Stronger Marriage Blog

Discover how to manage stress as a couple, enhance communication, and strengthen your relationship during challenging times.

Discover three key virtues—complimenting, teamwork, and communication—to strengthen and thrive in your remarriage with practical, research-backed advice.

Discover how parental conflict impacts kids and learn strategies for constructive conflict resolution to improve family dynamics and parenting.

Learn how to manage personality differences in marriage, improve communication, and strengthen your relationship with practical strategies.

Discover key predictors of divorce and how relationship dynamics, education, and choices can influence marital longevity and success.

Remarriage challenges include blending families, co-parenting, finances, and intimacy. Discover helpful resources for navigating remarriage successfully.

Discover research-backed tips for strengthening your marriage, including communication, patience, education, and conflict resolution for lasting success.

Explore how personality traits like agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness impact relationship success and romantic compatibility.

Learn effective conflict resolution strategies to strengthen relationships, reduce hostility, and foster closeness through constructive communication and mutual respect.

Discover the benefits of romantic relationship assessments, including improved communication, mutual understanding, and recognizing strengths for a lasting bond.

Learn strategies for rebuilding emotional intimacy in relationships after conflicts, including communication, respect, and forgiveness for stronger connections.

Learn effective strategies for de-escalating conflicts in relationships with expert tips on communication, empathy, and emotional regulation.

A resource guide for military couples, offering support organizations, wellness programs, relationship tools, and financial assistance tailored to military life.

Explore ways military families can build community and connection, reducing isolation and finding support through shared experiences and resources.

Discover six essential strategies for military couples to navigate transitions and strengthen their marriage during deployments and relocations.

Discover how mindfulness can enhance intimacy and reduce distractions in your life. Explore techniques for greater sexual satisfaction and connection.

Discover the seven essential qualities of effective therapists and learn why client effort is crucial for successful therapy outcomes.

Discover why regular relationship check-ins are crucial for marital health. Learn how these conversations prevent problems and promote longevity.

Celebrate and inspire with the wisdom of long-lasting love. Discover how cute old married couples can shine as symbols of marital hope and joy.

Explore accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement in relationships. Discover how these attachment behaviors enhance connection and satisfaction with your partner.

Boost your life and intimacy by embracing creativity. Discover how new experiences and hobbies can transform your daily routine and relationships.

Discover four key behaviors to change for a healthier relationship. Learn how to replace blame with self-reflection, complaints with requests, and criticism with I-statements for ultimate connection.

Adjusting post-divorce: create consistent exercise and sleep routines for balance and stability in your new reality.

Calm your mind and enhance intimacy with mindfulness techniques like mindful breathing and body scanning for improved sexual satisfaction and overall well-being.

Discover how Star Wars' Han Solo illustrates attachment styles. Learn about secure, avoidant, and anxious attachments to improve your relationships. Explore more now!

Facing divorce with children can be overwhelming. Learn how to manage stress, navigate changes, and minimize conflict for a healthier family transition.

Improve relationship communication with the speaker-listener technique. Practice active listening, use "I" statements, and address one issue at a time for better understanding and stronger connections.

Samantha and Josh rebuild their marriage after abuse, seeking help and committing to healthier communication and trust through therapy and support.

How can I tell if my relationship is abusive? Claire Keller dives into this blog describing four different types of abuse you may encounter in relationships.

In this unsettling period of adjustment, we can often forget about areas of our lives to keep intact. Many people going through divorce feel isolated from others in the first year of divorce, according to research. A great way to merge through a divorce i...

Let’s start with the basics. Premarital education comes in lots of different forms. It could look like anything from some research done on your own, to a community, church, or university class, or even formal premarital counseling. There are online marria...

That’s what premarital education is for. Now, a lot of people think: “What’s the big deal? I’ve been in a relationship with my partner for a few years now, we got our groove going, we know how to take care of our relationship.” Sure, you’re in love and yo...

