This guide unpacks what it actually means to work with a Certified PREPARE/ENRICH Facilitator—from the research behind the assessment, through the practical skills you’ll build (communication, conflict resolution, financial alignment, intimacy, stress management, and more), to what the process looks like at Keystone Therapy in Perth.

We’re excited to announce that Keystone Therapy is now a Certified Facilitator for the PREPARE/ENRICH Program—one of the most widely used and rigorously researched relationship assessment and relationship education systems in the world.

Clinical note: PREPARE/ENRICH is not “couples therapy in a questionnaire.” It’s a structured, evidence-informed assessment process that helps couples identify patterns, clarify expectations, and practise skills—often alongside therapy for deeper attachment, trauma, neurodiversity, or mental health considerations.
(PREPARE/ENRICH, 2025; see also www.prepare-enrich.com)

What is the PREPARE/ENRICH Program?

PREPARE/ENRICH is an evidence-based relationship assessment (a structured set of psychometric measures—i.e., standardised questions designed to measure relationship patterns reliably) paired with a facilitated feedback and skills-building process.

In simple terms: you complete the assessment online, and then we sit down together to translate the results into clear, actionable relationship skills.

What the assessment measures (high level)

This section inventories the areas the tool typically covers, depending on which version is used and what’s clinically relevant for your relationship:

Communication (speaking, listening, emotional expression, repair)
Conflict Resolution (escalation patterns, problem-solving, safety)
Financial Management (values, spending/saving, roles, planning)
Personality & Partner Style (differences, preferences, triggers)
Family of Origin & Attachment Patterns (learned relational scripts)
Intimacy & Sexual Relationship (desire, expectations, safety, meaning)
Children & Parenting (values, roles, boundaries, parenting alignment)
Roles & Responsibilities (equity, division of labour, mental load)
Leisure & Friendship (connection rituals, shared interests)
Stress & External Pressures (workload, health, extended family)
Values / Spirituality (meaning-making, worldview, practices)
Cohesion & Flexibility (togetherness vs independence; adaptability)

Why certification matters (and what you get from it)

Being certified means we’re trained to:

interpret results accurately (not just “read a report”)
run feedback sessions in a way that is supportive, structured, and clinically safe
translate insights into practical exercises (home-based and session-based)
work ethically with sensitive topics (e.g., trauma history, trust breaches, coercion)
tailor the process for neurodivergent couples (e.g., ADHD/autism communication differences)

At Keystone Therapy, we integrate PREPARE/ENRICH into a broader brain-based and person-centred framework—so the work is not just about “relationship tips,” but about how nervous systems, emotion regulation, stress physiology, and learned attachment strategies show up in everyday interactions.

Who the PREPARE/ENRICH Program is for

PREPARE/ENRICH is flexible enough to support couples across relationship stages:

1) Engaged & pre-marital couples

You will learn where you’re already aligned and where you may need a plan—before stress exposes fault lines.

Common focus areas:

money assumptions (spending, saving, debt, transparency)
family boundaries (in-laws, holidays, culture)
role expectations (household tasks, career, children)
conflict patterns (withdraw/attack cycles, stonewalling, escalation)

2) Married or long-term couples wanting enrichment

Many couples aren’t in crisis—they just want a stronger “operating system.”

Typical goals include:

improving emotional closeness and friendship
rebuilding routines that create connection
negotiating life transitions (parenting seasons, shift work, illness, relocation)

3) Couples experiencing stuck conflict or disconnection

When the same fight repeats, it’s usually not the topic—it’s the pattern.

PREPARE/ENRICH helps make patterns visible, so you can interrupt them deliberately:

escalation and shutdown cycles
communication mismatches (logic vs emotion; speed vs processing time)
mismatched needs around intimacy and reassurance
resentment from unequal roles or “mental load”

4) Blended families and re-partnered relationships

Blended families often require explicit agreements about:

parenting roles and authority
loyalty binds and ex-partner dynamics
household rules and routines
different family cultures and “how we do things”

5) Couples under high external stress

This includes:

shift work / FIFO
caring responsibilities
financial pressure
mental health challenges (anxiety/depression)
neurodiversity (ADHD/autism) and associated stress/overload

What happens in a PREPARE/ENRICH process at Keystone Therapy

While we tailor the process, most couples can expect the following structure:

Step 1: Intake and suitability check (clinical safety first)

We confirm goals, context, and whether it’s clinically appropriate to proceed.

