How Emotional Neglect Experienced in Childhood Affects Our Relationships as Adults
Did you or your spouse face emotional neglect as a child? Are you concerned that emotional trauma from your past could be contributing to the conflict you’re experiencing in your marriage today? The parallels between the things you experienced in your childhood and how you behave in your your adult life are unmistakable. People who experience emotional […]
Overcoming Intimacy Issues Caused by Childhood Trauma
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration1 (SAMHSA) more than 2 in 3 children experience at least one traumatic event by the time they turn 16. SAMSHA’s examples of potentially traumatizing experiences range from psychological, physical, and sexual abuse to national disasters, neglect, and serious accidents or life-threatening illnesses. These examples are […]
Define Infidelity-Types of Cheating & How they can Affect Relationships
Infidelity occurs when someone has an emotional, financial, romantic, or sexual relationship with someone other than one’s husband, wife, or partner in a monogamous relationship. Experiencing infidelity can be incredibly nuanced, painful, and frightening for any couple going through it. Couples often disagree about what constitutes cheating, which is why we encourage couples to discuss this […]
Do You Have to Beg your Spouse for Attention? Learn Tips for a Closer Connection Without Seeming Needy
Do you sometimes feel like you have to practically beg your husband or wife for attention? That can be a lonely place. Healthy relationships come in many shapes and forms, but all are built on a foundation of connection. Common interests, shared values and goals, deep trust, mutual support—these are just some of the characteristics that spouses in […]
Guide to Reconnecting with Your Husband or Wife After A Fight
You’ve had the big argument. The big disagreement. The difficult discussion about that thing you just can’t seem to agree on. A fight, a row, a confrontation. It happens to every couple. Eventually you get into an argument and regret losing your temper or saying something you didn’t mean in the heat of the moment. […]
Sending, Receiving, and Growing: Getting the Most Out of Imago Therapy
Our team of marriage counselors help couples from all walks of life rediscover relationship growth, joy, and a deeper connection. We do this using Imago couples therapy, a comprehensive and thoughtfully structured approach to counseling that truly helps people feel seen, heard, validated, and loved by their partners. If you and your spouse have been thinking […]
Can a Joint Bank Account Make Your Marriage Better & Last Longer?
The decision of whether to have joint or separate bank accounts should always be a mutual one. However, it can be a point of contention for couples who don’t agree, couples with vastly different income levels, and one income families with a stay-at-home parent. You’ll have no problem finding supporters and detractors for either approach. […]
How to Keep Curiosity & Spontaneity in Your Marriage (And Why It Matters)
Most of us are aware that the honeymoon phase in relationships doesn’t last forever. The good news? It doesn’t have to! You and your spouse can enjoy life together in a loving relationship without experiencing the blinding enamor felt in the honeymoon phase. The goal of this article is to explain why keeping a sense of curiosity […]
4 Things Your Therapist Wants You to Know Before Starting Couples Counseling
If you’re thinking about going to marriage therapy there are a few things your counselor wants you to know before you begin. The reason your future counselor wants you to learn these things is simple; knowing them will help prepare you for counseling so that you can both make the most of it. Whether a major […]
Making Your Relationship a Safe Haven: Ideas to Help Lean On One Another During These Challenging Times
All of us face stressful seasons in life. But lately, things have seemed especially challenging for just about everyone. World conflict, financial and economic uncertainty, health and safety concerns. Whether directly or indirectly, these problems are impacting lives throughout the world. It’s times like these that our relationships become all the more essential. We lean on […]
Fantasizing About Not Being Married to Your Wife or Husband? Explore Why & Other Signs That It’s Time to Consider Therapy
Don’t wait to get help with your marriage, especially if your relationship has become so unhappy that you’re thinking about what it would be like if you were not married to your spouse. Our colleague, psychologist and relationship researcher Dr. John Gottman, once observed that it takes couples an average of six years1 of unhappiness before […]
My Husband Treats Me Like I Don’t Matter: How Can I Earn His Love & Respect?
When our spouse doesn’t value our input or opinions it can feel like you’re all alone in the world. If your husband isn’t expressing the love and respect that you expect it’s time to think about how this could affect your long-term well-being. Once you’ve come to terms with the ill effects this could have […]
A Financial Inventory for Spouses: Questions to Ask Each Other About Money
Of all the variables that can affect the quality and closeness of our intimate relationships, money is one of the most powerful. But it’s not just about how much money a couple has—how each partner thinks and feels about money plays heavily on a couple’s financial and romantic future. In fact, money fights are one of the most common […]
Is Social Media Harming Your Relationship?
Social media can be a gift and a curse, depending on how you use it—and to be sure, plenty of us use it. Many couples complain about their spouse’s excessive mobile phone usage and social media scrolling because it prevents them from connecting. What’s capturing their attention? Very often, it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or other social media platforms. […]
Is a Disagreement with In-Laws Affecting Your Marriage?
In-law relationships can have a significant impact on a marriage. That’s why conflict with in-laws requires a united front that puts your marital relationship before the relationship you have with your parents. Perhaps you’ve experienced varying levels of joy and tension while interacting with your mother-in-law or father-in-law. But when the dynamics between spouses and […]
Reestablishing Trust After Infidelity
Learning that your partner was physically intimate with someone else can leave you reeling. But despite how painful it can be, infidelity is not necessarily the beginning of the end for every marriage. For some couples, an extramarital affair even acts as a powerful, if unwanted, catalyst for positive growth within the relationship. As devastating […]
People in Conventional Relationships can Learn a Lot from Neurodiverse Couples
Couples with one or both partners on the autism spectrum face challenges just like people in typical relationships do. Neurodiverse couples face communication challenges that can be addressed to maintain healthy, fulfilling, and long-lasting relationships. That said, there are plenty of unique strengths or benefits to being in a neurodiverse relationship! And while no two […]
What is a Couples Counseling Vacation?
If you have a goal to travel more, consider adding a couples retreat to your itinerary! In this article, let’s talk about what couples counseling vacations are, what to look for in a couples retreat, and what the benefits are of going on this type of adventure with your spouse. What Are Couples Counseling Vacations? […]
Communication After Infidelity is Hard: Here Are 5 Tips to Improve It
Learning how to communicate again after experiencing infidelity is one of the most difficult obstacles one can experience in a lifetime. However, its worth putting in the work because a couple can never experience a deep connection emotionally if they cannot express themselves and feel understood. Infidelity is painful and creates so much uncertainty, pain, […]
Why It’s Important to Go On Dates with Your Spouse & 3 Ideas to Try
Remember the excitement you felt when you were first dating your spouse? The amount of care you put into your outfit and your appearance? The anticipation of seeing each other and the strong desire to reach out and connect again? Going on dates isn’t something only new couples can enjoy. In fact, even though there […]