Discover the benefits of couple counseling and find hope for your marriage in our latest blog. Well-trained counselors offer skills to enhance marital health, with research showing increased satisfaction for couples who continue counseling. Learn about ef...

Couple counseling may be a helpful solution for your relationship if the fire is threatening to do some damage. Let’s consider together Taylor’s and Brian’s relationship. They seem to get frustrated with each other over irritating habits (which are very c...

¿Enamorado de un narcisista? ¡Esto es lo que debes hacer!

Going through transitions in life can be tough at any developmental stage. Adults may be tempted at times to minimize the adolescent experience in comparison to the major life events that occur in adulthood. But teens are impacted and transformed in profo...

Self-esteem can be viewed as an individual's own self-evaluation or self-worth. Self-esteem tends to come from one’s own personal belief or opinion about themselves. These thoughts and opinions may negatively or positively affect one’s confidence. Self-es...

When a child is diagnosed with autism, or when one spouse is on the autism spectrum, it can significantly impact the dynamics of a relationship. The challenges that come with autism, such as communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, and behaviora...

Looking to strengthen your new marriage with your spouse and your family? Here are five tips to help you get started!

Does couple therapy actually work? If you're going to fix the problem, you're going to need to work at it! Read our blog to see our thoughts!

How does self esteem impact your relationship? Learn about low vs. high self-esteem, what it takes ti create self-esteem, and how to maintain it in a relationship.

Communicating in relationships is hard enough, but communicating with empathy is even harder. Learn how to be empathetic, communicate properly, and keep your relationship strong!

Do you need to learn about sexual communication? Learn how communication is an important part of having a good sex life full of intimacy, connection, and overall satisfaction!

How can a couple recover from a breakup? Carly LarKin and Maren Hirshi, LCSW, take us through the steps a couple can take to rekindle their trust and relationship.

Dive into the movie "The Holiday" and learn about attachment styles, written by Carly Larkin and Maren Hirschi, LCSW!

Need some ideas for Valentine's Day? We made a list of five gifts you can give your significant other or spouse for that special day!

Attention all husbands? Want to know the secrets for great sex with your wife? Aralia Ward takes us into this blog with a few secrets supported by thorough research. You won't want to miss this - and neither will she!

Cultivating Trust and Forgiveness is something all people should strive for with their friends, families, and significant others. Both of these are paramount to creating and maintaining lifelong relationships!

If you're looking to freshen up your marriage, this article is for you. Learn about three different ways you can refresh your marriage and make it feel more alive than ever before!

Is your low sex drive hurting your relationship? You may need to make some simple lifestyle changes to improve your libido. Learn how to take control of your choices and improve your relationship!

As we step into a new year, it's the perfect time to reflect on our relationships and set intentions for growth and connection. Whether you're in a long-term commitment or just starting a new romance, establishing relationship resolutions can pave the way...

The holiday season, with its festive cheer and family gatherings, can simultaneously be a source of joy and a potential stressor for many couples. Juggling hectic schedules, managing expectations, and dealing with the chaos that often accompanies the fest...

Sexual satisfaction is an important aspect of any marriage, and it is often considered a key factor in maintaining a happy and healthy relationship. However, achieving sexual satisfaction in marriage can be challenging, as couples may have different expec...

Communication and empathy are both crucial aspects of relationships. Empathy is a fundamental human emotion that allows us to understand and share the feelings of others. It is an essential aspect of our social interactions and helps us to build meaningfu...

Marriage can be demanding. Couples have heard this a thousand times and can’t help asking, “Is marriage even worth it?”

Misconceptions can become deeply ingrained beliefs, leading to myths that can cause problems in everyday life. On our podcast, Richard and Linda Eyre discussed five marriage myths: the Clone Myth, No-Waves Myth, Independence Myth, Equality Myth, and Achie...

Does your partner feel important? Do you help them feel important? Self-esteem can have a major effect on romantic relationships. Self-esteem can impact a person’s ability to feel important and that they can contribute in meaningful ways. We want to boost...

