AwakenYou in Your Marriage

Send us Fan Mail When couples begin talking about separation, it can feel terrifying. Many people assume separation means the marriage is over, but what if separation isn’t always about ending the relationship? What if it can become a path toward greater clarity and healing? In this episode, I continue the conversation from last week’s episode on marital discernment counseling and explore the diff...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever found yourself wondering, "What else can I do?" In this episode, Christine shares a powerful insight from a recent marriage roundtable that challenged the way she thinks about couples who are struggling. The speaker made a simple but profound statement: "Most people don't want to get divorced. They just don't know what else they can do."...

Send us Fan Mail How do you stop feeling powerless in your marriage when your spouse won't change? For years, I spent so much energy focusing on what my husband wasn't doing and all the ways I wished he would show up differently. While many of those hurts were real, I eventually realized something surprising: the more I focused on trying to change him, the more powerless I felt. In this...

Send us Fan Mail Have date nights, vacations, or time together with your spouse started to feel awkward or uncomfortable? You're not alone in wondering what happened. In this episode, I share reflections from a recent anniversary getaway with Jeff and why reconnecting after seasons of stress, distance, and disconnection often feels awkward before it feels close. We'll talk about: Why cou...

Send us Fan Mail Most couples spend more time planning their wedding than they do their marriage. And it’s not because they don’t care… it’s because no one really shows them how. In this episode, I’m bringing you into a recent experience I had at a premarital conference—and the unexpected reflection it stirred in me about my own marriage. As I sat with couples just beginning their journey, I found...

Send us Fan Mail A simple anniversary gift… a quiet moment… and a reaction I didn’t expect. In this episode, I share how one small moment with Jeff uncovered a deeper belief I didn’t realize I was still carrying—and how emotional triggers in marriage often have less to do with what’s happening now… and more to do with what we’ve been carrying for a long time. If you’ve ever felt hurt, disappointed...

Send us Fan Mail I’ve been holding something back. Not because I didn’t think it mattered… but because I wasn’t sure how it would land. In this episode, I’m sharing a personal wrestle around faith, intimacy, and a breakthrough I can’t explain through effort alone. This one is raw, honest, and unfolding in real time. CBS News Interview: 6 Tips For A Healthy & Loving Relationship Does communicat...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel like no matter what you try… you and your spouse keep ending up in the same place? The same arguments. The same disconnect. The same frustration. Maybe you’ve had the conversations… tried new approaches… even gotten help… and still—nothing really changes. In this episode, we explore why that happens. Because it’s not just about what you’re doing… it’s about what’s...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like you’re the only one carrying the intimacy in your relationship? Like you’re the one reaching, thinking about it, wondering why it’s not happening… while your spouse feels distant or hard to read? Or maybe you’re on the other side—feeling pressure, expectation, and not fully understanding why it feels so hard to respond. In this episode, we slow things down and look...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wanted your spouse… but held back? Or reached for them… and their response stayed with you longer than you expected? What looks like a simple moment often carries something much deeper—questions about being wanted, being seen, and what it all means. In this episode, we explore why reaching for your spouse can feel so emotionally loaded in long-term marriage, and how...

Send us Fan Mail Rebuilding intimacy doesn’t start with fixing it… it starts with understanding it. If you’ve had the conversation about sex in your marriage and nothing really changed, this episode will help you see why. In this episode, we explore how curiosity—not pressure, not techniques—is the first step toward rebuilding emotional and physical intimacy. You’ll learn how assumptions, self-pro...

Send us Fan Mail There’s a stage in many marriages that almost nobody talks about. Sex hasn’t disappeared completely… but it also isn’t happening regularly anymore. Weeks—or even months—go by, and both partners notice the distance but feel unsure how to bring it up. In this episode, Christine Bongiovanni explores what she calls “the awkward middle” of intimacy —that quiet stage where sexual connec...

Send us Fan Mail Shame often hides beneath the surface of intimacy struggles in marriage. Many couples assume they simply need to try harder—communicate more, schedule time together, or change behaviors. But shame doesn’t loosen its grip through effort alone. In this episode, Christine Bongiovanni explores how shame quietly shapes intimacy, why behavioral fixes often fail, and how secure love and...

Send us Fan Mail Is sexual intimacy in your marriage really about desire… or something deeper? In Episode 255, Christine explores sexual formation in marriage and how early messages about sex shape trust, safety, and desire. What if “low desire” is actually guarded desire? And why don’t behavior changes alone create lasting transformation? This episode begins a new journey into marital sexual tran...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever argued about something small… only to find yourselves back in the same fight weeks later? In this episode, Christine shares why learning conflict resolution in marriage takes years of practice — and why small arguments matter more than you think. Through a personal story (yes, it involves silverware) and real client examples, she unpacks: • Why repair feels clunky at...

Send us Fan Mail Many couples aren’t in crisis — they’re in a quiet middle space. Not deeply connected. Not fighting constantly. Just… living around the ache. In this episode, Christine explores the subtle pattern where one partner reaches for change while the other avoids it — and how resignation slowly replaces longing. If you’ve ever told yourself, “We’re okay,” while something inside you still...

Send us Fan Mail Valentine’s Day expectations in marriage often go unspoken — and that’s where disappointment begins. In this episode, Christine explores how waiting for your spouse to meet expectations without clear communication can create quiet resentment. You’ll learn how to examine what you truly want, share your desires with clarity, and use Valentine’s Day as an invitation for deeper connec...

Send us Fan Mail Why do the same conflicts keep showing up in marriage — even when both partners care? In this episode of Awaken You in Your Marriage , Christine explores how personality styles show up during conflict and why understanding these differences can dramatically shift communication and connection. You’ll learn how different personality styles respond under stress, what each type needs...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Awaken You in Your Marriage , Christine explores how understanding personality can bring clarity and compassion to communication struggles in marriage. Rather than focusing only on what couples fight about, this conversation looks at how personality and stress responses shape conflict. Christine introduces a simple, accessible personality framework and explains...

Send us Fan Mail At the start of a new year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you should be working on in your marriage. In this episode, Christine offers a gentler and more sustainable approach. Instead of fixing all the things or waiting for the “right time,” you’re invited to slow down, listen, and choose one internal shift that could begin changing the dynamic in your relationship....

Send us Fan Mail After emotionally full seasons—holidays, weddings, family gatherings, caretaking, and travel—it’s common to feel slower rather than energized. In this episode, Christine explores the quiet “in-between” season that often follows big life moments and why it doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong. This gentle, reflective conversation invites listeners to discern the difference between...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve found yourself thinking, “We really need to communicate better,” but you also feel a quiet tightening inside when you say that… this one is for you. Most couples don’t stop talking because they don’t care. They stop because talking started to feel costly. Costly emotionally — it leads to reactions that stir more feelings. Costly energetically — you walk away drained, wit...

Send us Fan Mail As the new year approaches, many couples hope their marriage will feel different—but without intention, January often looks a lot like December. In this episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage , Christine invites you to slow down and reflect on who you are becoming and how that inner evolution shapes the way your marriage feels over time. Through a guided visualization, simple habit...

Send us Fan Mail Can a marriage really change after years of struggle and effort? In this episode of AwakenYou in Your Marriage , Christine reflects on more than a decade of inner and relational work and shares what truly shifts when couples stay committed to the long work of healing. This is an honest, hope-filled conversation for anyone who’s been doing the work and wondering if it’s worth it. C...

Send us Fan Mail As the year comes to a close, this episode invites you to pause and reflect on how your marriage has actually felt—not to judge it, but to learn from it. Christine shares a personal story, practical reflection tools, and simple next steps to help you move into the new year with clarity, intention, and hope for deeper connection. Timestamps: 00:00 Reflecting on Your Marriage as the...