Dear Rabbi Shlomo,

We wanted to express our deep appreciation for your private couples retreat.

Your gentle nature and subtle guidance provided a safe environment to share our experiences, concerns and hopes for our relationship. During the retreat both myself and my husband were able to gain a better understanding of our thoughts and feelings and how to channel them to a deeper level of engagement in our relationship.

Your retreat provided us with the tools for calm and effective communication with an emphasis on acts of kindness and connection. The opportunity to feel heard by our spouse, and to observe the impact that feeling heard had on our spouse, was the greatest gift. Through the two days of training we were impressed with how focused and positive you kept the discussions even as we shared painful or disappointing scenarios. At no time was blaming or hurting allowed and you facilitated a positive energy through out. My husband shared how surprised he was with how the time flew by!  We left with the hope and reassurance that the deep relationship we both envisioned would be attainable especially if we diligently apply the techniques that you shared. We strongly recommend your program and encourage couples not only to consider this if they are in crisis but if they would like to re-imagine and deepen their current relationship.

Thank you again for the greatest gift of all.  We feel blessed to have met you.

Best

To those seeking help with their marriage,

Quite simply Rabbi Slatkin’s intensive marriage program helped my wife and I save our marriage. We are both successful, busy professionals with Type A personalities. Both divorced and used to getting our own way, each having our “way” of doing things. What started as two people together and aligned, greatly in love, had changed to two people in conflict and questioning if we each had made a bad choice. We tried traditional marriage counseling. That did not work as, after each 50 minute session, we went back to our routines as much as we wanted to use what we had been taught.

As a last resort, we looked into intensive marriage programs. While there were lots different programs, philosophies, and approaches, we narrowed it down to 4 we both felt comfortable with and contacted each. After our calls we decided that Rabbi Slatkin’s calm, deliberate and warm demeanor differed from more clinical approaches. He told us we were right where we were “supposed” to be, and he could help us help ourselves. We spent intense time with Rabbi Slatkin and he indeed help us understand more about ourselves and each other. We understood where our issues came from, and more importantly, forgave each other past mistakes. We learned how to communicate without all of the “stuff” of our past and present getting in the way.

That was about 45 days ago, and we are thrilled to have our marriage back. We communicate in an open, not threatening, non judgmental manner. We have gone back in time and now enjoy each other the way we both expected to when we got married. It takes work and dedication, but the rewards for us have been enormous. I feel absolutely sure that Rabbi Slatkin was/is right for us and we recommend him to others without hesitation.

Sincerely,

At the brink of a break-up, after 21 years of marriage, we took one last step to try and save our union. We investigated numerous couple therapists, and researched in detail how they conduct their versions of marriage intensives. After multiple rounds of interviews, we began to feel that Shlomo Slatkin, while being as competent as anyone else, also radiated this special, warm confidence – as if he was doing his life’s purpose and we were THE couple he was going to help. With a balanced mix of structure and sensitivity to our needs, Rabbi Slatkin confidently guided us through two days of self-reflection, discovery, and transformation. Combined with the “Getting the Love You Want” book, authored by Imago’s founders, Shlomo Slatkin’s intensive allowed us to undergo two individual transformations, and a third one – the transformation of our marriage. After the intensive, we embarked firmly on building a new type of union – the conscious marriage – that we realized we never really had (and that everyone deserves and is able to build). And after the retreat, Shlomo Slatkin did not leave us with unfinished business, but instead guided us through numerous & productive, 1.5-hour Skype sessions to build better communication and marriage building skills. Today, we enjoy deep, newly-found intimacy at all levels in our relationship. We are forever grateful to Rabbi Slatkin for saving our marriage, saving our love! And we recommend Rabbi Slatkin with no hesitation to couples in search of marital help & advice!!!

With gratitude,

We’d be separated right now if not for Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin. Ten years of marriage, 3 kids under 6, and ongoing arguments about the same issues brought us to a fork in the road. We had a breaking point that started the divorce process. After a week of separation, we agreed to seek counseling. We found a praised relationship counselor, but our meetings with him led to increased resentment, new ways to hate each other, arguing, and the worst feeling either of us have ever had. Counseling failed miserably. I was seeing an independent therapist, who happened to be an Imago certified counselor, and he gave me the book “getting the love you want,” and the text resonated with both of us. After searching for retreats, we found Rabbi Slatkin. My wife was raised Catholic and I was raised without religion. Finding a new point of view was important to both of us. We wanted to truly listen to and seek guidance from a new influence. We live in Michigan and drove to Baltimore for the session. My wife and I found what we were looking for! We found each other in the deepest way possible. No arguments. No resentment. We felt like we started a second marriage or graduated from “marriage college”. We are eager to recommend the Imago process, and Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin, to any couple. Especially those seeking restoration of their marriage, a deeper connection, or couples who need to “find each other” again.

