The Couples Therapy Method That Creates Lasting Change – Fast

When relationships reach breaking point, Relational Life Therapy provides the healing and skills to powerfully reconnect – for couples in crisis and the therapists who guide them.

Meet The Relational Life Institute’s Founder: Terry Real

“I founded the Relational Life Institute because people all around the world are crying out for more from their relationships. We want a lifelong romance filled with passion and meaningful connection, but we were never taught how to create it.

We’re building a movement of relational practitioners who can bridge that gap, guiding couples, individuals, and our culture at large into the authentic, lasting connection we crave and rightly deserve.”

Upcoming Events & Trainings

Explore workshops, courses, and events designed to help you live and work more relationally.

Online

Free Training

Jun 2026

The 5 Losing Strategies Sabotaging Your Clients’ Relationships

…and how to identify and work with each one

Live with Terry Real

TAUGHT BY

Terry Real

Online

Jun 2026

Jul 2026

Relational Reset

Learn the tools to stay grounded in the moments that matter most with Terry Real and Dr. Alex Howard.

Montreal

Sep 2026

A One-Day Immersion Into the Foundations of Relational Life Therapy

An in-person training for therapists and coaches who want a clearer, more effective way to work with couples – especially when trust is broken or you’re stuck continuously mediating the same fight.

Online

Jul 2026

Aug 2026

Level 1 Live

Get the step-by-step roadmap for understanding any relationship problem with the kind of precision that builds trust from the very first session

Montreal, Canada

Sep 2026

RLT Conference 2026

Come together with a worldwide community of therapists and coaches to expand your learning…

Online

Free Training

Jun 2026

The 5 Losing Strategies Sabotaging Your Clients’ Relationships

…and how to identify and work with each one

Live with Terry Real

Real Results

How Relational Life Therapy has transformed the way others show up in their relationships,  for clearer communication and greater intimacy.

The things I was taught in school were not practical and I felt stuck in my practice. I’m so grateful for the experiences I have had with the RLT training. I now see relationships in a way that finally makes sense to me and I have more confidence working with couples because I have something that is realistic and I believe works and more importantly my clients are able to grasp and practice.”

— Jen K.

Terry’s work provided foundations of “telling the truth” to clients. I did it easily with individuals but stumbled with couples. Now I LOVE working with couples. It is now always profoundly moving & instructive.”

— Jeanne O.

Newsletter

Stay Connected

Join our email newsletter to receive relationship advice from Terry Real, plus details on our upcoming courses and events.

By entering your email address you agree to receiving emails from Terry Real and the Relational Life Institute. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Free Resources

Read about RLT in The New York Times

Discover how Terry’s direct, heartfelt approach helped one couple rebuild their marriage after years of disconnection.

Listen on the Tim Ferriss Show

Hear Terry Real share why he broke the old rules of couples therapy, and the big challenges facing men in modern relationships.

Take the Free Relationship Quiz

Uncover the hidden patterns that keep you stuck in conflict or distance – and the first steps to changing them

"I have a clear structure and confidence to help couples get to the heart of the issue."

Anisha Kaul

RLT Certified Relational Coach

“I am reinvested in my work.

After 25 years of working as a Psychotherapist and Marriage Counselor I was ready to “hang it all up.” I was more than burnt out. Now, 6 months later, I am reinvested in my work and enjoying it in a brand new way. Renewed energy and enthusiasm for my work has replaced the negativity I was experiencing. Thanks so much RLT!

Roseanna Zoubek

LCSW, West Orange, NJ

“Now I LOVE working with couples.

— Jeanne O.

Stay Connected

Get Relationship Support Straight to Your Inbox

Whether it’s for you or your clients, enter your details to receive relationship tips and be the first to know about our courses.

By entering your email address you agree to receiving emails from Terry Real and the Relational Life Institute. You can unsubscribe at any time.

