While charting a course for a successful marriage, two Iowa State professors recommend using a MAPP.

The Marriage as Partners Program was designed by Harvey Joanning, professor of human development and family studies and director of ISU’s Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic, and his wife, Patricia Keoughan, adjunct professor of professional studies and a licensed marital and family therapist.

“In this country, we spend more time educating people on how to drive a car than we do on how to be married,” Joanning said.

Joanning has been examining what makes a successful marriage for 30 years, he said.

“I grew up in a very functional family. My parents got along great,” he said.

Because of this, he said he wondered why other couples didn’t get along well and began comparing successful and unsuccessful marriages.

His wife shared his interest and began doing research on the subject after they were married four years ago, Joanning said.

Through four workshop sessions, MAPP will help couples address four key issues that contribute to most divorces: communication, problem solving, money and sexuality.

“We think that this can be helpful to a long-lasting and satisfying relationship,” Keoughan said.

The first workshop will discuss communication styles.

Keoughan said the session will help couples understand their current communication styles.

They will teach participants another communication style so they can communicate better what they want and what their intentions are.

“Couples who struggle with communicating … don’t get to their problem solving very well; they get stuck or they fight,” Keoughan said.

She said a recent article demonstrated marital fighting alters stress hormones and makes people more susceptible to illness.

On the other hand, those who communicate better and fight less have better relationships and better health.

Keoughan said other sessions will build on the foundation of good communication.

She said they will help couples learn to come to a consensus, make themselves clear and listen carefully to what their mates are saying.

“We build on that to help them talk about money and then to help them solve problems in life,” Keoughan said.

A portion of the workshop will discuss different styles people have for managing money, planning for the future and investing money.

“We know that couples struggle around money,” Keoughan said.

A problem-solving session will discuss typical kinds of problems couples face, ways to address and deal with possible differences in values and goals.

They will discuss a “unique way of thinking about themselves as a couple,” Keoughan said.

Joanning said often the person who has more money in a relationship expects to have the decision-making power, which can be very problematic.

“Things as basic as budgeting and how central money can come to define the nature of a marital relationship,” Joanning said.

The final part of the workshop will discuss sexuality.

“We talk about what keeps a sexual relationship healthy,” Keoughan said.

“Making the relationship strong is part of what makes sex enjoyable for couples,” Keoughan said.

Joanning said the component of the program will also focus on how men and women have been “socialized to think differently about sex and sexuality.”

He said this often leads to confusion and problems between a couple.

Keoughan said her husband was the primary researcher in developing the program.

The first workshop session will take place Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny.

Keoughan said the workshops will be interactive, and people can still sign up or can wait for the next workshop cycle.

There is a fee of $100 for the entire session, Keoughan said.

For more information or to sign up for the workshop, contact Joanning at 294-5215 or Keoughan at 964-5005.