{"id":150116,"date":"2025-12-04T09:18:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//?p=150116"},"modified":"2026-02-24T14:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T19:14:10","slug":"ucf-relationship-education-program-to-support-first-responder-couples-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//ucf-relationship-education-program-to-support-first-responder-couples-parents/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116//","title":{"rendered":"UCF Relationship Education Program to Support First Responder Couples, Parents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the next five years, UCF/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2019s Marriage and Family Research Institute (MFRI) will equip 1,500 Central Florida couples with tools to strengthen bonds, improve communication and build more resilient relationships through the latest iteration of Project Harmony /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2014 this time with a focus on targeted support for first responders and parents./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

Project Harmony, a grant-funded research project initially funded and launched at UCF in 2015, helps couples connect and strengthen their relationships by equipping them with skills for improving communication and resolving conflict. It uses Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), an established evidence-based relationship intervention curriculum, to teach core skills but also offers a personalized approach through tailored programming and relationship coaching./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

Participants learn strategies for effective communication, hone active listening and conflict management skills, and gain tools for coping with stressful situations /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2014 all taught in a group format with flexible scheduling options to accommodate participants, who also receive free childcare, meals and gift cards to help mitigate barriers to participation./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201cWe talk about what healthy relationships look like, the communication pitfalls we can fall into when we feel invalidated or unheard, and understanding love languages and styles,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201d says Sejal Barden, professor of counselor education and Project Harmony/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2019s principal investigator. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201cUltimately, it leaves couples with a new curiosity for what their needs are and how to meet their partner/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2019s needs with consideration for who and where they are now. By knowing that relationships are constantly evolving, they can use these skills to position themselves to evolve together as opposed to growing apart./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

Meeting a Need in the Community/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

Funded by a five-year, $6.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Project Harmony builds on decades of relationship education research through the MFRI. Couples will be placed in one of three subgroups tailored to their needs: Unite in Harmony for general relationship education, Shield in Harmony for first responders and their partners, or Raise in Harmony for couples who are also parents./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

Barden says the tailored programming stems from both research and prior feedback indicating a need for relational support based on specific stressors unique to couples in these subgroups. All couples participate in the core PREP curriculum, but those in the Shield and Raise groups will engage in four to five hours of their own unique curriculum /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2014 something that is being developed with input from members of the first responder community and parenting experts, respectively./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

For first responders and their partners, relationship stressors can be more nuanced due to the nature of the job. These can include varying shift schedules, occupational hazards and the stress that often accompanies them. Barden/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2019s team is currently conducting focus groups with Central Florida-area firefighters, law enforcement officers and paramedics, as well as their partners, to learn more about their experiences./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201cI don/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u2019t think we can underestimate the impact of the occupational demands of being a first responder, not only on the individual but on the family dynamic at home,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201d Barden says. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201cThey keep our communities safe, so the least we can do is provide a service back to them./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/150116/n