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Master The Powerful Approach To Couples Therapy To Evolve Your Career

Discover how to enhance your skills and amplify your results with Relational Life Therapy.

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“This world does not belong to us, we belong to each other.” — Terry Real

Profoundly Transform Individuals and Relationships

Help People Forge Fiercely Intimate, Authentic Connections—With Themselves and Others

As human beings, we crave connection, community, and closeness. Yet, we’ve never lived in a world that’s been more disconnected or individualistic.

We’re in the midst of a disconnection epidemic: we yearn for meaningful relationships, but we don’t have the skills to realize them. At no time in history has it been more apparent that intimacy is life’s holy grail.

As therapists, we can help people forge the intimate connections they so deeply desire. We can bring deep relief, healing, and change to relationships that are “on the brink,” catapulting couples to new levels of closeness.

When you become certified in Relational Life Therapy (RLT), you’ll learn the cutting-edge tools to transform relationships, help individuals heal from long-held trauma, and equip them with the skills to live relational, fulfilling lives: accountability, vulnerability, empathy.

And you know what else? These skills can profoundly affect your own relationships, allowing you to enjoy deeper, richer interactions with your partner, family, and friends.

RLT is a powerful method that, once mastered, can transform your life both professionally and personally.

Shall we begin?

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Cutting-edge tools to transform relationships

“Before RLT I felt like something was missing as a therapist.

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.

What is RLT?

Learn How To Go Deep Quickly and Create Fast Changes

Created by renowned couples therapist Terry Real, RLT is a unique, integrative therapy that helps people confront, understand, and overcome their negative behaviors to forge fiercely intimate connections in their relationships. RLT educates as much as it heals to equip people with the lifelong tools to live fully-connected, fearlessly authentic lives.

Authentic

We dare to tell the truth

Transparent

We never hide behind neutrality

Relational

We practice what we preach

The RLT Certification Explained

Your Path To Becoming an RLT Certified Therapist

The Certification comprises over 200 hours of high-quality training (+ an additional 100 hours in bonus trainings), in-depth support, a thriving community of like-minded professionals, and the flexibility to fit your study around your lifestyle.

Upon successful completion of all components, you receive certification as an RLT Certified Therapist or RLT Certified Practitioner.

The certification is split into four pillars:

1. RLT Core Curriculum

Build your understanding of the RLT techniques and cultural context via 30 hours of on-demand video trainings from Terry Real, spread across three levels:

RLT Level 1		Establish a strong foundation in RLT, including how it differs from traditional therapy and the three RLT phases.
RLT Level 2		Learn how to move beyond the initial session and create the right course of therapy.
RLT Level 3		Explore the cultural context of RLT and how to work with some of the most challenging situations in couples therapy.

2. Special Topic Courses

Complete three short online courses to enhance your learning in specialist areas. The Relational Brain is compulsory, and you choose two more from our wide selection, with topics including grandiose women and multi-generational trauma.

3. LIVE Case Work with Terry Real

Learn directly from Terry Real through LIVE observations and interactive calls:

24 Hours of Continuous Education Calls		Join Terry’s Real Life membership for 24 interactive calls where you can directly ask him questions, review real cases, and connect with other RLT therapists.
Couples Experiential Observation		Join two of these powerful two-day online workshops to observe Terry working with real couples live, with space for Q&A with Terry.

4. LIVE Practice and Integration

Refine your skills working in small groups facilitated by the RLT faculty in a supportive and non-judgmental learning environment.

Practicum Level 1		Explore RLT Phase 1 techniques, including diagnostic lenses and therapeutic stances.
Practicum Level 2		Focus on RLT Phases Two and Three, including intimacy styles and trauma work.
Mentoring Level 3		Explore the cultural context of RLT and how to work with some of the most challenging situations in couples therapy.
Case Review		Submit a recording of a client session for faculty review to receive your certification.

All components must be successfully completed to qualify for certification.

