Mary Ellen Goggin

The Impact Of Anxiety And Low Self-Esteem In Relationships (& What To Do About It)

By Mary Ellen Goggin / August 25, 2022
Man covering his face with his hand as he struggles with anxiety and low self-esteem.

Relationships, in their ideal, are as much about seeing and loving yourself as they are about seeing and loving your partner. They are also about growing and evolving – as individuals and as a committed entity of its own. But growth, let alone transformation, doesn’t happen without struggle. The impact of anxiety and low self-esteem…

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Does Counseling Help Unhappy Marriages

By Mary Ellen Goggin / August 10, 2022
Married couple holding hands at a distance and facing opposite directions.

If you are asking the question, “Does counseling help unhappy marriages?” chances are your marriage has been unhappy for a while. Couples wait an average of six years before deciding to pursue marriage counseling. This is a LONG time to wait – to keep having the same disagreements, to become more and more disconnected…and to…

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How To Communicate With Your Stubborn Husband (Or Wife)

By Mary Ellen Goggin / August 1, 2022
One way signs going in perpendicular directions.

Mention “stubborn husband” to anyone familiar with black-and-white TV, and Archie Bunker will probably come to mind. Opinionated, hard-headed, grumpy, sarcastic – stubbornness may have actually been one of his less offensive traits! If you’re a woman wondering how to communicate with your stubborn husband, you might get some helpful tips from Edith. But you’ll…

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Answers To The 6 Most Common Surviving-Infidelity Questions

By Mary Ellen Goggin / July 8, 2022
Neon sign of a question mark.

When it comes to surviving infidelity, questions abound for everyone involved and affected – the betrayed spouse, the cheating spouse, even the affair partner.  There is the obvious litany of questions from the angry, betrayed spouse.  Questions that erupt from x-rated imaginings of passionate, sexual trysts. Questions about lies convincingly delivered to a trusting spouse.…

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8 Reasons Self-Love In A Relationship Is Critical To The Relationship’s Success

By Mary Ellen Goggin / July 1, 2022
Appeal for self-love: Love yourself sign surrounded by red roses.

As redundant as they can be, everyday proverbs stand the test of time for a reason. Their succinct, often poetic composition helps commit them to memory. It’s then up to us to pull them out, contemplate them, and apply them. “No one can love you if you don’t love yourself first,” for example, has a…

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Ep 43: Jerry Duberstein | Insight from a Couples Therapist of 40 Years

By Mary Ellen Goggin / June 23, 2022

In relationship, you want to maintain individual autonomy, and you also want security. Many people believe you can’t have both, but you can. Dr. Jerry Duberstein has been a couples therapist for over 40 years. He and his wife co-wrote the book, Relationship Transformation: A Practical Guide for Couples Who Want to be Free and…

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How To Talk With Your Spouse Respectfully After Being Contemptuous

By Mary Ellen Goggin / June 13, 2022

The dynamics and tone of communication determine almost everything in a relationship. What you say, how/when/why you say it – they can create a haven for safety and growth or a perfect storm for destruction. If you don’t know how to talk with your spouse respectfully, the erosion of your marriage is pretty much a…

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Surviving Infidelity As A Couple: Can Your Marriage Make It?

By Mary Ellen Goggin / May 26, 2022
Wave washing over a heart carved in the sand.

There’s a question everyone in the aftermath of infidelity asks: Can we survive this? Usually, at least for the betrayed, there’s a more singular concern: Can I survive this? While the prospects of surviving infidelity as a couple may seem counterintuitive in the wake of decimated trust, it happens every day. “Surviving” a traumatic experience…

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