Resources for Pre-marriage Preparation Organizations

ACME (Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment), offers retreats, support groups, facilitator training and a regular newsletter to help couples keep marriages healthy. Call 1-800-634-8325, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, a clearinghouse for information about all sorts of skills-training programs. Call (202) 362-3332, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, or visit the Web site at www.smartmarriages.com.

Marriage Savers, a church-based program to prepare engaged couples and train mentor couples to help others sustain strong marriages. National headquarters in Bethesda, Md., (301) 469-5873, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.

PAIRS (Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills), a program developed by marriage therapist Lori Gordon that offers relationship training for engaged, married and gay couples. Call The Psychology Resource Center, (919) 469-0864, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; PAIRS International, 1-888-724-7748 anytime; or visit the Web site at www.pairs.com.

Palmetto Family Council, a nonprofit group working on family preservation. Has produced a marital-health index report. Call (803) 733-5600, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, or visit the Web site at www.palmettofamily.org .

PREPARE/ENRICH, a widely used questionnaire and follow-up program to help engaged and married couples identify strengths and weaknesses. Send a stamped self-addressed envelope to PREPARE/ENRICH, P.O. Box 190, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0190 for a list of area professionals using the survey.

PREP (Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program), a program to teach relationship skills to engaged and married couples. Call 1-800-366-0166, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, for a directory of people doing PREP courses.

Retrouvaille (retro-vie), a Catholic-sponsored program to help couples revive troubled marriages. Call 1-800-470-2230 anytime.