The Third Option International

The Third Option International The Third Option is an on-going skills based group program to build better marriages. Each of the fo Painful endurance or divorce?

Many of us manage our marriage as a series of choices between “His” desires and “Her “desires. We may choose either end of the balance line: either “Peace at any price” or “Letting it all hang out.” Why do we see only two options? Both options fail to bring us together, but instead tend to move us to extremes. Break through the clutter of past baggage and misunderstandings. Find the healthy middle ground, a program called THIRD OPTION. Third Option is an on-going skills based group program that has been building healthy marriages since 1988. Each 14 session cycle covers a comprehensive set of tools useful for developing better understanding, sensitivity and trust while learning more effective speaking and listening skills. The Third Option means reconciliation. When couples are struggling they will say they have “tried everything” but what they usually mean is they have tried the same two extreme options over and over, never finding what works. (Example: they have stuffed their anger, or they have attacked with it. Neither will give them the marriages they want.) The Third Option combines skill-building workshops and sharing from mentor couples with a peer support group that is caring and accepting.

02/05/2026
02/05/2026

Marriage isn’t about being right.
It’s about being aware.

If something hurts your spouse and your response is “that’s just how I am,”
you’re choosing pride over partnership.

Love listens.
Love adjusts.
Love cares enough to change.

If it hurts your spouse, it should matter to you.

🤍

02/05/2026

✔️ Long hug
✔️ Quiet moment
✔️ One kind word
✔️ No phones for 30 mins

That’s it. Start there.

02/04/2026

Some days, survival counts as participation. 🫠😂
We take the wins we get. ❤️

02/04/2026

Retrouvaille-St Louis 2023 weekend
February 24-26, 2023

For more information or to register, call 314.453.0110

Helpourmarriage.org

02/04/2026

Registration Required

Dear Third Option Friends,

Our Third Option Group will be meeting this Sunday evening February 4th at The Good News Center. If you plan on attending please register by calling The Good News Center at 315-735-6210 during business hours Monday- Friday 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM. If you are unable to attend in-person we offer this through zoom as well. Doors open at 6:15 PM with refreshments and the program begins promptly at 6:30 PM.

We all have certain fundamental rights. Politeness and tact are not just for strangers. This Sunday we will be discussing a foundational topic for couples…”Building a Climate of Respect”. Respect means how we treat each other. Do we grant each other our rights, regardless of how we feel? To prepare for Sunday’s session, take some time to reflect on the following sets of questions. Our answers will help us see what areas we need to change and grow. Hope to see you there!

Self:
Do I love/respect myself? Take care of myself? Do I let others intimidate/belittle/ridicule me, even abuse me and then resent them? Do I insist on my rights? Am I honest about my feelings, opinions and preferences? Do I count them as valuable as everyone else’s? Am I polite and tactful in stating my case? What do I need to change about myself and how can I begin?

In Relation to My Spouse:
Do I respect my spouse? Do I treat them with respect? Do I accept their feelings, opinions, preferences, as being as legitimate as my own? Do I criticize, nag, make cutting remarks, or subtly ridicule? Do I have a campaign to “improve” my spouse or do I affirm them? Am I polite and tactful in stating my case? What do I need to change about the way I treat my spouse?

02/04/2026

Never take your spouse for granted, because one day they may be gone and you may finally realize what you had all along.

❤️ Follow Trey & Lea for more marriage & family tips.

IMPROVE YOUR MARRIAGE WITH:
The Workshop
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TreyAndLea dot com
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02/04/2026

Tired?
Irritable?
Overstimulated?
Be kind anyway.
Kindness isn’t about mood—it’s about maturity.

02/03/2026

Some seasons of marriage will stretch you more than you expected.

You’ll realize love isn’t about having the same needs, the same pace, or the same growth timeline. It’s learning how to stay soft when your spouse stumbles. How to give grace when they don’t show up perfectly. How to love someone who is still figuring things out, just like you are.

A healthy marriage is giving your spouse room to be human.
Room to get it wrong sometimes.
Room to need differently than you do.
Room to grow in their own season.

It’s messy. It’s humbling. It requires patience you didn’t know you’d need.

But when grace replaces pressure, something beautiful starts to grow.

🤍🤍🤍

Address

10475 Cosby Manor Road
Utica, NY
13502

Telephone

+18556249476

Website

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Our Story

Many of us manage marriage as a series of choices between “His” desires and “Her “desires. We may choose either end of the balance line either “Peace at any price” or “Letting it all hang out.” Why do we see only two options? Painful endurance or divorce? Both options fail to bring us together, but instead tend to move us to extremes. Break through the clutter of past baggage and misunderstandings. Find the healthy middle ground, a program called THIRD OPTION. Third Option is an on-going skills based group program that has been building healthy marriages since 1988. Each 14 session cycle covers a comprehensive set of tools useful for developing better understanding, sensitivity and trust while learning more effective speaking and listening skills. The Third Option means reconciliation. When couples are struggling they will say they have “tried everything” but what they usually mean is they have tried the same two extreme options over and over, never finding what works. (Example: they have stuffed their anger, or they have attacked with it. Neither will give them the marriages they want.) The Third Option combines skill-building workshops and sharing from mentor couples with a peer support group that is caring and accepting.