Worried that when you get older you won’t enjoy the sexy things of life? People tend to fear aging and all the change that comes along with it. One of the big concerns is being less sexually active. Most young people assume that older people don’t have se...

Could you be ready to set boundaries, but entirely overwhelmed at the daunting tasks of cleaning up areas of your life that feel impossible and powerless? If you’re any (or all!) of those things, this article is for you. Consider this post the starter kit...

Alexis and Sam are in love. They still swoon when they look into each other’s eyes. They got each other flowers for Valentine’s Day. Alexis and Sam have known each other for seven years and are thinking about a long-term future together. They’ve even gone...

In comparison to first-time married couples, remarital relationships are more fragile. Various reasons account for this possibility, but chief among them is that there is greater opportunity for conflict.

“We repeat what we don’t repair.” This thoughtful remark could have been made as he shared his insight on behavior that can destroy relationships using the metaphor of The Four Horsemen.

Transition to marriage has its challenges. The move to marriage involves significant changes to the dynamics of the relationship and the lives of the individuals involved.

You might be disappointed to know that this blog will not be about solving the mystery of Bigfoot. I want to talk about women’s sexuality – because unlike Bigfoot – women’s sexuality should never be a mystery! 

If you’ve ever been in a relationship before, you know they can be difficult at times. Although they are not a walk in the park, there are ways that we can improve relationships and the part we play. Relationships are two-sided, and both sides play a part...

It’s a common tale as old as time. Two people meet. . . and then they meet again. . . and then again. Before you know it, they don’t want to “meet” with anyone else.

25 Ways to speak you spouse's love lounguage

When I started going to counseling, one of the first things we started working on was teaching myself that it was okay not to be perfect. It was okay to have a bad day. It was okay to be sad. It was okay to be a little slower.

Marriage Education is for you, even if you are happily married, marriage education can help you.

Communication is an essential part of relationships and is not always easy. Some people may find themselves in the frustrating loop of bringing up concerns or issues in conversations with their partner that never seem to lead anywhere.

One activity Dr. Gottman suggests is for couples to have a “six-second kiss” when you are leaving or coming home. Why six seconds? Gottman’s research shows that six seconds is just “long enough to feel romantic.”

It’s a common tale as old as time. Two people meet. . . and then they meet again. . . and then again. Before you know it, they don’t want to “meet” with anyone else.

Starting a new chapter in your relationship is exciting! If you and your partner are discussing getting married, you might know the feeling described as love flooding.

Conflict is often an unavoidable truth of life. Conflict represents differences in people’s thoughts, beliefs, values, and actions. As such, conflict is inevitable, particularly in close relationships.

Slamming doors, yelling matches, irrepressible anger, long night drives. Sound familiar?

Conflicts are normal in a relationship. For some, it's about time and priorities. For others, it's about finances. Having arguments from time to time is fine—in fact, it's part of being in a healthy relationship—but when it gets too much, it can lead to t...

A large reason why we hate making mistakes, is that as powerful as the happy biochemicals are, they do not linger in the body nearly as long as the unhappy biochemicals (chiefly cortisol)15.  Consequently, making a mistake tends to be harder on our physio...

Finding yourself overwhelmed, noticing “red flags” you never saw before, or feeling less in love than you did at the start of your relationship are undesirable thoughts and feelings, yet can be normal as you move out of the “honeymoon” phase of your relat...

Have you ever wondered if there was one thing you could do to improve your marriage? Everyone has their own relationship advice to give. I have heard many people tell me, “Just make sure to communicate” or “Put each other first”. The list goes on and on. ...

We all know that words are so powerful, and that they can build your partner up or emotionally drain them. ​​ Words impact everyone, but especially those whose primary love language is words of affirmation. That is one way we can express love emotionally,...