The Relational Life

Working With Grandiosity

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

9.5 NBCC CE credit hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals ($40 additional fee).

ACEP No. 7495

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Over 5 LIVE 90-minute classes with Terry Real, you will learn how to effectively address issues of grandiosity in your clients. You’ll discover a range of strategies and techniques to confront grandiose clients with the impact of their behaviors, build an alliance, motivate them to change, and guide them into connection—with themselves and those around them.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Identify what’s deficient in grandiose clients and understand how you supply it as the therapist.
Identify strategies to confidently handle resistance, evasion, and verbal abuse.
Understand how to reconnect grandiose clients to themselves and those around them.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Understand the origins of grandiosity and why it isn’t always a defense against shame.

Identify techniques to find leverage to motivate grandiose clients to engage in the therapy.

Explain why taking sides is critical when working with grandiosity—and understand how to do it.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/working-with-grandiosity/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 9.5 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade) showing the material has been learned in order to receive a certificate
No partial credit is available
Failure to complete and submit these materials will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.

If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$495

3 Payments

3 x $175

$525 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Please Note:

Licensing Boards change regulations often and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Level 2 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Intermediate Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10 ICF CCE hours (2 Core Competency + 8 Resource Development)

ICF CCE

International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 2 Core Competency hours and 8 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Building on the foundational diagnostic lenses introduced in RLT Level 1, this course invites clinicians into the transformative next phase of Relational Life Therapy: deep trauma work. Therapists expand their capacity to understand each partner’s relational stance—how it was formed, how it functions defensively, and how it can be reshaped in the service of intimacy. Participants learn to conduct powerful inner child work in the presence of the partner, work effectively with resistance and leverage, and integrate attachment styles with trauma and relational stances—leaving with practical, structured tools for facilitating trauma repair within couples therapy.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Explain when to use positive and negative leverage
Describe joining through, as opposed to clobbering someone with, the truth
Describe using the family of origin work to rebalance the relationship
Explain moving from the present into the past by using the “affect bridge” (when have you felt these feelings before?)
Explain Transitioning to Family of Origin by using the 3 questions: (Whom did you see do this? Who did it to you? And who did you do it to and no one stopped you?)
Explain how to frame current difficulties as the opportunity to transform one’s legacy and hand over a different future to one’s children
List 4 types of trauma and where they fall on the Trauma Grid
Describe how the Adaptive Child is formed
Discuss re-parenting the Adaptive and Wounded Child parts
List the five fears behind resistance and how to respond to them
Describe understanding and befriending the resistant part
Describe using positive and negative leverage with a resistant part
Explain how to sell the value of intimacy along with its skills to a Type 1 Love Avoidant
Explain how to teach negotiation and the assertion of needs along with appropriate trauma work when dealing with a Type 2 Love Avoidant
Explain how to work on self-esteem, boundaries, and the remembrance of abundance when working with Love Dependents

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Deepen understanding of each partner’s relational stance and its developmental origins

Identify and address multi-generational legacies influencing current couple dynamics

Conduct structured inner child work in the presence of the partner to foster empathy and intimacy

Facilitate trauma repair within the relational system rather than in isolation

Recognize and effectively work with client resistance using leverage principles

Practice detachment from outcome while maintaining clear therapeutic leadership

Apply attachment theory within RLT to guide interventions and strengthen relational connection

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-2-training/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course and attended all five LIVE online sessions in full in order to receive a Continuing Education certificate.
No partial credit is available — partial attendance does not qualify for partial CE hours.
At the end of the final session you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your certificate. The certificate is free of charge.
Failure to attend all sessions will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.

If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, or organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Level 1 – Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10 ICF CCE hours (7 Core Competency + 3 Resource Development)

ICF CCE

International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 7 Core Competency hours and 3 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Terry Real presents RLI’s introductory training course, Relational Life Therapy Level 1. Over five recorded classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principles behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT) as taught by Terry Real, designed to give you an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. Students will discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy, and explore the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples. RLT is about action and lasting results, and the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through The Truth, and psychological patriarchy are presented. RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and prepares you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy.
Describe the role and approach of the practitioner in RLT.
Diagnose the RLT view of power imbalances in couples, of psychological patriarchy, and how these are addressed through therapy.
Summarize Relational Mindfulness and the “fight, flight, fix” responses.
Describe the role and approach of the therapist in RLT.
Explain the two types of leverage.
Discuss the concept of appropriate discrepancy and how it works with neuroplasticity.
List the 8 diagnostic lenses in RLT.
Interpret how preconditions are addressed in RLT.
Compare the two types of boundaries.
Demonstrate strategies for empowering latent clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” – neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT practitioners will confront and teach their clients how to live relationally.

