SmartLoving Conversations

Recently, Byron shared a new idea with Francine. Instead of encouragement, Francine responded with “when will you get time to do that?!” The conversation immediately terminated in gloomy withdrawal. Afterwards we unpacked the discussion. Francine explained that she was trying to protect her heart from future disappointment. Byron revealed how he feared he would be blamed for the strain his work pu...

The world of feelings is vitally important to life and relationships. But what does current research and best practice tell us about how to understand them, and orient them for the best outcomes in our relationships?

Whether it's Christmas, Easter, Mothers/Fathers day, birthdays or Thanksgiving… holiday traditions can be a source of blessing or of grief. With our guest we unpack the traditions that have worked - and failed - for us and discussed strategies for being intentional in how we create our family culture.

The transition to parenthood is a challenge for all couples but for a couple that experienced almost a decade of infertility the change from being a married couple with no kids, to parenthood can be a dramatic shift in their identities and relationship. In this podcast Laura and Joseph Cain share their rollercoaster of marriage, infertility and then parenthood.

In the summer of 2021, Tony Manfredonia, a songwriter, found himself on the brink of destroying his marriage. Lost in the relentless pursuit of career success, he had forsaken the most precious pillars of life: Love, Family, and Faith in God. His album, “ANCHORED”, is a testament to the snares of temptation that threaten to dismantle our bonds and the miraculous strength of faith that can rebuild...

When a marriage breaks down, it’s rarely by mutual agreement. More commonly, one spouse wants to leave and the other wants to rebuild. For the abandoned spouse, it is bewildering, traumatic and distressing. Yet the situation is complicated – both spouses are in pain. How can we, as a community and as individuals accompany the abandoned spouse

Frustration, disillusionment, irritation - it's common for spouses to experience a variety of disappointments in marriage. From mild and temporary setbacks, to sustained desolation, spouses are often unsure how to get out of the marital funk. In this episode we explore some key ideas to ease the marital frustration and regain serenity.

Passing on the faith to our children is complicated for modern parents. In this episode, Francine explores some strategies and practical tips with young mother, Kiara Black – who also happens to be her daughter!

It’s seems that having ‘the sex talk’ with our young tweens is getting more complicated with every generation. For Catholic parents, the presence of cultural forces that contradict our values can feel overwhelming. Join Francine as she explores the topic with puberty education expert Karen Doyle.

With ubiquitous international travel and the advent of digital dating apps, increasingly, people are finding their match in another country. These international romances have unique features. Join us and our guests as we explore the joys and challenges of dating and marrying across continents.

Every nation remembers the sacrifice of their war veterans with a Memorial Day. Thinking about your marriage: is it more of a battlefield than the safe harbour it is intended to be? https://smartloving.org/ 12-war-and-peace-in-the-home-front /

In this episode we will discuss the Marriage Catechumenate I will be interviewing SmartLoving Director Francine Pirola about this concept and vision from Pope Francis. Francine has done a lot of reading and research into this as given two presentations recently to clergy across Australia so in this episode we will explore what it would take to set up and continue to develop a marriage catechumenat...

In this episode we talk about forgiveness - what it is, what it isn't, how to do it, and why it's necessary. Forgiveness is the decision to let go of bitterness and negative feelings and thoughts towards somebody who hurt us and replace them with compassionate feelings and thoughts. When we forgive, we accept that something bad happened to us and say that we want to move on. We become willing to s...

Different personalities. Different upbringing. Different education. Different sexes. Sometimes different ethnic or religious background. With so many differences between us, is it any wonder that making decisions as a couple is complicated and sometimes conflictual. We unpack the SmartLoving

In this episode we reflect on Marriage in the Wilderness. All marriages will go through desert experiences and during the Season of Lent as we reflect on Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to pray and fast and how Christ was tempted by Satan we reflect on our own desert experiences in our relationships with God or in our marriage. How we do we protect against temptations and weaknes...

When is someone too young to marry? What is the research, the experience and the facts about the age at which we marry? We're unpacking the myths, minefields and unexpected blessings of young marriage with SmartLoving graduate, Michael Paton. https://smartloving.org/7-young-and-married/

We all know someone whose marriage is in trouble or has ended. Often, they will drop hints or even speak openly in general conversation. How can we be supportive and helpful to friends and family when their marriage is struggling? Join us, and our guest, as we dig deep into our experience and share what we've learned from the experts. https://smartloving.org/6-how-to-help-a-marriage-in-trouble

We’ve already explored how to deepen our communication as a couple but focusing on sharing our interior life, specifically, sharing at the more intimate levels of Emotions and Needs. But how do emotions and needs relate to each other? And importantly, how do our thoughts impact our emotions? In this conversation we’re exploring these nuances in the interior life so we can go next level in our jour...

Communication is one of the key topics that couples say is so important. While most engaged couples believe they are great at communication, many married couples say they could use some help. What’s going on? Did these couples somehow unlearn how to communicate? Join us as we explore communication – the pitfalls, the benefits, and tips and tricks to make it better. #4 Communication - SmartLoving C...

Our family of origin is the most influential formation because our early childhood experiences created the foundation through which all other experiences were interpreted. We like to think that we are independent thinkers and our own person. The truth is, we are products of our upbringing and experiences. #3 Your Family of Origin - SmartLoving Conversations

Is it possible to love smarter, not harder? We explore the SmartLoving framework of ‘Smart Loving’ and share our cheat sheet for winning in marriage. https://smartloving.org/2-how-to-love-smarter/

What does it mean to make ‘marriage our mission’? With our guest, Philipa Caulfield, we break it down and explore how we’ve done it and why we need it.