The Circle of Knowledge is an awareness and outreach initiative of The Family Institute, working in collaboration with our Board of Directors and friends. It consists of educational gatherings where experts from The Family Institute present helpful and informative talks about children, families and relationships.

FY2013 Calendar of Events

Health: What's love got to do with it?

Presented by Tammy Sher, PhD

Is marriage good for our health? Intimate relationships have long been considered a buffer against stress and protective to us in terms of health. It is also thought that men benefit more from marriage than women. Dr. Tamara Goldman Sher will present the science versus the myths of relationships and health, and will try to untangle these complicated questions: Are intimate relationships good for us, and are they better for men, women or neither?

Loving Well in a Complicated Time

Presented by Alexandra Hambright Solomon, PhD

We are living and loving during a complicated time, with shifting expectations, norms, and rules of engagement. Between technological advances, demanding careers, and high expectations that our marriages fulfill our every desire, creating and maintaining loving relationships can feel trickier than ever. Bringing together current research about healthy relationships and mindful living, Dr. Alexandra H. Solomon will discuss core principles and skills that are needed in order to love well. We will explore how to get the love you want and keep the love you have.

Intimacy and Love in the African American Community

Presented by Bishop Horace E. Smith, MD, Reginald Richardson, PhD, LCSW, Donna Baptiste PhD and Anthony Chambers, PhD

Intimate partnered relationships are vitally important to fostering and maintaining our social, familial and emotional well being. Everyone benefits-both adults and their children. But what exactly does a healthy intimate relationship look like? Is there a roadmap to finding, building and maintaining a stable, long-term relationship? Most important, what can be done to strengthen African American relationships to provide couples with the intimacy, happiness and longevity they seek and deserve? Bishop Horace Smith will speak on the topic of African American relationships and the challenges and opportunities that are present. Bishop Smith's talk will followed by a panel discussion featuring relationship experts Dr Anthony Chambers and Dr Donna Baptiste and facilitated by Dr Reginald Richardson.

Keeping the Flame Alive: Passion, Desire, and Intimacy in Marriage

Presented by Cheryl Rampage, PhD

The truth is that after a couple of decades many marriages haven't had much flame for awhile, and in some cases the embers seem to be dying as well. Between children, work, and the miscellaneous tasks of life, many married people are tired, stressed, and feel caught between their sincere aspirations to have a good marriage and their endless to-do list. Many of us relegate tending to our marriage to the bottom of the list, where it is certain to get little focus. Research on marital satisfaction shows us clearly that marriages only thrive when they receive attention, so a useful question for busy people might be: what kind of attention is likely to achieve the greatest results? As it turns out, some do-it-yourself marital interventions can get surprisingly good results with modest amounts of effort, and for the harried but hopeful married person, may be just the ticket.

Strengthening the Relationship between Adults and their Parents:  Finishing Unfinished Business

William Pinsof, PhD, LMFT, ABPP 

As we become adults, pieces of ourselves stay rooted in childhood. Though our relationship with our parents may be smooth sailing much of the time, these parts tend to come out during unsatisfying and, at times, troubling interactions. These are the times when we say, “Oh, I would never say that to my father,” or “If I told my mother that, she would die.” The final stage of adulthood involves coming to terms with these hidden pieces. In this talk, Dr. William Pinsof will focus on the identification and exploration of these hidden aspects of the adult child-parent relationship. He will address how parents and adult children can talk about and resolve the unfinished business between them with the goal of having a true and deep adult-to-adult relationship, informed by love, compassion and honesty.

The Circle of Knowledge Series would not be possible without the support of our sponsors.

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• For more information on the Circle of Knowledge, or to register for one of our events, please contact Institutional Advancement at 312-609-5300, ext. 484 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .