Susanne M. Alexander
&
Marriage Transformation
Susanne M. Alexander & Marriage Transformation®
Susanne M. Alexander is a relationship and marriage educator, coach, and author. As president of Marriage Transformation LLC, she leads a company dedicated to contributing to the well-being of relationships and marriages, publishing books, and offering online courses developed through its Transformation Learning Center. Since its inception in 2004, Marriage Transformation® has reached thousands of individuals across approximately 50 countries. Susanne’s work includes writing books, conducting coaching, mentoring, providing educational assessments, and delivering over 85 online courses and webinars with hundreds of participants. She has also presented more than 200 workshops and keynotes at conferences and weekend retreats, impacting thousands of attendees.
In addition to her direct work, Susanne has trained and inspired many individuals to become relationship and marriage educators and coaches. Many of these trained professionals have gone on to facilitate study groups, coach couples, and deliver workshops using Marriage Transformation materials, amplifying the company’s reach and impact.
Susanne is certified as a Marriage Facilitator through Prepare-Enrich® and is a certified character specialist using the Character Foundations Assessment™. She has completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Susanne offers relationship and marriage preparation and strengthening programs and coaching for individuals and couples of all ages, worldwide, using Marriage Transformation books and materials. The goal of the company is to empower individuals and couples to engage in skillful, character-based communication and actions that contribute to healthy relationships and strong, unified marriages and families.
A member of the National Alliance for Relationship and Marriage Education (NARME), Susanne is also the author or coauthor of over 30 books on character, relationships, and marriage. She has been featured on television, radio, and podcasts, and has been quoted as an expert in numerous online and print publications, including Where to Seat Aunt Edna? and 500 Other Great Wedding Tips and Renewing Your Wedding Vows.
Vision
Susanne sincerely hopes that the services of Marriage Transformation and the courses of its Transformation Learning Center will empower people to prepare themselves for healthy and fulfilling relationships. She hopes to inspire others to serve their communities, recognizing the transformative impact that strong, lasting marriages can have on the world.
Services
Relationship & Marriage Coaching
Susanne M. Alexander is a dedicated and certified coach specializing in personal and relationship growth, offering transformative support for individuals and couples seeking more fulfilling and vibrant relationships. With a focus on character and virtues development, she helps clients build stronger communication habits, gain deeper self-understanding, and foster healthier connections. Through assessments, study materials, videos, and online courses, Susanne provides tools for self-reflection and growth, with an option for faith-based guidance if desired. See details on Susanne’s coaching here.
Books, Courses, and Articles
An accomplished author, journalist, and editor with 30+ years of experience, Susanne creates clear, creative, and practical written materials across various formats, from books and courses to articles and custom publications. Susanne has authored and co-authored over 30 books, including Re-Vitalizing Our Marriage; Laugh Together, Stay Together; and Marriage Can Be Forever – Preparation Counts!. She has edited and produced books such as All-in-One Marriage Prep, a finalist for the 2011 Eric Hoffer Award, that coordinated essays from over 75 experts. In addition to her book production skills, Susanne has written over 250 freelance articles for publications like Newsweek, Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Plain Dealer, and Upjourney.com. She is also a contributor to bahaiteachings.org and bahaiblog.net.
Presentations & Facilitation
With certifications in public speaking from Toastmasters International, Susanne brings professionalism and passion to every presentation. Susanne is a strong advocate for healthy relationships and marriage, personalizing her content to meet the needs of her audiences. She offers a range of services, from marriage preparation to strengthening, and has presented at various conferences, education centers, workshops, and online events. She has presented in person in the United States, Canada, Norway, China, and Hong Kong, and online in countries around the world.
Susanne’s Story
Susanne holds a BA in Communications from Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, USA, and has written as a journalist for platforms such as upjourney.com, bahaiteachings.org, bahaiblog.net, bettermarriages.org, simplemarriage.net, parentsconnect.com, YourTango.com, Match.com, and more. Her articles have appeared in Marriage Partnership, Strengthening Marriage, Newsweek, The Plain Dealer, Crain’s Cleveland Business, Writer’s Digest, and Massage Magazine, among others.
Originally from Canada, Susanne embraced the Bahá’í Faith early in life, which continues to guide her personal and professional journey . She maintains a service website at https://bahaimarriage.net/. She has served as a tutor for study circles and has held servant-leadership positions on several Local Spiritual Assemblies. For eight years, she created courses and led a global faculty team that pioneered Bahá’í-based online relationship and marriage education through the Wilmette Institute, an agency of the US National Spiritual Assembly, serving for many of those years as Department Chair.
Susanne’s personal experiences with marriage and family have deeply informed her professional work. She married at age 19, had a daughter at age 21, and divorced at age 40 after a difficult marriage. She later remarried and founded Marriage Transformation with her second husband, Craig Farnsworth, who passed away from brain cancer shortly before their tenth wedding anniversary. Susanne’s personal journey continued with a third marriage to Phil Donihe, with whom she currently lives in Tennessee in the United States. At times, they collaborate on coaching and relationship education. Susanne has had five adult stepchildren and several grandchildren.
Reflecting on her journey, Susanne shares, “With all these adventures, along with professional education, I’ve had many opportunities to learn about the importance of marrying someone with strong character and building a good marriage partnership. It’s not always easy, but when I have learned relationship skills, and when marriage thrives on love, friendship, and consultation, it’s a beautiful place to be.”
“In offering editorial feedback, Susanne was gracious, knowledgeable, and clear. Her communication skills put me at ease and let me know I was working with an author I could trust.”
“Susanne M. Alexander brought together 75 authors, including me, in her book, All-in-One Marriage Prep: 75 Experts Share Tips and Wisdom to Help You Get Ready Now. It was a huge undertaking and she did a terrific job. She is knowledgeable, organized, tenacious, and a bunch of fun. I recommend her highly.”
“I have worked as Susanne Alexander’s editor for more than two years and find her not only a talented writer and reporter, but a lively and engaging person in conversation. Her willingness to jump into foreign territory on stories is welcome. Without exception, Susanne has thrown herself completely into the stories, turning in detailed pieces with good use of color and secondary sources. Her stories generally require little revision.”
Susanne was very well-prepared, and her passion for the topic is evident. Her exercises addressed multiple adult learning styles. She has a quiet leadership style that inspires confidence. We found the workshop to be enlightening and helpful.