Hypothesize how RLT practitioners use judicious self-disclosure, sharing stories of how they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-1-homestudy/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade)
No partial credit is available
Failure to complete materials results in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions.

Instructions are included in your RLT Course Library for Homestudy Level 1 at https://learn.relationallife.com/
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Level 3 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

11 NBCC CE hours for Advanced Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

11 ICF CCE hours (7 Core Competency + 4 Resource Development)

ICF CCE

International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 7 Core Competency hours and 4 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for advanced level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

This is an advanced training for RLT clinicians who have completed our Level 1 and Level 2 trainings. Terry guides participants through a combination of lecture, video presentation, discussion, role plays, and a previously recorded LIVE demonstration of RLT couples therapy, grounding theory in practice. You will observe and then practice the more advanced techniques of RLT—drilling down into how to empower the latent and reconnect the blatant—focusing on the art of therapeutic coaching and mentoring clients into relationality.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Practice ways to increase skill in working with family of origin issues.
Construct empowering reframes.
Demonstrate blocking and repositioning.
Analyze and articulate the couple’s choreography, their dynamic (e.g. the more she pursues, the more he withdraws).
Integrate Attachment Theory into RLT.
Identify and work on your “edges” as an RLT therapist.
Interpret the tri-part system of the psyche: wise adult, adaptive child, wounded child.
Measure the neurobiological underpinnings of trauma adaptation and recovery.
Utilize their clients’ relationships as crucibles for their own transformation.
Explain to your clients how to use the relational map and tool kit, a relational technology, that has the power to deliver on our new romantic ambitions.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Joining through the truth

What is relationality, what is self esteem?

What is real intimacy?

Triggering, types of leverage, relational reckoning

Taking a fixed position

Identifying reacting and modeling behaviors

Using skill transference, relational jujitsu

Constructing empowering reframes

RLT Stances, amplifying progress and dealing with resistance

Blocking and repositioning

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-3-training/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 11 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course and attended all five LIVE online sessions in full in order to receive a Continuing Education certificate.
No partial credit is available — partial attendance does not qualify for partial CE hours.
At the end of the final session you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your certificate. The certificate is free of charge.
Failure to attend all sessions will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $187

$561 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Working With Infidelity

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

7 NBCC CE hours for Intermediate Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

A 5-module previously recorded training on how to work with couples to help them come back from infidelity. This offers the unique RLT perspective on working with infidelity, where not only do we help couples survive an affair, but we focus on using the crisis as an opportunity for deeper change in the relationship.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Summarize the goals of treatment: using the crisis as a springboard for transformational change in the character of each partner and the essential character of the union itself
Compare the 2 phases of treatment: containment and transformation
Demonstrate how to deal with countertransference: managing your own feelings around infidelity
Create a platform for the hurt partner to deal with the trauma of betrayal and deceit
List what ultimately helps hurt partners regain trust
Identify the dysfunctional relational stances that contributed to the infidelity and how to address them
Explain the 3 reasons behind an involved partner’s lack of “no”
Outline how each partner can implement the relational skills for a stronger and healthier relationship
Discuss moving beyond the victim/perpetrator framework into one that builds hope

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

An Overview of the RLT Approach to Infidelity

The Hurt Partner: Infidelity as a Trauma

The Involved Partner: Understanding the Lack of “No”

Infidelity as an Opportunity for Transformation

Infidelity in the Modern Age: Biases, Assumptions, and Models of Fidelity

Registration URL

relationallife.com/infidelity/#link

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 7 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade)
No partial credit is available
Failure to complete materials results in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions.

Instructions are included in your RLT Course Library for this course at https://learn.relationallife.com/
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$497

3 Payments

3 x $179

$537 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Getting to a Second Session

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

2 NBCC CE hours — free upon successful completion of a short online assessment

ACEP No. 7495

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

This self-paced training introduces therapists and coaches to one of the eight core diagnostic lenses used in Relational Life Therapy (RLT): The More, The More. Participants learn how to quickly identify the repeating relational pattern in a couple’s first session — and give them a compelling reason to return for a second.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/second-session/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 2 NBCC credit hours (free with completion)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
Participants must complete a course Evaluation and pass a short online assessment (80% or higher). The 2 NBCC CE credit hours are then available free upon completion. No partial credit is available.

