Rivka’s Quarantine Diary Day 9 | Answering More Questions and Couples Frustrations, Walking together
Answering More Questions and Couples Frustrations, Walking together | Day 9 of Covid Quarantine with Family Never would I have thought I would appreciate a walk around the block with Shlomo as much as I did yesterday. The skies were blue, the trees have started blooming and blossoming, it’s almost like nature has no idea […]
Rivka’s Quarantine Diary Day 4 | Tears, Perseverance & Joy Helping Couples

March 19, 2020 Fourth Day of Covid Quarantine with Family Last night there were tears. Tears when I saw pictures of coffins in Italy lined up, tears when I heard about young people contracting corona, tears when I heard the stock market lost all gains since Trump. I’m not sure if they were tears of […]
Rivka’s Quarantine Diary Day 2 | Quarantined with Kids

March 17, 2020 Second Day of Covid Quarantine with My Kids Because of me feeling pressured all day yesterday to adhere to a schedule, which is something generally very difficult for me to do with my adult ADHD, I decided to do away with the kids’ “homeschool” schedule. I told them we will definitely learn […]
Rivka’s Quarantine Diary Day 3 | Missing Adult Interaction in Quarantine with Kids

March 18, 2020 Third-Day of Covid Quarantine with My Kids Feeling like I miss interacting with other adults. I invited past attendees of our Getting the Love You Want Workshop to join us on a Zoom night as I’ve seen other Imago therapists do online. Nothing heavy or anything like that, just to see each other’s […]
Rivka’s Quarantine Diary Day 1 | Keeping Kids on a Schedule & Meditation

March 16, 2020 Our quarantine officially started yesterday, on Monday, March 16, 2020. We had actually quarantined ourselves voluntarily starting the previous Thursday because it seemed that we were sick with various flu, allergies, and colds. So this isn’t really day 1 and it feels like we’ve already been quarantined for a week! Managing Kids’ […]
What Should We Focus on Most in Our Relationship? Why Friendship in Marriage Deserves a Bigger Role
Many couples ask: “What should we be focusing on most if we want our marriage to thrive?” Some assume it’s all about conflict resolution—and while resolving disagreements is certainly important, research shows it’s not the only skill that predicts long-term success1. One often overlooked element? Friendship in marriage. Relationship researcher Dr. John Gottman has found […]
10 Signs of Emotional Abuse in Marriage (and How to Heal)
Is Emotional Abuse Quietly Hurting Your Marriage? Here’s How to Recognize It—and Heal Together When couples come to us feeling disconnected, they often say,“We love each other… but something just feels off.”Maybe the spark is gone. Maybe communication feels tense. Maybe you’re walking on eggshells. What many don’t realize is that emotional abuse—often unintentional and […]
Thinking About a Group Marriage Counseling Retreat? Your Top Concerns Answered
If you’ve been considering a group marriage counseling retreat to strengthen your relationship — whether you’re worried about privacy, cost, or whether your spouse will participate — you’re not alone. These are the same questions we hear before nearly every Imago weekend marriage workshop we host. Below, we’ll walk you through the most common concerns […]
What types of couples go to retreats for counseling?
People want to know what types of couples come to our marriage retreats? People who come to our retreats with their partner either want to save their marriage or have one foot out the door. Some couples want to do something to help improve their relationship, to keep the spark alive and improve upon things. […]
What Are the “Four Horsemen” of Relationships? Here’s What the Research Says
If you’ve ever wondered why your marriage feels harder than it used to—or why communication turns into conflict so easily—you’re not alone. Psychologist Dr. John Gottman, one of the world’s leading relationship researchers, has studied couples for over 40 years. His work is so accurate he can predict with over 90% accuracy whether a couple […]
We’re Growing! Help us Welcome Our Newest Therapists

Looking for marriage counseling near you, only to find that our Baltimore counseling office is too far to travel? If you want to find someone that is convenient to get to but also skilled, you’re in luck. The Marriage Restoration Project just added four new practitioners at locations across the United States including New York, […]
Reservations Still Available Pre-Thanksgiving Marriage Retreat | Getting the Love You Want
There is nothing more fulfilling than helping a couple move through their darkest times to experience a happy ending. For most couples, the love is still there. That’s why it hurts so much. The challenge is knowing how to get to the other side. (Kind of like how we go through the darkness of fall […]
What should I do when my husband ignores me?
If your husband ignores you, you’re probably feeling lonely, rejected, or even angry. You might be wondering, “Why doesn’t he want to talk to me anymore?” or “Is he pulling away for good?” Before you assume the worst, it’s important to slow down, get curious, and figure out what’s really happening underneath the silence. Why […]
Military Spouse Entitlement During Separation and Divorce
Military members and their spouses, just like people who have no military connection, may decide to legally separate. Sometimes, they have hope that their marriage can be restored. Some may decide to enter a legal separation indefinitely so that the nonmilitary spouse can retain some spousal benefits. In other cases, the military spouse may abandon his […]
It takes a village. Group marriage retreats can be so healing.

We needed childcare. The grandparents were away, Rivka’s sisters were out of town, babysitters weren’t available. I was getting desperate, we were scheduled to go present our group marriage retreat, called the Getting the Love You Want Workshop in Brooklyn, NY and I needed coverage for the kids. Getting desperate, I decided to ask a mother […]
Before You Decide on Divorce: The One Step Most Couples Miss
The main reason why Rivka and I started The Marriage Restoration Project was so that children would not have to go through what she experienced as a little girl caught in the middle of her parent’s bitter divorce. This is still a motivator for us—to help create happy, loving families. So it becomes deeply personal […]
What to do if you’re in a boring marriage?
Many of you feel like you’re in a boring marriage. Trying to decide what to do about it- if you should stay or go. It’s a huge decision to make and we don’t want you to make it hastily. After all, your spouse is a lovely person. He may be a great dad or she’s […]
Tips to Help Listen to Your Spouse Without Getting Defensive
One of the hardest things to do is to listen without getting defensive and reactive. And you know by now, that if you don’t know how to listen, the fight will escalate and worsen. The following video will give you 3 tips to help listen to your spouse without getting defensive. It was originally recorded […]
The 10 Commandments for Start-Up Families: How Couple Entrepreneurs Can Succeed in Business and Marriage
Couples who build businesses together face a unique paradox: their “why” is usually to create financial freedom and impact the world — but the demands of a start-up can quickly drain their relationship. So how do successful entrepreneur couples avoid burnout, money fights, and disconnection while scaling their companies? Here are the 10 “commandments” for […]
Money Fights in Relationships: Why Men & Women React Differently
Money can be a constant source of stress and it can impact your marriage and relationship every single day. You may already know how much MONEY creates fights in marriage and relationships, but did you know that men and women react differently to money issues? Let’s learn more about how we react differently, what triggers […]