Study after study indicates that married people tend to be happier than non-married people. But this is a correlation–not a statement of cause and effect. You could assume that marriage makes people happy–or you could assume that happy people are more likely to marry. Whatever the case, I don’t suggest waiting on a relationship… CONTINUE
When Someone Mistreats You, How Do You Move On?
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Forgiveness doesn’t work. Neither does forgetting. Why? Because both assume you have been wronged, and that you’re doing someone else a favor by not punishing them for it. “I forgive you ” really means We both know you did something bad, but I am choosing not to give you the… CONTINUE
Does Having Children Increase Marital Satisfaction?
Not usually. The majority of studies indicate that marital satisfaction significantly declines for most couples after having children. This is truer for women than men. In Dr. John Gottman’s well-known research at the University of Washington, 67% of women reported declining satisfaction with their marriage after having children (Journal of Family Psychology, 14, 59-70). Although… CONTINUE
The Statistics of Divorce and What You Can Do to Help Your Marriage
Many couples are surprised to learn the following divorce statistics: First marriage, 50% divorce rate Second marriage, 67% divorce rate Third marriage, 74% divorce rate Why do divorce rates increase rather than decrease after the first marriage? Perhaps individuals get more comfortable with divorce after they initially “break the taboo” by ending their first marriage…. CONTINUE
Two Keys to a Successful Relationship
My wife and I recently celebrated our 22nd Anniversary. (10 years of dating, 12 years of marriage.) We’ve been through a lot over these two-plus decades—and really, who hasn’t? But this much is certain: We now enjoy more peacefulness, passion and spiritual connection within our relationship than ever before. So what’s our secret? First, we… CONTINUE