ABSTRACT
Maintaining the health and longevity of a committed romantic relationship presents a variety of complex challenges. A satisfying long-term partnership requires the coordination of two people’s unique personalities, needs, expectations, skills, and imperfections. In an individualistic society like the United States, this task has proven to be increasingly difficult, and a wide variety of programs have been proposed to support couples in their efforts toward a thriving partnership. As the popularity of mindfulness-based techniques has grown steadily among mental health and wellness professionals in a variety of settings, a number of programs have sought to apply mindfulness specifically to strengthening romantic relationships. The chapter describes one such program, Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement (MBRE), as well as provides an overview of the research informing its design and assessing its benefits to participants. MBRE integrates established mindfulness techniques and research into an eight-week program that strengthens the health and longevity of couples’ relationships in a number of valuable ways.