Safety consideration: If there is current domestic violence, coercive control, or significant fear, couples work may not be appropriate at that time. In those cases we will discuss safer, clinically recommended pathways (which may include individual support and specialist services).

Step 2: Online assessment (30–45 minutes each)

Each partner completes the assessment separately. Your responses generate a structured report.

Step 3: Feedback session(s)

We translate the report into:

relationship strengths you can intentionally leverage
growth areas that are realistic to work on (not “fix everything”)
patterns that keep you stuck
practical interventions matched to your profile

Step 4: Skill-building sessions (targeted, not generic)

The following sections outline the core modules that are commonly included—especially communication, conflict resolution, financial alignment, and role negotiation.

Module 1 — Communication (the skill set most couples think they have)

Communication is not just talking. Clinically, we’re assessing the full loop of:

sending a message
receiving it accurately
regulating emotion during the exchange
repairing misattunement (fixing the moment when you miss each other)

Common communication patterns the assessment may reveal

pursue/withdraw (one pushes for engagement; the other shuts down)
criticise/defend (one escalates; the other justifies)
mind-reading (assumptions replace clarity)
flooding (physiological overwhelm; the nervous system hits “panic mode”)

Practical communication tools we teach

Speaker–Listener structure
A turn-taking tool that lowers interruption, reduces defensiveness, and improves accuracy.
Reflective listening
Repeating the essence of what you heard before responding (not agreeing—just accurately receiving).
Emotion labelling
Naming the emotion reduces intensity and improves prefrontal regulation (plain English: it helps your brain stay online).
Repair attempts
Short phrases/actions that stop a spiral (“Can we reset?” “I’m on your team.” “I got that wrong.”)

Quick practice (homework-ready):

10 minutes, 3 times a week
one partner shares a stressor; the other mirrors and validates
no problem-solving unless requested

Module 2 — Conflict resolution (how to fight without damage)

Healthy couples don’t avoid conflict—they manage it safely.

This section inventories:

escalation style
how quickly you become flooded
whether you repair effectively
whether you solve problems or recycle them

Conflict “types” (why the same argument repeats)

Many recurring conflicts fall into one of these buckets:

solvable problems (logistics, schedules, routines)
perpetual problems (temperament differences, preferences, values)
injury-based conflict (betrayal, rejection sensitivity, trauma triggers)

Each type needs a different approach.

Evidence-informed conflict tools

Time-out with a return plan
Not “storming off”—a structured pause with a set time to re-engage.
Soft start-up
Starting complaints without criticism (reduces defensiveness).
One issue at a time
Prevents “kitchen-sinking” (dragging in everything since 2017).
Problem-solving framework
Define → brainstorm → choose → test → review.

Clinical note: If conflict includes intimidation, threats, or fear, standard conflict tools can be unsafe. We prioritise safety planning and appropriate referrals.

Module 3 — Financial management (money is rarely about money)

Financial conflict often reflects deeper issues: security, autonomy, trust, fairness, or identity.

What we assess and map

money scripts (learned beliefs from family of origin)
risk tolerance and security needs
roles (who pays, who plans, who tracks)
transparency (secrets, hidden spending, avoidance)
shared goals vs individual goals

A practical financial alignment plan (what we build)

Shared financial values statement (short, written, measurable)
Roles agreement (who does what, and how often you review)
Monthly “money meeting” (20–30 minutes; agenda-driven)
Conflict protocol (what you do when you disagree—before it escalates)

Sample “money meeting” agenda

current snapshot (income, bills, upcoming expenses)
discretionary spending check-in (no shaming—just clarity)
savings goals progress
one decision to make this month
appreciation/closing (end connected, not tense)

Module 4 — Roles, fairness, and the invisible workload

Many couples present with “communication issues,” but the root driver is often role overload and inequity.