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“After practicing RLT therapy for two years I am receiving numerous referrals for couples work from other therapists. I have withdrawn from all insurance panels and my income is up!”
— R.G., Madison, CT

Revolutionary Concepts To Amplify Results

Discover What Certifying in RLT Could Do for Your Career

Some of the benefits RLT Certified Therapists report include:

Rapid results - RLT teaches you the skills to quickly diagnose the relational stance of each partner and set to work uncovering where it stems from. Character transformations can happen swiftly as you guide clients to understand their behaviors and what they need to change.
Renewed enthusiasm - When clients struggle to make progress, it can be exhausting and stressful. This proven method can renew your energy and enthusiasm, as you see the breakthroughs happen more frequently.
Enhanced offering - For therapists not currently working with couples, training in RLT opens up a whole new world. With RLT, you have the skills to work with even the most challenging clients, allowing you to open up your practice and serve more of the people who need you.
Increased referrals - RLT earned Terry the reputation of the “turnaround guy”, able to help couples other therapists simply couldn’t. Many of our graduates now benefit from a similar standing, receiving referrals from peers who trust their expertise. You also receive a listing on the Relational Life website to further boost your referrals.
Greater confidence - RLT enables interventions to be more to the point, so your work can be more focused and penetrating without sacrificing compassion. And when you know how to handle challenging situations and characters with grace, your confidence will soar.
Personal transformation - You can’t provide this work for clients without diving into your own relationality and growth. Bringing these skills to your personal relationships will allow you to hold yourself accountable, understand others’ perspectives, and enjoy deeper connections.

The RLT training will teach you to:

Effectively create rapid changes in the way clients relate to each other
Feel confident in your role as a therapist, mentor, and coach
Build trust and alliances with both partners for fast progress
Utilize proven strategies for navigating and repairing conflicts
Employ potent ways of working with individual trauma in a couple’s session

You also unlock:

Over 200 hours of tutorials, coaching, and practice from Terry Real and the RLT faculty
Lifetime access to Terry’s teachings and incredible video demonstrations
Stellar support—we’re here to help you every step of the way
A network of like-minded therapists to champion and challenge you
A listing in the Relational Life directory to increase your referral base
Opportunities for exposure through participation in Relational Life Foundation events

What Makes RLT Different?

Breaking the Rules of Traditional Therapy for Lasting Change

The RLT model is different in many ways, including:

We take sides
Often, therapists remain neutral, but in RLT, we explicitly side with the disempowered partner to restore balance in the relationship.
We heal trauma in the presence of the partner
In traditional therapy, trauma work is done individually. But opening up such levels of vulnerability in their partner’s presence helps people go much deeper for more remarkable transformations.
Therapists and clients are equal
Therapists aren’t above clients as experts, nor are we simply facilitators. We’re right in the thick of it with them, sharing our own experiences of relational living to inspire, motivate, and build trust.
We’re direct (but compassionate)
We’re upfront in telling clients what they’re doing to harm their relationships. We tell them what to do in certain situations so they can have a corrective emotional experience with their partner over and over.
We educate
The nurture that traditional therapy offers isn’t sufficient on its own to provoke lasting change. We focus on educating our clients so they can continue forcing authentic connections for life.

Train in RLT - Apply Here

Who Can Train in RLT?

Whether you already work with couples or are looking to add relationship therapy to your services, RLT will equip you with powerful skills to bring deep healing and swift changes that last.

People who train in RLT are often:

Couples and family therapists
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Counselors
Social workers
Relationship coaches

What unites most of our applicants is a desire to:

Transform Clients Dramatically & Rapidly

Revitalize & Strengthen
Their Therapy

Uncover Powerful
New Ways to Relate

Train in RLT - Apply Here

Don’t Just Take
Our Word For It

Hear From the RLT Community

Certification in RLT has already helped thousands of therapists and coaches transform, both professionally and personally.

“My work with Terry has greatly enriched me as a therapist. I’ve been in practice over 35 years and trained with many exceptional therapists. Training with Terry has pulled all this together and enabled my interventions to be more elegant and to the point, resulting in my client work being more focused and penetrating without sacrificing empathy or compassion”

— Yana Hoffman

“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

“Some of the things I love about Terry Real and his work are the practical steps, down-to-earth guidance and his model of having the courage and respect to be honest with couples when one partner is behaving in a way that needs to be addressed first.”

— Rachel M.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What certification do I get?

Students who have completed all required components, may apply for official certification as an RLT Certified Coach or RLT Certified Therapist.

Q: How long does it take to complete the training?

Because courses and other training components are taken at your convenience, there’s no set time for completing the training. The full certification package is generally completed over a two-year period, but it’s possible to complete all components within one year.

