I Am ME: Twila Broadway, New Hampshire
Summary
The Reverend Twila Broadway, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and former VA Chaplain, began teaching marriage education in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire out of a passion to helping people develop and sharpen skills for intimate communication.
“We can keep up-to-date with what is going on in the world using technology, but not with the ones we love. To truly communicate, you need eye contact.”
~ The Reverend Twila Broadway
“I Am ME” profiles individuals and couples teaching relationship and marriage education classes in their local communities. We call this series “I Am ME,” both because “ME” is an acronym for “Marriage Education” and in honor of a poem by the same name written by the late Virginia Satir, a pioneer in the field of marriage and relationship education.
The Reverend Twila Broadway has worked as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and United Methodist Pastor for more than 20 years, including several years as a part-time Chaplain at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Bedford, Massachusetts. She has two grown children, four grown grandchildren, and a much adored cockapoo named Toby. Her passion for helping people develop and sharpen skills for improving intimate communications led her to begin teaching marriage and relationship education classes for couples and singles in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
1. What led you to teach relationship and marriage education?
Working for so many years as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I dedicated myself to teaching others relationship skills that they need. I realized these skills can benefit so many people other than the patients that I see and wanted to extend this knowledge to as many people as I could reach. Three other pastors and I got together and decided to offer PAIRS workshops in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire. When two people are together, they need guidance to succeed in creating and sustaining healthy, intimate communications. If we can change the world two people by two people, then so be it.
2. How are the challenges facing young couples today different?
The technical age brings about huge relationship challenges for young couples that didn’t exist in my generation. Technology creates so many ways to communicate other than face-to-face communication, but people don’t realize that these ways are not as effective. We can keep up-to-date with what is going on in the world using technology, but not with the ones we love. To truly communicate, eye contact must be involved which is impossible through a text message.
3. How has being a marriage educator impacted your marriage?
Being a marriage education instructor helped me mature and deal with conflict in a healthy, loving manner.
4. What are some of your favorite hobbies?
My favorite hobbies I enjoy sharing with other members of my family are cooking, baking, shopping at consignment shops, finding a good bargain, and hiking.
5. What three qualities would you like your family to admire in you?
I would like for my family to admire my patience, ability to be an amazing listener, and my openness with them.
Contact Information:
The Reverend Twila Broadway
Telephone: 603-527-8402
Click to e-mail Twila Broadway
Editor’s Note: If you’d like us to feature a Relationship and Marriage Educator in your community, please e-mail their name, contact information, and a brief statement about why you’d like to see them profiled on the FatherhoodChannel.com to editor@fatherhoodchannel.com.