161: Growing Our Unity: Practical Science For Stronger Marriages
Podcast Guest: Susanne Alexander
December 29th, 2025
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In this Episode
In this episode of Stronger Marriage Connection, Dr. Dave Schramm talks with marriage educator and author Susanne Alexander about building lasting unity in marriage. Drawing from research, lived experience, and her book Growing Our Unity, Susanne shares practical, everyday tools couples can use to strengthen connection, reduce conflict, and grow friendship. You’ll hear why unity should be a daily focus, how small habits make a big difference, and how appreciation, laughter, service, and community involvement can transform a relationship at any stage.
“The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of the Utah Marriage Commission.”
Time Markers
Insights:
- Susanne: Focus on championing unity and embracing learning in action—continual growth, practice, and learning strengthen connection and lead to a happier, more unified marriage
- Dave: Strong marriages are built on small, everyday actions—warm greetings, lightheartedness, laughter, and thoughtfulness—that quietly create connection and prevent resentment from taking root.
About Susanne
Susanne M. Alexander is a relationship and marriage educator, coach, author, and publisher with her company Marriage Transformation®. She meets with clients globally via the internet for relationship and marriage preparation and marriage strengthening. Susanne is certified to offer couples assessments and coaching through Prepare-Enrich® and for individuals with the Character Foundations Assessment™. She has completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Susanne has written or co-written over 30 books. Her most recent is “Growing Our Unity: 19 Vital Practices for a Thriving Relationship”, coauthored with Grant Peirce.
Susanne is co-lead on Accordia Way, a project to assist couples with excellent communication and decision-making skills.
She is passionate about helping individuals and couples make good relationship and marriage choices through knowledge and skill-building and thereby prevent divorces. Susanne has been single, dating, engaged, married, divorced, and widowed. She is a child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, and grandparent. All of this has given Susanne a diversity of experience to share. She is originally from Canada and is married to a wonderful man named Phil Donihe in Tennessee, in the United States. They live on a lake and love to do romantic boat trips together that include nature photography.
Susanne's Resources
www.marriagetransformation.comhttps://accordiaway.substack.com/subscribe
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