Understanding your "dead spouse" is the key to bringing your relationship back to life again!
How do you "celebrate" Valentines' Day when there is that nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach that your partner somewhere back on the road of the relationship has died? One of the most difficult marriage counseling cases is the one where one of the spouses is dead. Marriages where parties are fighting are still engaging, there is still passion on some level. It is the spouse who is “dead on arrival” when it comes to relating in the marriage that brings a very challenging situation to the counseling room. If your spouse has recently suggested you look in the obituaries to find your marriage, read on for some great pointers to give you help and hope.
How marriage can suddenly change a man's perception of himself.
If you are married, you may have experienced a significant letdown after the wedding festivities were over. In my practice, couples often report that the day after the wedding they get into a big fight, and the honeymoon is suddenly ruined. Some say they never really recover from the blow out. In the rush of getting married, many of us forget to reflect on our internalized messages about marriage. These messages are unseen ‘ghosts’ who say, "I do" along with you.
Having a baby, building a house, or getting plastic surgery won't fix your marriage.
I see many couples who are struggling with their marriage. When I ask them how long the struggle has been going on the answer is usually several years. When I continue and ask them how they have tried to fix it on their own, 80 percent of the time having a baby, building or buying a new house, and/or having plastic surgery are typical answers. Just looking at these possible fixes they have used makes me stressed out.
Get used to acting silly. It can actually rescue your relationship!
Tired of having the same old fight with your partner? Do you want to call a truce in your marriage? YourTango expert and marriage educator, Sherry Amatenstein, suggests bringing a little humor into your next argument.
In this video, learn why putting on a clown nose may be the best thing for your relationship! Humor: The Language of Intimacy
You might be suprised how much you can help your relationship in just fifteen minutes.
You might be suprised how much you can help your relationship in just fifteen minutes.
Maybe it would sound better in a Cockney accent, a la the Geico Gecko. Fifteen minutes could add fifteen or more years to your marriage.
However, there is a catch.
Ask a typical group of couples what they feel would help their marriages and the usual response is communication. Pry further as to what communication means to them and answers vary:
“Having any communication would be a nice change.”
“Really listening to each other.” (Usually this translates, “That jerk doesn’t hear a word I say.”)
Could an iPhone application save your forthcoming marriage?
Most people out there agree that marriage is tough. YourTango.com highly recommends looking into premarital counseling. In all honesty, what can it hurt? If you don't have the dollars for premarital counseling, the Couplet iPhone app could preemptively save your marriage.
Are your kids taking over your space and is it hurting your marriage?
When Jennifer and Matt meet with their architect, Jennifer realizes what Matt is asking for is adult only spaces. Can you have a place that serves as a remembrance of who you were before you had children? Or, once you have children, are those lines permanently blurred?
When Matt proposes they build a new home, Jennifer is unsure. Because lately she's been feeling as if they lead their lives in parallel, and building will tie them to their lifestyle. But they fall in love with a lot and so must decide: Can you build a home to make your marriage better?
Is your marriage sex-starved? Here's how to get married sex back.
Data suggests that one in three American marriages is sex-starved, and a quick web search reveals enough books on the subject to comprise an entire genre. To learn more about this widespread relationship-killer, we talked to Michele Weiner-Davis, MSW, author of The Sex-Starved Marriage and founder of DivorceBusting.com, about the causes and effects of the sex-starved marriage, as well as how to get your intimate life -- and your marriage -- back on track.
Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010 special offered 4 great lessons on love.
We’re always reading between the lines for relationship lessons, so naturally we were happy to see that Barbara Walters’ Thursday special had plenty of them. Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010 hit the small screen last night. The program featured a few women who have recently grabbed headlines for their captivating personal lives. Fascinating? Yes. Enlightening? Also yes. Here’s the information we gleaned from the big-name stars about love, life and the lessons in between.
An emotional affair still counts as infidelity. Are you a cheating wife?
What's an emotional affair and how do you know if you're having one? The line between harmless flirtation with a member of the opposite sex and actual infidelity is blurry, especially for women, who are typically more open with their emotions. The number one sign that a relationship is starting to cross the line? You're telling another person things you're not telling your partner. Have you been cheating?
![Is Your Marriage Feeling Dead This Valentine's Day? [EXPERT]](http://images.tangomag.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-full/image_blog/rip.jpg "Is Your Marriage Feeling Dead This Valentine's Day? [EXPERT]")
