Couples in crisis need a different kind of help. Learn how to give it.
A live, three-hour foundational training with Dr. Becky Whetstone, Ph.D., America’s Marriage Crisis Manager®. Offered four times in 2027. Live on Zoom. Kept small so you can ask questions.
The moment most of us were never trained for
One spouse says, “I think I want out.” The other wants to save the marriage at any cost. Both nervous systems are on fire. And the couple lands in your office expecting you to know what to do.
Traditional couples therapy assumes two motivated partners. A marriage in crisis has one. Push the Decider toward working on the marriage too soon and they pull the plug. Let the Leaning-in Partner keep chasing and they push their spouse right out the door. Most of us were never taught what to do in that moment, so we wing it.
I know what that costs. In 1993 my own marriage went into crisis, and our marriage therapist sent us away to fend for ourselves. We made every mistake in the book and divorced too soon. I have spent nearly 30 years building the model I wish that therapist had used. Now I teach it.
Your path to certification
This training is the first step toward becoming a Certified Marriage Crisis Manager.
- Foundations Training (this training). Three hours, live. You learn the model, the language, and the first moves: how to assess the crisis, stabilize the couple, and guide what comes next. Everyone who wants to be certified starts here.
- Marriage Crisis Manager Certification Program. The in-depth training. Foundations graduates are invited to continue into the full program, where you learn to manage a crisis from start to finish and beyond: managed separation, reconciliation, amicable divorce, co-parenting, and stepfamily dynamics.
- Certified Marriage Crisis Manager. Join the first generation of clinicians trained in this model, and be listed as a referral resource for couples in crisis who are looking for exactly what you do.
What you will learn
- What marriage crisis management is, and how it differs from couples therapy and discernment counseling
- The anatomy of a marriage crisis: the announcement, the activated nervous system, and why rational decisions are impossible until both partners are stabilized
- The two roles in every crisis: the Decider and the Leaning-in Partner, and what each one needs from you
- The Five Stages of Marital Deterioration, and how to diagnose where a marriage stands today
- The Marriage Circles exercise, my assessment tool for showing a couple, in one picture, where each partner stands
- How to stabilize a couple in the first sessions, including exactly what to tell the Leaning-in Partner
- When a Decider needs space, and how a Managed Separation gives it to them with structure, rules, and a timeline
- How to guide the decision: reconcile, separate with structure, or divorce amicably and protect the children
- Why marriage crisis management is the most underserved niche in our field, and what it looks like as a practice
Bring a case or two you wish had gone differently. This is a working session.
Who this training is for
- Marriage and family therapists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists who work with couples
- Clinicians who keep seeing couples on the brink and want a clear model for what to do
- Therapists who enjoy teaching, directing, and coaching, and can hold two panicked people at once
- Anyone considering the full Marriage Crisis Manager Certification Program
2027 training dates
Every training covers the same foundational content. Choose the date that works for you. All times are Central.
| Training date | Time | Registration closes |
|---|---|---|
| January 16, 2027 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT | January 13 |
| April 3, 2027 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT | March 31 |
| July 17, 2027 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT | July 14 |
| October 9, 2027 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT | October 6 |
Tuition
- Foundations Training: $297
- Add 3 CE hours: $99 (CE approval pending)
- Pay by bank transfer (ACH) with no fee, or by card with a 3% processing fee.
- Your Zoom link arrives by email after you register.
Registration for April, July, and October opens soon.
Your trainer
Becky Whetstone, Ph.D., is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Arkansas and Texas, known as America’s Marriage Crisis Manager®. She has specialized in marriage and family work for nearly 30 years and has guided thousands of couples through crisis. She created the Five Stages of Marital Deterioration framework, the Marriage Circles exercise, and the Managed Separation Agreement, and is the author of I (Think) I Want Out: What to Do When One of You Wants to End Your Marriage (HCI Books, 2025). She is a former columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and presents on marriage crisis management to therapist organizations across the country.
Questions
Is the training live?
Yes. It is taught live on Zoom, and groups are kept small so you can ask questions.
Do I need this training to join the certification program?
Yes. The Foundations Training is the required first step.
What if I can’t make a date?
The training runs four times in 2027. Join whichever date fits your schedule.
Should I read the book first?
It helps. I (Think) I Want Out lays out the full model and is the best preparation you can do.
Still have questions?
Contact Becky.
The therapist this couple needs is you.
You are the panicking person’s lighthouse in a storm. Let me show you how.