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 48 hours after the first live class. (Deadline for refunds: May 21, 2026.)

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering a professional training program for clinicians, and has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

RLT Level 1 Training

LIVE Workshop Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Bonny Slim, LMFT & Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals — free certificate

ACEP No. 7495

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Five LIVE Online Sessions on Zoom — facilitated by Bonny Slim, LMFT & Terry Real, LICSW

Course Description

Over five live classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principles behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT) — an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. Discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy; the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples; and the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through the Truth, and psychological patriarchy. RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and prepares you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy.
Describe the role and approach of the therapist in RLT.
Diagnose the RLT view of power imbalances in couples, of psychological patriarchy, and how these are addressed through therapy.
Summarize Relational Mindfulness and the “fight, flight, fix” responses.
Identify the different types of leverage.
Discuss the concept of appropriate discrepancy and how it works with neuroplasticity.
List the seven lenses.
Interpret how preconditions are addressed in RLT.
Compare the two types of boundaries.
Demonstrate strategies for empowering latent clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” — neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT therapists and coaches will confront and teach their clients how to live truly relationally.

Hypothesize how RLT therapists and coaches use judicious self-disclosure, sharing how they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-1-live-july-26/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC credit hours (free with completion)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Requirements for CE Certificate (free of charge):
At the end of the course you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your free CE certificate. To qualify you must attend the entire course (attendance is recorded; no partial credit) and pass an assessment quiz demonstrating your understanding of the material.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$395

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 48 hours after the first live class. (Deadline for refunds: May 21, 2026.)

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us. He founded the Relational Life Institute and has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Bonny Slim, LMFT began training in RLT in 2012 and has participated in most of Terry’s courses since. She teaches several Practicum Trainings each year; her favorite aspect of RLT is that practicing relational skills in our own lives is essential to authentically sharing them with others.

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Couples Therapy Method That Creates Lasting Change – Fast

Meet The Relational Life Institute’s Founder: Terry Real

Upcoming Events & Trainings

The 5 Losing Strategies Sabotaging Your Clients’ Relationships

Relational Reset

A One-Day Immersion Into the Foundations of Relational Life Therapy

Level 1 Live

RLT Conference 2026

The 5 Losing Strategies Sabotaging Your Clients’ Relationships

Real Results

Stay Connected

Free Resources

Read about RLT in The New York Times

Listen on the Tim Ferriss Show

Take the Free Relationship Quiz

"I have a clear structure and confidence to help couples get to the heart of the issue."

“I am reinvested in my work.

Roseanna Zoubek

“Now I LOVE working with couples.

— Jeanne O.

Get Relationship Support Straight to Your Inbox

The Relational Life

Working With Grandiosity

Continuing Ed Details

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

Target Audience

Course Content Level

Format:

Course Description

Learning Objectives:

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Understand the origins of grandiosity and why it isn’t always a defense against shame.

Identify techniques to find leverage to motivate grandiose clients to engage in the therapy.

Explain why taking sides is critical when working with grandiosity—and understand how to do it.

Registration URL

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 9.5 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Cost

One-Time Payment

$495

3 Payments

3 x $175

$525 in total

Instructor’s Bios:

The Relational Life

Level 2 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

Target Audience

Course Content Level

Format:

Course Description

Learning Objectives:

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Deepen understanding of each partner’s relational stance and its developmental origins

Identify and address multi-generational legacies influencing current couple dynamics

Conduct structured inner child work in the presence of the partner to foster empathy and intimacy

Facilitate trauma repair within the relational system rather than in isolation

Recognize and effectively work with client resistance using leverage principles

Practice detachment from outcome while maintaining clear therapeutic leadership

Apply attachment theory within RLT to guide interventions and strengthen relational connection

Registration URL

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Instructor’s Bios:

The Relational Life

Level 1 – Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

Target Audience

Course Content Level

Format:

Take the Free Relationship Quiz