Q: How is the training structured?

Each level is a blend of self-paced online learning via pre-recorded sessions from Terry, plus virtual practicums or mentoring groups with the RLT faculty.

Q: Who is Terry Real?

Terry Real is the creator of RLT. An internationally recognized family therapist, speaker, teacher, and best-selling author, Terry founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents around the country along with a professional training program for clinicians wanting to learn his RLT methodology. Drawing on three decades of experience, Terry knows how to lead couples on a step-by-step journey to greater intimacy—and greater personal fulfillment.

A senior faculty member of the Family Institute of Cambridge in Massachusetts and a retired Clinical Fellow of the Meadows Institute in Arizona, Terry has worked with thousands of individuals, couples, and fellow therapists. Terry’s ideas on men’s issues and couple’s therapy have been celebrated in venues from Good Morning America, The Today Show, and 20/20 to Oprah and The New York Times.

Q: How is RLT different from traditional couples therapy?

RLT breaks many of the rules of traditional therapy to deliver lasting change. The RLT model is different in many ways, including:

- We take sides: Often, therapists remain neutral, but in RLT, we explicitly side with the disempowered partner to restore balance in the relationship.
- We heal trauma in the presence of the partner: In traditional therapy, trauma work is done individually. But opening up such levels of vulnerability in their partner’s presence helps people go much deeper for more remarkable transformations.
- Therapists and clients are equal: Therapists aren’t above clients as experts, nor are we simply facilitators. We’re right there in the thick of it with them, sharing our own experiences of relational living to inspire, motivate, and build trust.

We’re direct (but compassionate): We’re upfront in telling clients what they’re doing to harm their relationships. We tell them what to do in certain situations so they can have a corrective emotional experience with their partner over and over.
We educate: The nurture that traditional therapy offers isn’t sufficient on its own to provoke lasting change. We focus on educating our clients so they can continue forging authentic connections for life.

Q: Is there an assessment?

When you apply for certification, you will need to submit a case review which includes a recording of a therapy session. Applicants can, if they desire, request additional time with their mentor to help them put together their application.

Q: How do I apply?

Then you’ll be invited to book a call with us to discuss your application in more detail. On the call, we’ll discuss your experience and aspirations and decide together whether the RLT training is the right fit for you.

Q: Why do I need to apply and book a call?

It’s important to us that we speak to every prospective applicant before they enroll. This is so we can get to know you better, understand what you’re hoping to achieve with the training, and provide you with the opportunity to ask any questions you have. Together, we can determine if RLT is the right path to help you achieve your goals.

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Get Started In 3 Simple Steps

Click “Apply Now” to begin your application

Master The Practical, Sophisticated Skills to Transform Relationships and Individuals Profoundly and Permanently

Train in RLT - Apply Here

Transform Clients Dramatically & Rapidly

Revitalize & Strengthen Their Therapy

Uncover Powerful
New Ways to Relate

Who Can Train in RLT?

Helping therapists and coaches enhance their offering

Whether you already work with couples or are looking to add relationship therapy to your services, RLT will equip you with powerful skills to bring deep healing and swift changes that last.

People who train in RLT are often:

Couples and family therapists
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Counselors
Social workers
Relationship coaches
Corporate coaches

There’s a new way we can relate

Many people want to have great relationships, but society hasn’t taught them how. In a world that’s more disconnected than ever, we desperately need to shift into a relational, connection-building culture—and that starts in the therapy room.

Changing how we see ourselves in relation to our partner. It involves changing some fundamental aspects of our identity, even changing how we think of ourselves to begin with, but doing this is vital to creating meaningful connections with others.

Building deeper, more intimate connections with ourselves and others is at the heart of Relational Life Therapy. Created by renowned couples therapist Terry Real, this unique, integrative therapy can profoundly and permanently transform individuals by helping them forge fiercely intimate connections in their relationships. RLT educates as much as it heals to equip people with the lifelong tools to live fully-connected, fearlessly authentic lives.

RLT breaks many of the rules of traditional therapy to go deep quickly and help clients make rapid and significant changes. RLT therapists are real, open, and honest. We set the bar high for our clients. We expect rapid, dramatic change, and to a remarkable degree, we get it.

Interested To Know More About the Power of RLT?