Relationships and Marriage

Describing end of life decisions can be uncomfortable and upsetting, but is an important topic to consider. In this publication, we describe ways for a partner to bring up end of life decisions in conversation and offer guidelines for talking about and making these decisions.

Retirement is not only a transition period for the individual but also for the marriage. In this publication we describe the impact that retirement might have on the marriage and how to prepare for this major life change within the marriage.

Men and women communicate in different ways, which may lead to a misunderstanding. In this publication, we describe the ways in which men and women generally communicate and offer suggestions on how to communicate so that misunderstanding is minimal.

Many things, such as distractions, emotional states, beliefs and expectations, differences in communication styles, and self-protection can lead to a miscommunication between couples. In this publication, we point out several things that might lead to a miscommunication so that couples can identify them before they become a problem.

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.

Each person brings certain expectations to a relationship from previous experiences and exposures. In this publication, we describe expectations in the marriage and how opening describing these expectations can lead to better marital satisfaction.

Money plays a major role in every marriage, and each partner handles money differently, which can lead to emotionally-charged disagreements. In this publication, we describe the impact money decisions can have on a marriage and offer suggestions on how to communicate with your spouse about money.

After the “honeymoon phase,” many couples find that marriage is not exactly what they envisioned, possibly leaving them less than satisfied with their relationship. In this publication, we describe the normalcy of this feeling, acknowledge that adjustment is necessary and offer strategies for building a strong marriage.