Reconnect with your spouse by disconnecting with your electronics. Quality time is important to a relationship. Look at your spouse and truly listen to what he or she is saying. Monitor and limit the amount of time you spend with a screen. Use that time to get active without interference. Finally, consider breaking away from […]

Marital success hinges on a couple’s ability to discuss matters well. Researchers have identified three main aspects of marital communication: unrecognized filters or perceptions, the frequency of negative interaction, and misaligned expectations. More marriages may be helped by efforts to teach communication skills that recognize these factors and improve relationship quality. Programs like the Prevention and Relationship

Unchecked involvement by either partner’s parents can wear down the trust and intimacy of any couple. Conflict may arise when spouses have differing ideas about family interaction or feel guilty about denying a parent’s wishes. Financial decisions, debt, and income should not be shared with parents and any advice should be jointly considered. Emotional support

Social Media and secret lovers go hand in hand. American researcher Dr. Nancy Kalish found that though a majority of people in her studies innocently reconnected with long-lost loves, the unintended consequence was marital infidelity. For only 5 percent, the thrill of a "take-two" love fizzled within a decade, simply serving to damage otherwise satisfying

We all have stress in our lives, but for married couples it’s a triple threat. Both partners have their own individual stress and they both have the stress that comes from being a married couple. Unchecked, this stress can destroy a marriage. The following are three suggestions to help reduce the stress in marriage: 1)

None of us are born with the knowledge of how to communicate well in a relationship, but there are communication strategies that can help. 1) Speak in short segments to make it easy for our listener to digest everything we’ve said. 2) Summarize. Repeat the key points our spouse just made, assuring that everyone is

Marriage counselors can help couples work through a wide variety of issues. For example, remarriage and blended families can present many problems. Second marriages have a higher divorce rate than first marriages, and blending two families can be complicated. Family of origin problems, another name for in-law problems, can lead to serious marital issues. How

There’s no escaping the negative stereotypes about marriage; they’re on TV, in moves and books, and sadly, in everyday life. “Ball and Chain” metaphors like, “Marriage is the end of fun.” or “Marriage is the end of sex.” are damaging and hurt our marriages. When men, or women, get together, the conversation can turn into

One of the most typical questions that comes up when one partner has been caught in an affair is, “Why?” The answer is typically elusive, but, in order to find it, a person will typically need to be open to hearing the real truth. A hard truth that may occur is that an affair does

Difficult people are a part of life and everyone has to deal with them. Fortunately, a lot of the same techniques that help diffuse tension in a marriage and keep things running smoothly can also be used to deal with difficult people on a day-to-day basis, whether they are coworkers, friends, family, or even strangers.