Your boss gives you a look and you assume she’s mad at something you did or that you’re an incompetent employee.  You say the wrong thing at a party, and lament how socially awkward you always are.  Like it or not, we all have that inner voice critiquing ...

We all know toddlers have temper tantrums which are often triggered by said toddler feeling something overwhelming such as hungry, tired, cold, frustrated, or overstimulated. Nobody wants to admit that adults have temper tantrums too. Well, maybe we like ...

Hollywood, in my opinion, is just plain wrong when it comes to portraying emotional regulation. It's frustrating to watch movies or shows about emotions and see them get it so wrong. However, there is one shining exception to this rule - Disney Pixar's In...

Effective communication in a marriage can be the bridge between partners that brings connection, love, and understanding - but miscommunication or lack of communication altogether can create distance in relationships that may feel impossible to combat. H...

When you picture someone saying “No,” what is the image that comes to mind? How do you feel towards that person? Do you perceive them as likeable or unlikable? Desirable or undesirable? If your image looks something like an uptight, shrewd-looking woman w...

Blaine J. Fowers Ph.D. and author of Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness suggests that with most of the needs of the past being met by outside sources and an increase in the emphasis of self-fulfillment the bar for what makes a satisfying marriage has be...

Top 10 date night ideas from the date night experts. The Dating Divas. Marriage dates

I was once in a movie. Not saying which one since it didn’t star a Hollywood A-list cast and was pretty cheesy. It was my 5 seconds of fame, you could say.

The dating world can be brutal, especially when you are trying to find a nice guy. It can be very easy to fall for a Narcissus–that tall, dark, and handsome trap.

After you've been married for a few years and life starts going, it's easy for our relationship to run stale. We get caught up in the day-to-day motions of work, taking care of the kids, and all of the other things that demand our attention. Before we kno...

There are a lot of different ways that couples can choose to manage their money in marriage. The three main options for managing money in marriage are: combine finances completely, combine most finances but still have independent finances, and to keep all...

Is communication with your in-laws affecting your marriage? Here are some tips to be able to help you have a good relationship with your in-laws.

Do you remember the first time you went on a date with your spouse? Do you remember those feelings you had every time you went on a date with them? The butterflies you would get in your belly?

Of all the passions, responsibilities, and commitments you have in life, your marriage relationship should claim top priority. In the grand scheme of things, your marriage has the potential to be longer lasting and have a greater impact on society than an...

When my husband and I first got married, one of the first things we did was combine our finances. We just thought it was something that you did. There was no question of why we shouldn’t. As we started talking with our friends about finances we found that...

Quite quickly, unforeseen and hurtful situations may arise. In fact, a recent study found that it is typical among all newlywed couples to experience a steady increase of dissatisfaction and problems beginning shortly after the wedding.

Navigating remarriage can be tricky and couples who want to tie the knot again are often confronted with obstacles that would rarely come up in a first marriage.

To assist in the continued development of your communication skills, here are five ways to continue and progress on the path toward healthy communication in your relationship.

It is easy to lose excitement for our lives when we grow up and the pace of life picks up. You might feel like you’re living for the weekend right now, struggling to feel excited about your marriage and future. So, how do you get your joy and motivation b...

Today I am giving you one specific piece of advice that will change the trajectory of your relationship for the better. One of the keys that John Gottman suggests is to turn towards your spouse when they make bids for connection.

Marriage can be hard enough without the complications of disappointed expectations. It takes sacrifice, give and take, and compromise.

As time passes, you may get caught up in everyday mundane activities like work, school, paying the bills, or doing household chores and forget to add “wood” to your marital fire. It’s easy for these activities to slowly overshadow the enjoyable times in y...

You and your spouse should take time to consider how you can understand your children’s feelings and help them adjust to the big changes taking place in their lives.

Seven attributes that research has shown are strong signs that you may be in a happy and healthy relationship — seven signs which I’ve seen first-hand in my own happy marriage.

Has talking about money caused conflict in your relationship? You’re not alone in this! About one-third of people say that they argue with their spouse when talking about finances. Talking about finance is the second leading cause of divorce in America.

