Who Are We?
Interpersonal
Communication Programs, Inc. (ICP)
30772 Southview
Drive, Suite 200
Evergreen, CO
80439
Toll-free 800-328-5099
Phone 303-674-2051
Fax 303-674-4283
E-Mail: icp@comskills.com
Our Purpose
We provide programs, materials, and certified instructors to
help you:
We are best known as the originators and copyright holders of the Awareness Wheel™ (or Information Wheel™), which is the structure of any issue or situation and the foundation for clear talking skills. In addition, we are noted for our other frameworks, including the Styles of Communication™, the Listening Cycle™, and the collaborative process called Mapping an Issue. The COUPLE COMMUNICATION Program, as well as our other programs (CORE COMMUNICATION for individuals and COLLABORATIVE TEAM SKILLS for groups), teach you how to put these frameworks to practical use. Contact us for information on any of these programs and materials, including how they may be used, besides for couple education, for business organizations or for individual relationship growth.
Background of
COUPLE COMMUNICATION
COUPLE COMMUNICATION began at the University of Minnesota Family Study Center with the research and development team of Drs. Sherod Miller, Daniel Wackman, and Elam Nunnally. They based program concepts, skills, and processes on communication and systems theory. In 1972, the team began Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc., (ICP) to distribute the program.
Miller, Wackman, and Nunnally received awards for their development of COUPLE COMMUNICATION from The Association of Couples for Marriage Enrichment, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the National Council on Family Relations. Miller has also received the Smart Marriages Impact Award.
In 1986, ICP moved from Minnesota to Colorado, and Dr. Phyllis Miller joined the organization. (Drs. Wackman and Nunnally continue to serve as advisors.) The COUPLE COMMUNICATION Program was revised and updated in the 1990s. The advanced program, COUPLE COMMUNICATION II, is for partners who have completed COUPLE COMMUNICATION I.
Theory and Research
While the COUPLE COMMUNICATION Program was developed originally from systems and communication theory, many important theoretical connections exist between its concepts and general psychological theory. The program operationalizes constructionist theory. The Awareness Wheel™ relates to theories of perception, cognition, emotion, motivation, and behavior. The Listening Cycle™ connects to theories about empathy and the helping relationship.
Since the beginning, ICP has encouraged independent research on its programs and on the frameworks that undergird them. COUPLE COMMUNICATION is the most extensively researched communication skills program available for couples. To date, about 70 published studies (mostly from universities nationally and internationally), along with more in process, demonstrate the practicality and positive effects of the concepts and skills of the program.
Partners in the studies represent a wide range of people. Couples have included those in various economic groups, older and younger people, plus couples in troubled and well-functioning partnerships. In a nutshell, the findings show:
Authors and co-developers
of COUPLE COMMUNICATION
Sherod Miller, Ph.D., is Chairman of ICP. He heads instructor training and program development. He also conducts training in corporations and other organizations nationally in areas of interpersonal communication and team-building.
Phyllis A. Miller, Ph.D., is President of ICP. She manages certification of instructors, materials development, and the editorial process. She also conducts training.
Daniel B. Wackman, Ph.D., is Professor of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. He also serves as a consultant to business, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
Elam W. Nunnally, Ph.D., is Professor (Emeritus) of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a marriage and family therapist specializing in communication and in brief therapy, which he teaches in Scandinavia as well as in the U.S.
