Departments and Units Resources

Positive interactions are important to building a strong marriage. When one partner attempts to make a positive connection, how the other partner responds impacts whether the connection is positive or negative. In this publication, we describe what it means to “bid for connection” and what each partner can do to create more positive connections.

Positive attachment is an important part of building a healthy marriage. When knowledge, trust, reliance, commitment, and sex are at balanced levels, strong, lasting attachment can help build stronger marriages. In this publication, we describe the five areas of attachment and offer suggestions on how to evaluate and improve attachment levels in these categories.

Many people believe that marriage is “happily ever after” and that happiness is the goal. In the publication, we describe the reality of marriage and the commitment involved.

Taking an annual inventory of the emotional, social, sexual, intellectual, recreational, and spiritual intimacy that is in a marriage can reveal what is being done well and what areas might need improvement. In this publication, we explain each area of intimacy in a marriage and how couples can evaluate and improve their intimacy level in these areas.

Committing to look for the positive in the relationship can have a strong impact on the strength of a couple’s marriage and their levels of satisfaction. In this publication, we encourage couples to commit to having a positive point of view, to look for and built upon the positive things in their lives, share in and talk about positive events, and to be positive and encouraging toward their partner.

Anger is an emotion that everyone feels from time to time, but mismanaging this emotion can lead to hurt and difficulty in the marriage. In this publication, we describe some ways that anger is not handled well, and how to better manage and express anger so that the problem can be resolved without damage to the marriage.

Setting goals in a marriage can lead to expectations being met for both partners and for more marital satisfaction. In this publication, we describe the importance of setting goals and give some suggestions on how to set, evaluate, and reach them.

When the last child leaves home, many couples experience difficulties to this new life adjustment. In this publication, we offer suggestions on how to identify and describe these problems as a couple and move into the “second half” of marriage.