All Things Marriage with Dr. Chavonne

There's a big difference between knowing what to do, actually doing it, and reaching a place where it becomes your natural way of being. In this episode, we're exploring these three stages of personal growth and why understanding something intellectually doesn't always translate into lasting change. Inside this episode, you'll learn: Why knowing what to do doesn't necessarily mean you know how to...

There's a big difference between knowing what to do, actually doing it, and reaching a place where it becomes your natural way of being. In this episode, we're exploring these three stages of personal growth and why understanding something intellectually doesn't always translate into lasting change. Inside this episode, you'll learn: Why knowing what to do doesn't necessarily mean you know how to...

When there's a problem in your marriage, it's natural to want to address the problem. Have the conversation. Tell your spouse how you feel. Ask them to do something differently. Set the boundary. But before you do any of those things, you have to start somewhere else FIRST. With you. In this episode, I'm sharing why I teach self-awareness, personal responsibility, and self-leadership before we beg...

When you're struggling in your marriage, "focus on yourself" can feel like incredibly frustrating advice. Especially when you can clearly see the things your spouse is doing that are contributing to the problem. Why should you be the one doing more work? In this episode, we're talking about why focusing on yourself can be so difficult—and why learning how to do it may be one of the most empowering...

What happens inside of you when your marriage isn't going the way you want it to? Maybe your relationship doesn't feel as secure as you'd like it to. Maybe your spouse isn't meeting your expectations or showing up in the ways you believe you need. Or maybe you're looking at yourself and feeling like you're the one falling short—struggling to communicate better, manage your emotions, or create the...

The questions you ask about your marriage matter. Because some questions can keep you focused on your spouse, searching for explanations, and feeling increasingly frustrated by things you can't control. Other questions can lead you toward greater understanding, clarity, and a much more empowered way of navigating your marriage. And sometimes, the difference between staying stuck and finding a way...

Resentment can feel incredibly justified. You know what happened. You know what they did—or didn't do. And you know how much it hurt. But what if there's more underneath your resentment than the offense you're holding onto? In this episode, we're taking a closer look at the conditions that create resentment in marriage—and some of them may be much less obvious than you think. Because resentment is...

Acceptance can be one of the hardest things we're asked to practice in marriage. Especially when what we're being asked to accept is something we wish would change. So what does it actually mean to accept your spouse in those moments? It doesn't mean agreeing. It doesn't mean approving. And it certainly doesn't mean making something you don't want the standard for your marriage. In this episode, w...

If you've ever felt lonely, unsupported, or like you're working so much harder than your spouse to create connection, I want you to know this first: Your hurt makes sense. Your desire for closeness is valid. And your anger is often pointing to something much deeper—a longing to feel seen, supported, and emotionally connected. But sometimes, the very strategies we use to fight for connection uninte...

In the next two episodes, we're taking a deeper look at the most common relationship dynamic I work with inside my private coaching program, The Connected Marriage—the anxious-avoidant dynamic. While the anxious partner's disappointment, frustration, and sadness are often the most visible parts of the cycle, there are quieter behaviors that unintentionally pull both partners deeper into disconnect...

When you're struggling in your marriage, it's easy to believe your happiness depends on what your partner does next. That they'll finally change. That you'll eventually know what to do. That somehow you'll stop feeling so stuck. But what if the perspectives keeping you trapped are the very things preventing you from moving forward? In this episode, we're exploring three powerful mindset shifts tha...

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs in your marriage don't come from changing what you do. They come from changing how you see it. The perspective you choose can either keep you stuck in hurt, resentment, and disconnection—or open the door to healing, understanding, and deeper connection. Today we're continuing our 3-part series exploring three powerful perspective shifts - and we are focusing in...

So many couples settle into "We're okay " and "We're fine." They do this without ever stopping to ask whether "fine" is really the marriage they want to build. In this episode, we're exploring three simple perspective shifts that can change the way you approach your marriage—and open the door to greater connection, growth, and possibility. Inside this episode, we: Challenge the mindset of settling...

In this episode, I'm introducing one of the most important coaching concepts I use with my clients: your Core Area of Focus. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, we'll explore how identifying the one area that will create the biggest ripple effect can help you make faster, more meaningful progress in your marriage. In this episode, you'll learn: Why trying to improve everything at once of...

In this episode, I introduce a kind of couple I don't think we talk about nearly enough: The Relationally Ambitious Couple. These couples aren't driven by problems. They're driven by possibility. They believe there's always another level of connection, partnership, friendship, and joy waiting to be created. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to intentionally build a marriage that continues...

Most couples don't intentionally take action in their marriage until something feels wrong. A major argument. Growing distance. A breaking point they can no longer ignore. But what if waiting until your marriage is struggling is one of the biggest mistakes couples make? In this episode, I share the six different types of couples I've observed over the years based on what motivates them to act in t...

In last week's episode, we explored why feeling close to your spouse is one of the greatest gifts a marriage can offer. But knowing why connection matters isn't enough. In Part 2 of this series, we're talking about the intentional shifts that move couples from feeling distant and disconnected… to feeling closer, more connected, and more like true partners again. Inside this episode, we: Explore th...

Most people know they want to feel closer to their spouse. But have you ever stopped to consider what you're actually longing for? Because the pain of disconnection isn't just about arguing less or communicating better. It's about missing out on some of the most meaningful benefits a connected marriage can provide. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we're exploring what becomes possible when you f...

One of the biggest mistakes couples make is confusing facts with stories. Over time, it's easy to start treating assumptions, interpretations, and conclusions as if they're objective truth. And once that happens, resentment, conflict, and disconnection begin to grow. In this episode, we're breaking down the difference between what actually happened—and the meaning you've assigned to it. Inside thi...

When you hear the phrase "trust issues," you probably think about infidelity. But some of the most damaging trust issues in a marriage have nothing to do with cheating. In today's episode I share with you the specific ways I've seen trust issues create disconnection in marriage. Inside this episode, we: Uncover the subtle experiences that slowly erode trust over time Look at how emotional responsi...

What if some of the resentment, conflict, and disconnection in your marriage… is being fueled by the stories you’re telling yourself about your partner? In this episode, we’re looking at the thought patterns and misperceptions that quietly shape the way you experience your relationship—and how those perspectives can either deepen disconnection or create space for understanding, growth, and change....

Why do so many couples keep having the same arguments, the same disconnection, and the same frustrations… even when they genuinely want things to get better? In this episode, we answer that question by looking deeply at what actually changes a marriage—and why so many couples stay stuck even while trying hard to make things different. Inside this episode, we: Explore why insight and good intention...

Few things feel more painful in a marriage than trying to express yourself… and walking away feeling unheard. In this episode, we’re looking at why you may not be feeling heard in your relationship—and the deeper dynamics that often get in the way of true understanding and emotional responsiveness. Inside this episode, we: Explore the subtle ways you may unintentionally contribute to not feeling h...

One of the most challenging experiences is to feel alone inside a marriage. It causes you to question the entire point of being together. In this episode, we're having that conversation head on. We will also look at the deeper dynamic beneath loneliness in marriage—and why so many couples end up stuck in painful cycles of disconnection without fully understanding what’s happening. Inside this epis...

What is it actually like to be married to you? Not what you intend. Not how you see yourself. But how you’re experienced—day to day, in the moments that matter. It’s a simple question…but it has the power to change everything. Inside this episode, we: Explore how your patterns shape your partner’s experience of you—often in ways you don’t fully see Look at the difference between how you mean to sh...