A list of 5 sound ways to improve communication in relationships.

Your ability to choose a healthy partner is greatly influenced by whether you are a healthy partner yourself. Ever heard of the term, “Love is blind”? When you have an exacerbated need, that’s all you can see.

Too often when we are hurting, scared, and overwhelmed, we have been running so fast through the drama woods that we have face planted in The Swamp of Shame and can no longer see or hear others clearly.

Human behavior researcher, therapist, and author, Brené Brown shares in her book, “Rising Strong,” an incredibly helpful tool, especially for couples who are struggling with communication… or rather, the constant MIScommunication.

Oftentimes when someone is uncomfortable using the word “sex”, they replace it with “intimacy”. There has been a cultural understanding that intimacy equals sex and vis versa, but this idea can be confusing, and even harmful for relationship growth.

All the world’s a stage and we each have a story of our own to play out. We may not get to set the stage, but we can choose our role and write our own lines.

Marriage is hard work. There are a lot of issues that couples have to work through to have a successful, or at least, not so bumpy partnership. However, one of the biggest challenges that new couples face is their finances.

even with the minimal conflict, there seems to be this unwritten rule somewhere that you’re not supposed to like your husband’s ex-wife. Maybe “not liking her” is strong...but you definitely aren’t supposed to like or care about her. You just feel neutral...

Have you ever thought, “How can our perspectives be so different?” Many couples face these questions throughout their relationship, and the truth is, these differences aren't bad. However, miscommunication can be, especially when it leads to feelings of r...

Have you ever felt that your anxious tendencies may be affecting your sex life? Does your anxiety ever stop you from “getting in the mood”?

Every day there are countless ways that we irritate each other! That is the beauty of marriage! Every day we get unnumbered opportunities to be irritated. Or to choose something else.

As many as half of first marriages will end in divorce, and the risk of divorce is highest in the early years of marriage. Why does this happen?

Love doesn’t have to be a feeling that “falls” in and out of your relationships like a leaf blowing in the wind. It can be a more permanent part of all of our relationships if we will learn how to “stand in love”.

Relationship checkups are for all couples, in every stage of their relationship. Sometimes, when we get caught up in everyday routines, we start living separate lives and get used to the distance in our relationships.

Every marriage at any stage is subject to disengagement and erosion if neglected. Through a lack of attention to their inner life, inattentive couples lose cohesion over the years and gradually drift apart because they lack infusions of bonding and intima...

Some people say "the first year of marriage is the hardest", but it doesn't have to be! Marriage is an adjustment, but preparing for your marriage (not just the wedding) can help you start your life together on the right foot.

Marriage counseling has a stigma that it is only for couples on the brink of divorce. But what is the gain of waiting until your relationship is in crisis? Wouldn’t you rather be happy now?

Marriages are like gardens. The little things of daily tending or neglecting can create either robust, beautiful marriages or a barren wasteland overgrown with weeds.

If you have been struggling with your marital relationship, or if you would like to improve the quality of your relationship, you are not alone. Here are 3 tips for building a better marriage starting today.

Each person’s willingness to reveal their sexual likes and dislikes, can make a positive impact on how close and emotionally connected they feel to their partner. If one person feels comfortable to share with their partner that a particular sexual experie...

Here are 7 at home date ideas to cure your boredom and strengthen your relationship.

Many marriages see a decline in sexual passion and satisfaction over time. In other words, marriage is hard. Research findings are averages, though, which means that some marriages do not see a decline in sexual passion and satisfaction over time.

No matter what you are going through right now, whether you are making adjustments to your wedding or shaken by current world events, here are three strategies that gave me, and can give you, the confidence to share your anxieties with your partner:

Here are 10 ways you can date your spouse without leaving the house and putting yourself and others at risk.

Here is a list of 10 Fun and Romantic Valentine’s Date Night Ideas that don’t break the bank!