your childhood are affecting you now. Tonight you’ll discover which of these are helpful and which are not. You’ll learn to recognize and cultivate the valuable part of your past and how to change what gets in the way of a healthy love relationship.
Session Seven
Openness
Masks are used to emotionally distance ourselves from others often rendering us more isolated and lonely than necessary. Exercises in this session teach how to safely take off masks and how doing this can help you become more authentic and open to closeness.
Session Eight
Love
How loveable are you? And just what is love anyway? Learning to love yourself is sometimes the first step to loving others maturely. Tonight, you’ll learn that loving yourself is not selfish or conceited, but the healthiest thing you can do. Finally, you’ll explore various definitions of love and perhaps gain a fresh perspective on love itself.
Session Nine
Relatedness
By now you may be wondering if you’re ready for another important relationship. Learn how short-term transitional relationships can help you grow and heal. Find out how the support and companionship helps us to rebuild and how to have a healthy termination. At the end of the evening you will answer the questions on the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale for the final time.
Session Ten
Sexuality
Entering back into the world of physical intimacy can be frightening. In this session, you’ll discover the importance of expressing your sexuality according to your personal moral code and how authenticity and responsibility are key elements in a relationship. Then, you’ll see the results of the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale you retook in Session Nine revealing just how much you’ve changed in the last ten weeks. The evening culminates in a special ceremony honoring your growth and new-found strengths.
