Marriage

How To Talk With Your Spouse Respectfully So You Can Both Be Heard

By Mary Ellen Goggin / March 10, 2021
Couple having coffee while respectfully talking

One of the best things about marriage is that you can be comfortable “being yourself.” One of the worst things about marriage is that you can be comfortable “being yourself.” And if that irony elicits a knowing chuckle, you’re not alone. Perhaps, in all that “comfort,” you have forgotten how to talk with your spouse…

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How To Talk To Your Spouse About Debt Without Blaming Them

By Mary Ellen Goggin / September 23, 2020
Brick wall with the words "Until Debt Tear Us Apart" written on it.

It’s one of the ugly must-do’s of marriage: figuring out how to talk to your spouse about debt. Whether it got dragged down the aisle like a ball and chain or snowballed after the nuptials, debt is a tough topic. Between student loans, a ginormous, she-can’t-say-no-now engagement ring, and that Pnina Tornai wedding gown, you…

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What Jealousy In Your Relationship Is Trying To Tell You — And How To Overcome It

By Mary Ellen Goggin / June 18, 2020
Woman standing on a rocky beach at sunrise feeling the freedom of overcoming jealousy

Negative emotions don’t exactly exude a welcome invitation to higher learning. They feel crappy, they challenge your very thinking and allotment of energy, and they drain the life force out of you. One of the most negative emotions is jealousy. Within your relationship, it can be destructive. Within yourself, it can be devouring. This is…

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7 Essential Tips On Talking About Infidelity With Your Spouse After Someone Cheated

By Mary Ellen Goggin / June 10, 2020
Cat looking up at her people who are discussing infidelity.

The irony of surviving infidelity is that you have to do now what you should have done then. But now you have to do it consciously, conscientiously, and consistently. And you have to do it under the assault of anger, pain, guilt, shame, regret, fear, sadness, and emotional fatigue. Communication now has make-or-break importance. Talking…

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How To Respond To Contempt In Marriage

By Mary Ellen Goggin / March 2, 2020
Man yelling at phone isn't how to respond to contempt.

Every marriage has its frustrations, its grapplings with anger and dissatisfaction, and even its periods of distancing staleness. But some things are so damaging to a relationship that reconciliation is iffy at best. For this reason, learning how to respond to contempt before it takes root in your marriage is essential. The question “How does…

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Surviving Infidelity In Your Marriage Is Possible If You Do These 9 Things

By Mary Ellen Goggin / February 26, 2020
Couple kissing to celebrate successfully surviving infidelity in their marriage.

There’s no question that few things will shatter a heart or marriage like infidelity. It is a veritable implosion of everything marriage stands for. If you are in the recent throes of an affair, surviving infidelity in your marriage may seem impossible. And it can feel as impossible for the offender as it does for…

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10 Ways to Connect with Your Partner

By Jerry / July 15, 2019
10 ways to connect with your partner

Couples complain frequently in our private couples therapy retreat that they’ve grown distant. They find themselves living parallel lives under the same roof. They’re lost in routines and TV. If this sounds like you, you are probably wanting to learn ways to connect with your partner. Lost is the simple joy of being together and…

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Why Stay In An Unhappy Marriage Instead Of Getting Divorced?

By Mary Ellen Goggin / March 22, 2019
Unhappy couple sitting on a bench struggling with the question of why stay in an unhappy marriage.

From bliss to boredom, from soaring hopes and dreams to wondering why you ever got married. You may be asking, “Why stay in an unhappy marriage instead of getting divorced?” You may even have one foot out the door. Plenty of couples stay in marriages that look miserable from both the inside and the outside.…

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