The word ‘tips’ makes sense when added as a suffix to terms like ‘cooking’, ‘dental care’, and ‘beauty’. Can there be something called marriage tips? Well, yes, any small thing that can help improve your marriage can become a tip. Now, if you are in the habit of ruining your evenings and sulking in the [...]
“A marriage is happy only if the spouses are best friends,” said a friend many years ago. I used to wonder if that is indeed true. How many of you can claim to have one single closest friend? While we have many friends, the concept of ‘best friend’ does not apply in every case. So, [...]
Important marriage advice and tips when presented separately can leave one confused. So, in today’s post, I plan to revisit all the marriage advice we discussed in the last few posts. Hope this helps you get a good idea of how you can improve your marriage. If your spouse seems to sport low self esteem [...]
“He makes me feel like a queen.” “She makes me feel so good about myself.” No, this doesn’t just happen in movies. It happens to real couples. It is the falling-in-love phase. A romantic relationship is supposed to make you feel good. So, when the relationship starts making you feel bad about yourself, there is [...]
When was the last time you told your spouse that you love him/her? Oh, wait, you guys are married now so you don’t need to say that anymore. Is that how you feel? Remember how many times and in how many ways you expressed your love for him/her in your courtship days. Why did you [...]
Have you ever heard someone say that his/her marital problems are too big to be solved by petty relationship tips? Oh wait, you say that all the time. Your problems are huge, you say. I am sure they are, but I believe every problem has a solution. However, the solution needs to be preceded by [...]
Are you being selfish in your marriage? Do you expect more of your spouse than you can offer? Do you expect your spouse to be perfect while calling your flaws being human? Do you treat your spouse the way you want to be treated? Do you expect your spouse to accept your family and friends [...]
We have always maintained that marriage is an exclusive relationship. So, when there is a problem in your marriage, it needs to be handled with care. Unlike in any other relationships, with marriage you have the scope of ending the relationship with something called a divorce. In other relationships, even you part for some time, [...]
Scenario 1: The Arnolds have been married for five years. They are in their early thirties. They don’t seem to have any marital problem at the surface, but since the time both husband and wife have got more responsibilities at work, their personal communication seems to be suffering. Scenario 2: The Vincents have been married [...]
Do you need certain skills to make a marriage work? Or is it all about love and trust? According to Diane Sollee, founder of the Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE), marriage is a skill-based proposition. You need certain skills to make a marriage work. In an interview, this is what Sollee [...]
“My cousin had been married for 14 years before she and her husband separated. Why would they part after so long? Her husband must have the problem.” How many cousins, friends, and colleagues you know whose break-up after a long and seemingly happy marriage surprises you? I am sure there are many. Why do we [...]
So, if you cannot make time for or cannot afford regular marriage counseling, you can go for a single-session counseling? Does that even make sense? Is the counselor God to solve your marriage problems in a couple of hours? No. He/she is not God. And he/she won’t solve your problems for you. However, the counselor [...]
What is better – sulking or talking it out? Now, sulking can never be good. Talking it out helps, almost all the time, and yet, there are times we find ourselves without company and keep problems to ourselves. If you are keeping your marriage problems to yourself and sulking, you need to find out company [...]
Saving a relationship is not enough if you don’t try to make it work. There are times when couples approach a relationship counselor when their marriage or relationship is on the verge of a break-up and never seek follow up advice to keep their relationship going smoothly. While they understand the importance of saving their [...]
A term that’s revolutionizing the world of marriage counseling these days is marriage fitness. An alternative to conventional counseling, marriage fitness approaches marital conflicts from a different perspective. So, what is marriage fitness? And, is your marriage “fit”? Let’s find out. Marriage fitness is a term coined by Mort Fertel. Fertel is the author and [...]
“I screamed at my husband yesterday. I said the most hurtful things. Do you think I need therapy?” I overheard someone saying this to a friend in a restaurant a couple of months ago. I smiled as I passed by the table. Why? Because I knew that the person and her spouse are one of [...]
Would you believe me if I told you that marriage counseling is potentially for every couple? Of course, you wouldn’t believe me. But let me back it up with a reason. You cannot deny that every relationship has some scope of improvement. And it is this improvement that couples counseling helps you with. So, irrespective [...]
Do you often come across some piece of marriage advice that contradicts something you were told earlier? When there is too much advice floating around from all sorts of sources (counselors, family, friends, neighbors, colleagues etc.), there is bound to be some sort of contradiction. However, the most puzzling sort is the one that comes [...]
It’s in small things that you find great pleasures in your life. Imagine calling up a friend after years and he/she readily agrees for a drink with you in the evening. Imagine asking your spouse to cook a certain dish or mow the lawn and see the work done by evening. Imagine the hug your [...]
The world says, “Nothing comes free!” And if somebody offers you free advice, it is either considered unsolicited or non-useful advice. Marriage advice comes free only from friends and family, and it is something we do not give much importance to. Never do you see a relationship expert giving advice for free. Oh wait, there [...]
There is a general perception that the ones whose relationship is on the rocks go for counseling. This feeling has made its corollary a popular perception: counseling is for those whose relationships are on the verge of a breakdown. Does the thought of counseling, thus, make you feel like a failure? I know many couples [...]
There is so much hullabaloo over premarital counseling these days. Is is that important? Isn’t counseling for resolving conflicts? Why should a couple seek counseling before marriage, when there is no apparent problem? After all, the time before the wedding is so much like a fairy tale. Now, if you ask someone who is about [...]
What is the first thing that pops into your head when you hear about infidelity counseling? Most probably, you may think about the age-old question: can a marriage survive infidelity? The answer to this question is ‘yes’, but it doesn’t mean all marriages will survive it. Infidelity is painful for the spouse who has been [...]
What do you do when you get angry? Take it out on the source of your anger Try to hold it for the time being and make your spouse/partner your vent later in the day Unable to do anything about it, get agitated on yourself Plan to take revenge from the one who caused the [...]
You have been told counseling helps when you cannot improve your relationship on your own. But how does counseling help? What can you learn through counseling? Can a third person really solve your relationship conflicts? The answer to these questions is that counseling can work for you if you are willing to make it work. [...]
How much time do you spend on the Internet on a daily basis? If you are a tech-savvy, new-age man/woman, you may find the virtual world just an extension of your real. Most of us are hard pressed for time these days, so much so that we don’t want to invest some time improving our [...]
Do you fear going out and revealing it all to a complete stranger? Not everyone is comfortable with marriage counseling, and I understand that it is really not easy to open up in front of someone. Now, imagine getting expert help even without having to reveal your situation or even your complete identity to an [...]
Do you ever find the information on this blog overwhelming? After all, we hand over a new piece of advice or information to you on relationships everyday. Standalone information may be good but cumulative information always makes you get a better perspective. So, in today’s post, we bring to you points that we have discussed [...]
We don’t seem to agree on anything. We fight all the time. If this is how you describe your relationship with your partner or spouse, there must be something wrong. But have you ever wondered if you are the one taking charge of the fights? Are you the one who criticizes more? Are you the [...]
It is very easy to point the finger at others when something goes wrong between you and them. Are you in the habit of blaming your partner when your relationship takes a hit? You may turn to a relationship counselor when things go out of hand very badly, but there is a lot you can [...]
