Skip to content
cathedral-clocktower-aerial

 

Our History

The Center for Healthy Relationships (CHR) was established in 1998 at John Brown University.

Its initial endowment was to provide relationship-related education and enrichment with special emphasis placed on healthy marriage and family relationships.

For twenty-six years, CHR has worked with seriously dating, engaged, married, divorced, and remarried individuals and couples to help strengthen relationships, marriages, and families. CHR is making a difference impacting Northwest Arkansas and beyond

 

Dr. Gary Oliver

Under the leadership of Dr. Gary Oliver, CHR became a “relationship champion”. Dr. Oliver was Executive Director of the Center for Healthy Relationships and Professor of Psychology and Practical Theology at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He has over 40 years experience in individual, premarital, marital and family counseling.

For the past 35 years he has had an extensive nationwide teaching ministry. He has founded, developed and directed several counseling centers. He served on the Executive Board and the national speaking team of Promise Keepers and is on the Executive Board of the American Association of Christian Counselors. In 2022, Dr. Oliver stepped down as the Executive Director of CHR, and Rosemary Flaaten became the new Executive Director.

 

!!! Gary J. Oliver, Ph.D.
IMG_2713

 

Our Impact

Since its beginning, CHR has conducted more than 1,500 special events, community workshops and classes that have impacted more than 35,000 people, locally and nationwide.

Everything we do at the Center for Healthy Relationship is designed to increase hope and to help people become more relationally effective at home, at work, and in all of their relationships.

Many of our programs are available at low to no cost. We are inclusive and we provide resources and even scholarships to help some of those who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend.

The good news for Northwest Arkansas, is that the Center for Healthy Relationships is making and will continue to make a significant difference in our community.