Sometimes couples make jokes about their inability to work together successfully on projects, especially home improvement projects. However, looking at how you work together on smaller projects can offer you some valuable insight into the overall strengths and weaknesses in your marriage. How you deal with small problems in life often reflects how you handle […]
Creating lasting changes to improve the health of your marriage requires hard work and dedication. Sadly, many people say they will change but do not make the commitment to follow through with what is needed to sustain the changes. Developing a real plan before jumping into making a change is important. Determining What Changes You […]
Your attitude about your marriage makes a big difference in your overall happiness and satisfaction with life. The way you feel about the state of your relationship will determine how you treat your spouse, how you interpret your spouse’s actions, and how much effort you put into the relationship. The conclusions you develop about your marriage may not […]
Often, when people feel like their needs aren’t being met in the marriage, they stop focusing on meeting their spouse’s needs. This can lead to even bigger marital problems. Sometimes people begin to behave in ways that continue to damage the relationship, such as lying or nagging. It’s important to take notice of your own […]
When your spouse does something that you don’t agree with, that hurts your feelings or that worries you, how you express your concern makes a big difference. There are lots of different messages you can offer to your spouse to express your concern. Finding strategies to reduce the likelihood that your spouse will become defensive […]
Listen to songs played on the radio about love. Watch some movies about love. Then read some romance novels. What sort of messages would you receive about love and relationships? There’s all sorts of fairy tale images that surface in pop culture. There are lots of myths about love. Society and culture tend to reinforce these […]
It takes courage to behave assertively in your marriage. Sometimes people don’t really know what it means to be assertive. Other times, people have never really tried to be assertive and it feels awkward or uncomfortable. Learning how to be truthful about how you feel can have a positive impact on your marriage. What it […]
Many couples run their marriage like a business. They discuss the bills, the kids, and the day to day operations of the house. They may struggle to keep things in check or they may operate like a well-oiled machine. Either way, they may like quality communication with one another. How often do you and your […]
Sometimes a person’s desire to get their spouse to change becomes detrimental to the relationship. There are times that it makes sense to simply accept your spouse for who he is at this present time. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up hope that things will ever be different. Instead, it means that […]
The way people interpret their partner’s actions makes a big difference in the marriage. It’s important to remember that your assumptions aren’t always correct. There may be many other possible conclusions that can be drawn about your spouse’s behaviors. In fact, many people jump to the wrong conclusion. This can lead to people feeling hurt, angry, […]
First, let me start out by saying thanks to all of those who followed us on Facebook! Apparently we made a mistake when we created the page, so we had to make a new one because Facebook would not let us change it. If you are still interested in following us on facebook, please like […]
The decision about whether or not to seek fertility treatments is never an easy one to make. There are lots of things to consider. A couple who is having difficulty conceiving should weigh their options before automatically pursuing treatments. Sometimes the stress of not being able to conceive can take a toll on a couple. […]
In my last post, I talked about some considerations that are often forgotten during the divorce. There are lots more comments. There is one serious comment I want to make, which has short, medium, and long-range consequences. Part of it comes down to this: divorcing people don’t think of all the issues to cover when […]
In the last post, I made some recommendations about how to begin thinking about what you should do when you and your partner are splitting. I mentioned that there are some short, medium, and long range issues about which to think. I want to make some general comments before going on. These comments are made […]
You and your partner have decided to split. You have kids at home. What should you be thinking about in terms of their short run, medium run, and long-term needs? I raise this long question because I hear all sorts of stories as I counsel couples. I also see children, both kids and adults, who […]
Discovering your spouse has had an affair can be devastating. Many couples don’t survive after an affair. The added stress, the emotional response, and the strain on the relationship can be too much for many couples to bear. Learning how to respond to the affair and deal with emotions is a determining factor in whether […]
If you don’t purposely take time out of your schedule for your marriage, you might find that you don’t end up devoting enough time to your relationship. It’s important to plan for spending time together as a couple. Otherwise, you might find that time slips by without taking time out to renew your relationship. Many […]
Sometimes each person in a relationship tries to show why their preferences are superior. They may discuss how morally their choices are better. It’s important to respect one another’s preferences without determining that one is more superior to the other. Look at some of the differences between your preferences and your spouse’s preferences. How do you […]
Nagging doesn’t work. Especially not in the long run. Yet many people still nag their spouse. Women, especially, are often guilty of nagging their husbands. There are some serious negative consequences of nagging that can cause marital problems. Women often nag their husbands because they feel that if they don’t, their husband won’t get things […]
Sometimes one person in a relationship goes to great lengths to prevent natural consequences. This can lead to that person becoming stressed and overwhelmed. It can also cause resentment to build. Sometimes, it is okay to allow for natural consequences to run their course. Wives especially seem to be guilty of trying to prevent consequences, […]