We map:

household responsibilities
parenting load
cognitive load (remembering, planning, organising)
emotional labour (managing feelings, smoothing conflict, social planning)

Intervention focus:

clarify expectations explicitly
make the invisible visible (lists beat resentment)
renegotiate roles for current life stage (what worked pre-kids may not work now)

Module 5 — Connection, intimacy, and the sexual relationship

This area is approached respectfully and clinically.

We explore:

how each partner experiences intimacy (touch, time, words, play, sex)
desire discrepancies (common and workable)
stress, fatigue, hormones, medication effects
safety and consent
emotional intimacy vs physical intimacy

Professional guidance: Sexual concerns sometimes require multidisciplinary support (GP, pelvic health, endocrinology). Therapy can address the relational and psychological layers while collaborating with appropriate health providers.

Module 6 — Parenting, blended families, and extended family systems

You will learn how to reduce conflict by making expectations explicit in:

parenting style and discipline
boundaries with extended family
cultural or religious differences in child-rearing
blended family roles and authority

A key tool here is an agreed family values + rules document—short, clear, and revisited as children grow.

Module 7 — Stress, mental health, and neurodiversity (the nervous system layer)

At Keystone Therapy, we’re particularly attentive to the brain-based factors that shape relationships, including:

anxiety and depression (and how they change communication and intimacy)
trauma history (hypervigilance, shutdown, trigger sensitivity)
ADHD (impulsivity, forgetfulness, time blindness, emotion dysregulation)
autism (sensory overload, literal language preference, social fatigue)

This is where “just talk more” fails—because the nervous system may be overloaded. We build realistic strategies around:

regulation (sleep, exercise, routines, downshifting)
communication accommodations (processing time, written notes, structure)
predictable rituals of connection

PREPARE/ENRICH domains at a glance (comparison table)

Domain	What it assesses (plain language)	What we typically do in sessions	Clinical notes
Communication	How you talk/listen/repair	speaker–listener, reflective listening, repair skills	Focus on reducing misinterpretation and defensiveness
Conflict Resolution	How you fight and recover	time-outs, soft start-up, problem-solving	Safety screening is essential
Financial Management	Money beliefs + behaviour	money meeting, roles, transparency	Money often represents security/control/trust
Roles & Responsibilities	Division of labour	renegotiation, explicit agreements	“Invisible work” is a common resentment driver
Intimacy & Sexuality	Connection + expectations	desire conversations, consent, connection rituals	May involve medical collaboration
Children & Parenting	Values + discipline alignment	parenting agreements, boundary setting	Especially important for blended families
Family & Friends	External relationships	boundaries, time allocation	In-law stress is common at transitions
Stress	Pressure load	stress plan, self-regulation, workload review	Chronic stress predicts conflict frequency
Personality	Differences and triggers	“difference map,” compassion + accommodation	Differences aren’t defects—manage them

The evidence base (what research supports)

PREPARE/ENRICH is widely referenced in relationship education and counselling contexts.

“PREPARE/ENRICH is the most widely used premarital and marriage assessment in the world.”
(PREPARE/ENRICH, 2025; www.prepare-enrich.com)

As with any evidence-informed tool, outcomes depend on:

willingness to practise skills outside sessions
safety and stability factors (e.g., addiction, coercion, untreated mental illness)
how well the process is tailored to the couple’s context

Getting started with PREPARE/ENRICH at Keystone Therapy (Perth + Telehealth)

Book an initial consult to clarify goals and suitability
Complete the online assessment (approx. 30–45 minutes each)
Attend feedback + skills sessions (often 2–6 sessions, depending on needs)

If you’re in Perth, we can do this in-person. Telehealth options are also available when clinically appropriate.

Taking the next step

If you’re looking for a structured, research-backed way to improve communication, reduce conflict, align finances, and strengthen your connection, PREPARE/ENRICH is a practical place to start—and certification ensures you’re guided through it properly.

Ready to begin? Contact Keystone Therapy on 0466095490 to schedule your consultation and start your PREPARE/ENRICH process.

Terms and conditions apply. Contact our office for complete program details and scheduling information.

Keystone Therapy Now a Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator