Happily Ever After is Just the Beginning

The historic Supreme Court decision to expand marriage to same-sex couples is generating some much needed discussion about what marriage is and what it isn’t in today’s society. Marriage is not a commitment to be entered into lightly and that is what makes the fight for marriage equality so important. The drive to connect is universal and there is much that straight couples can learn about the val...

Many people think that romantic relationships are natural and that there is nothing that different about marriage. Unfortunately, this common way of thinking puts many marriages at risk. Because many of us don’t know what we don’t know about marriage, we are at risk of making some very common mistakes that cause a lot of unnecessary pain. Francesco DiMeglio, the Newlywed expert at About.com ( http...

Divorce doesn’t just impact the two people in the marriage. It touches everyone who is connected to them. But it can be extremely hard to know what to do when you see someone you care about heading in that direction. You may have been part of their wedding where the guests were asked to commit to supporting the couple in the marriage but have no idea how to honor that pledge. We don’t discuss marr...

Many studies show that children do better when they are raised in intact, two-parent households. Unfortunately, by the time they are 16, only 50% of children still experience this family structure. One of the biggest reasons for this is that couples do not adequately prepare their marriages for the arrival of their bundle of joy. Marni Feuerman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Fam...

News about the dropping divorce rate should be cause for celebration. Unfortunately, much of that drop isn’t due to more success at marriage but because fewer marriages are happening in the first place. The age group that traditionally would be getting married at this point in their lives, the millennial generation, is having serious reservations about the whole process. Many in this group grew up...

Parents are the first, and most important, role models that children have for what it means to be a man, woman, husband, wife, mother and father. Unfortunately, by the time a child in the English speaking world today reaches their 16th birthday, half will no longer live in a home with both parents. There is a misconception that this turn of events has limited impact on the long-term well-being of...

While many of us got married because we want to have children and to provide them a stable foundation, this idea is seemingly becoming outdated.  Fewer millennials are marrying but they are still having children. They see marriage as the problem when studies support the idea that it is actually child rearing that creates challenges in the relationship. The cultural changes that have occurred over...

It is true to some extent that, when you marry your spouse, you also marry their family. In-laws are often the punch line to jokes, especially mothers-in-law. But for many people, maybe you, dealing with your in-laws is no laughing matter. Establishing healthy relations with the people your partner grew up with will help make your marriage stronger. You can increase the likelihood of this happenin...

Divorce, once rare and shameful, has become common and acceptable. It has almost become the default when there is the least little blip on the marriage radar screen. The problem is that the challenges that come with divorce are frequently overlooked. It is a huge decision that impacts not just the marriage but also the children, friends and family. It is a decision that should be considered extrem...

It’s easy to fall in love. It’s keeping that love alive and growing that gives most of us trouble. This is because we aren’t just in our current relationship. We pollute this relationship with the negative experiences we had in all our other relationships. What’s worse, most of us aren’t even aware we’re doing it. So we repeat the pattern over and over again; getting more frustrated and unhappy. D...

Do you believe relationships are natural? Do you believe that love is all you need to have a great relationship? Do you believe that if there are any challenges, the problem is the relationship itself and you made a mistake? The fact is it easy to fall in love. It is a bit more challenging to build a relationship based on lasting love.  But if you’re going to move past the easy beginning and creat...

Happily Ever After is an idea that is sold to us from the time we are very young. The Romance Novel industry and the Wedding Industrial Complex make billions every year promoting this ideal. But is it really possible in this day and age? In truth, yes it is. In reality, not for many people—maybe even you. You can turn this around and create the marriage you have always wanted. Marcus Ambrester, ps...

A few couples choose to elope. Others go to the courthouse and get married with no fuss or frills. Most couples, maybe even you, decided to have a more formal ceremony with your friends and family to share your momentous day—party after optional. There is a long-standing reason for this that often is not thought about. Your marriage is not just about you; it is also about your community. Frequentl...

Do you believe that there is a difference between courtship and marriage behavior? If so, do you think that courtship behavior requires more effort? Many people think that they are home free once they have said, “I do”. It is this way of thinking that causes problems in many marriages. You and your spouse will change over time and if you can see this as a problem, your relationship becomes vulnera...

There are a lot of misconceptions about marriage that create fear for many people. Marriage takes a lot of work; it requires you to give up your independence; it’s a 50/50 crap shoot; and many others. If all those things were actually true, I would be scared of marriage too. But the truth is that there is a very simple path you can take to have a successful marriage. Dr. Kelly Flanagan, clinical p...

Do you ever wonder how you went from being madly in love with your spouse to just being parents? Do you believe that being together for years automatically means your marriage is going to be humdrum and boring? Well, there is good news! You don’t have to settle for a flat marriage. David Steele, marriage and family therapist, founder of Relationship Coaching Institute, and co-author of Radical Mar...

Couples who make it to their 50th wedding anniversary are often asked the secret to their success. Their answers run from the expected—just say, “yes dear”—to the sweet—we just never fell out of love at the same time. Many people believe that reaching that milestone is not achievable for them. They believe the commonly reported statistic that half of all marriages will end in divorce. But there ar...

You have probably heard that even happy couples fight. In fact, you may have been told that couples who don’t fight can’t possibly be happy; that they are just sitting on unexpressed resentment. I want to know what other relationship in our lives we are actively encouraged to fight with the other person. Your children? Your best friend? Your co-workers? No one would accept that fighting with those...

Fifty Shades of Grey is a cultural phenomenon but what is its impact on a marriage? Maybe you have read the books or seen the movie. Maybe, like me, you haven’t and wonder just what all the fuss is about. Is it just acceptable porn for women or can it serve a deeper purpose and actually bring you and your spouse closer together? Xanet Paillet, sex and intimacy coach and founder of the Power of Ple...

When a marriage veers off the “happily ever after” path, the common responses are to fight, flee, or freeze. These are all highly emotional and reactive behaviors that will never get you back on track to a good relationship. There is an option that really works but is the one that is rarely tried—figure out what is wrong and make a real effort to fix it. This isn’t as scary or difficult as it soun...

Unless you were a mail-order spouse, you and your partner dated, at least for a while, before you got married. You did this at first as a way of getting to know each other and see if wanted to have a relationship. Then, it became a way of learning about each other at a deeper level and to create a stronger connection. So why should dating stop after you’re married? It shouldn’t. In fact, continuin...

You believe in unconditional love. You believe it’s your partner’s job to make you happy. You believe you’re the same person you were when you got together but your partner is different. If you believe any of those things then this show is for you. Dr. Joni Frater and Esther Lastique, relationship gurus, sex researchers, speakers, co-authors of the Amazon bestseller Love Her Right ( http://www.sex...

Vulnerability is often thought of as weakness. But, in order to have a truly successful relationship, it is important that your real thoughts and feelings are expressed. Sometimes you might try to ignore or hide your feelings or experiences because you don’t think they are important or that you should be strong enough to handle them on your own. Join Lesli for a personal discussion of how what hap...

Real conversations about sex and intimacy can be very difficult. Experts say that knowing what you want and being able to talk to your partner about are the keys to a better sex life. But what if you don’t know what you want or you can’t talk to your partner? What do you do if thinking about sex and intimacy brings up feelings of guilt, shame or trauma? Your relationship with sex might be difficul...

Sexual messages are everywhere. What is missing is a genuine conversation about how sex and intimacy work in real life relationships. Laurie Watson ( http://awakeningsctr.com/) , sex therapist, founder of Awakenings Center for Intimacy and Sexuality, and author of Wanting Sex Again: How to Rediscover Your Desire and Heal a Sexless Marriage, joins Lesli for this critically important conversation. Y...