After spending several months feeling stuck, depressed, and despondent in our marriage, I knew there had to be a way out and that the way out didn’t have to mean divorce lawyers, more anguish, and ruining the lives of our children. My husband was much less certain. But after meeting Rabbi Slatkin and doing the private retreat, my husband was able to completely revamp his thoughts, open his heart, and repave the road of destruction he thought he was traveling.

Rabbi Slatkin is an expert in this field, having studied Imago Therapy, and uses this as the basis to reteach couples how to communicate and heal. Many couples are unaware of their potential to communicate and relate on a deeper level, but after participating in his exercises, it became to clear to us how much more there was to our relationship than we had ever dared to know. We were hooked.

Our time together flew by, and we left yearning for more. We cannot believe how much we learned, how many new habits we’d like to create, and the potential that our marriage has.

We can’t thank Rabbi Slatkin enough for what he has done for us, and we are happy to recommend him to anyone else in need. We are certain you will feel the same gratitude for having been able to turn your lives around.

What is so unique about this experience is that Rabbi Slatkin spends 12 hours in two days with you, allowing you to make great, immediate progress, and you really focus on the issues at hand without being distracted by other responsibilities of life.

His voice is soothing and calming, allowing him to always remain neutral and to deescalate any heated moments. We never felt like he sided with anyone and he mostly encouraged us to talk through our issues without interrupting except for occasional feedback or reframing.

The exercises he does with you greatly enhance the couples’ connection and work to improve the overall feeling of the relationship.

I had the distinct privilege of working with Rabbi Slatkin and my husband for a two day seminar.

Not only is he masterful in translating the skills necessary to incorporate Imago into ones life, but he has a G-d given talent of genuine empathy and understanding of the human psyche.

I was blown away by his focus and ability to connect to the most complex and diverse situations!

We are a blended family , (with both major and minor issues) and he was able to help us in many areas.

He navigates the sessions with a unique ability to show no judgement, ( only a deep alignment with the struggle), and a tremendous humility!

I am grateful for the treasure of the two day seminar and am hopeful that the tools we learned together will improve the quality of our marriage!

I feel that the investment of time and money was well worth it for us!

I had little hope for our marriage surviving and wondered how we could possibly deal with two decades of hurt and dysfunction in a relatively short time. In fact, just like the books say, having the experience of “being heard for the first time” was profoundly and instantly transformative. I can hardly think of a marriage that wouldn’t benefit from work with him. And thinking of all of the people I know who have been divorced, I think that at least half of the marriages could have been saved by two days with Rabbi Slatkin.

Rabbi Slatkin, you have given us such a gift by working with us. After being ready to give up, I have new hope for our relationship. I really feel like I have a willing partner and that our marriage is worth fighting for

My husband and I were on the verge of separating and probably divorcing. Just prior to my taking the necessary steps to make that happen, my husband asked me if I would be willing to consult with Rabbi Slatkin first. We had previously considered asking Rabbi Slatkin for help, but did not follow through, and, instead sought help elsewhere. Although, the other help we sought was useful, we found that we were at an impasse and could make no further progress.

I agreed and asked Rabbi Slatkin to schedule us for his intensive program as I thought nothing less than something INTENSIVE could possibly help us at that point. Rabbi Slatkin recognized my urgency and was very responsive, scheduling us within a few days.

I must admit that although I was willing, I was definitely not optimistic, nor was I entirely open to us working things out with each other. I was only open to the slight possibility that our marriage could continue.

However, I was convinced that Rabbi Slatkin would be providing me a safe place where I could at the very least, say what I wanted to say without fear of my husband’s reaction. I no longer felt I had anything to lose. Knowing a very little bit about Imago therapy, I thought I might also find out some valuable things about myself whether or not my husband and I were able to work things out.

To my surprise, all three happened. I said what I wanted to say, I found out some extremely important things about myself, AND my husband and I both feel we have a good chance at marital success now that we know more information about each other and have tools to utilize to assist us in maintaining the open lines of communication in our marriage.

This was an extremely expensive solution that we could not afford to NOT do. We are both extremely grateful to have been able to take Rabbi Slatkin’s intensive program.

I am feeling very hurt from painful history in our 9 years of marriage. my husbands anger and quick temper made me very doubtful that he’d be able to handle the mirroring process. but it really worked to keep him from lashing back when I shared my hurt. I was for the 1st time able to feel like he was starting to hear me

We have tried many things for many years and I literally had to drag my wife along. After the 1st day of the intensive, she looked forward to waking up in the morning again for the first time in a long time

I would like to say how much I appreciate participating in 2 days intense session with Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin. It helped me a lot to understand what issue I have what was missing in our relationship what I’ve done wrong and what I need to do. Book materials, techniques, exercises and examples were so helpful. Positive atmosphere during sessions, guidance and help from rabbi, dialogues and open minded conversations brought a lot of positives and hopes. . I believe we found right way to go in our marriage and relationship. Thank you so much