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Understanding Why Your Husband Takes Everything As Criticism & What To Do

By Mary Ellen Goggin / September 9, 2024
Husband feeling criticized while on the phone with his wife.

Does your husband seem to take everything as criticism, even when you’re just trying to share your feelings? It can be absolutely exhausting when every conversation seems to turn into an argument or stonewalling. You are then left wondering, “What did I say wrong?” If this sounds familiar, there’s probably a lot going on beneath…

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10 Communication Strategies That Can Dramatically Improve Your Marriage

By Mary Ellen Goggin / September 18, 2023
Quote from Hafiz: The words you speak become the house you live in.

While mutual attraction and romance come naturally in the early days of dating and marriage, this “honeymoon phase” doesn’t last forever. Eventually, the daily stresses and routine of career, parenting, bills, and household demands set in. And when they do couples often find themselves disconnected and fighting unless they purposefully develop emotional marriage communication skills.…

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What to Do If Your Husband’s or Wife’s Anxiety Is Ruining Your Marriage

By Mary Ellen Goggin / May 22, 2023
Man wearing a baseball cap and wondering what to do about his wife's anxiety ruining their marriage.

Marriage is based on a strong, unbreakable connection. You may have married your spouse with this belief. However, anyone who’s been married for any length of time can recognize this statement as the myth it is. And it is definitely not that way now. Now, you’re suspicious your husband’s or wife’s anxiety is ruining your…

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8 Things To Do If You’re Losing Your Sense Of Self In A Relationship

By Mary Ellen Goggin / May 11, 2022

You may not even notice that you’re losing your sense of self in a relationship, especially if you’re married. But living into a balance of “me” and “we” is essential for happiness when you’re living as a couple.

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How To Talk To Your Spouse About Trust After Their Affair

By Mary Ellen Goggin / April 30, 2022

The time to discuss trust is before marriage. Learning how to talk to your spouse about trust after their affair can be done, but you’ll need these tips.

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How To Answer The Question, “Is My Marriage Worth Saving?” Once And For All

By Mary Ellen Goggin / May 15, 2020
Couple holding hands walking into the sunset because they've each finally answered the question is my marriage worth saving.

It’s an unfortunate place to reach in a marriage. Taking a lifetime vow and then feeling disconnected from it can be a lonely, confusing, even frightening reality. Simply questioning, “Is my marriage worth saving?” speaks to the fragility and potential demise of the union. There are ways, however, to slow down the frantic questioning and…

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How To Save Your Marriage When You Feel Hopeless And All Alone

By Mary Ellen Goggin / March 26, 2020
Couple holding pinkies after saving their marriage despite feeling hopeless.

“The whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.” The metaphor is perfect for understanding marriage in its ideal state. But what happens when that larger-than-life entity is reduced to its individual components? Would you know how to save your marriage when you feel hopeless, disconnected, and alone? You may not even recognize…

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How to Communicate with Clarity in Relationships

By Mary Ellen Goggin / October 28, 2018

Our words account for only a tiny percentage of communication. Messages are also communicated by body language, facial expression, vocal tone, and other qualities of voice. If your words do not match with the tone of your non-verbal communication, then you are sending a mixed message. Mixed messages pose a problem for the receiver, who gets confused and sometimes feels the need to ask for clarification. By learning how to communicate with clarity, you learn to align your words, vocal tone, facial expression, and body language. Alignment of all the elements of communication leads to more coherent communication and reduces confusion and friction in relationships.

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