Stay Happily Married

Are the expectations we put on our spouse to blame for the disintegration of intimacy and connectedness? Do you consider yourself a victim of your spouse's unreasonable behavior, or are you simply bored of your spouse? Dr. Judith Sherven and Dr. Jim Sniechowski join us to talk about why many people are so quick to abandon a relationship, what factors contribute to that behavior, and what you can change in your marriage to turn around your relationship, as well as the obvious aphrodisiac that most couples overlook. Drs. Judith and Jim have been married for 22 years and are the authors of 5 bestselling books on marriage and relationships. Be sure to visit their website, JudithandJim.com for more relationship advice and information about their books.

If you're a part of a blended family, you know how complicated things can be, especially when you're starting out. Are you having trouble relating to your new stepchildren? Do you just not feel as much like a family as you expected? Barbara Keyworth joins us to discuss the things that can cause tension in a newly blended family, and shares tips for making the transition a smooth one. Barbara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a practice in Raleigh and 23 years of experience. Her website is BKeyworth.com, where you can find out more about her counseling services and qualifications, and you can call her office at 919.783.8004 for an appointment.

Do you feel like the ways you and your partner think just don't match up? Does it feel like it might be impossible to really understand each other? Susie Leonard Weller, author of Why Don't You Understand?: Improve Family Communication with the 4 Thinking Styles joins us to explain how we can improve our communication through understanding these different thinking styles. Susie is a certified Thinking Styles Consultant and a life and spiritual coach who also teaches parenting and family management at the Community Colleges of Spokane. Her website is SusieWeller.com, and her book can be purchased there or from Parenting Press or Amazon. If you order it from her website, as a special offer, she'll send you an autographed copy and pay for shipping expenses herself. Additionally, Susie would like to offer a free resource with 30 tips on stress management. You can contact her by email at sweller@att.net or by phone at  (509) 255-6676 and she'll send you a copy.

Is your new spouse's ex more of a presence in your life than you expected? Are you finding it hard to deal with? Dr. Molly Parks joins us to discuss the critical issues you need to address when dealing with your partner's ex so you can keep the harmony in your new family. Molly has over a decade of experience helping both adults and children deal with emotionally challenging issues ranging from social isolation and relationship issues to PTSD and trauma victims. She practices with Lepage Associates in Durham. You can schedule an appointment by calling 919.572.0000, or by visiting LepageAssociates.com.

Does it seem like no matter how hard you try to communicate and express your love to your partner, your message just isn't getting through? Sarah DeNome joins us to discuss the different ways people express and comprehend love, and to tell us how we can better communicate those feelings to our partners in ways they understand. Sarah is a licensed clinical social worker with her own practice, DeNome Alliances Counseling Center, which has locations both in Raleigh and Holly Springs, NC. You can contact her and find out more by visiting her website, Denome-Alliances.com.

There are a lot of stereotypes about men and what they want, and nearly everyone has heard them. But believing that men are as simple as the stereotypes say can make you miss out on more meaningful ways to make him happy and strengthen your relationship together. Do you think you know what men really want out of their relationships? Dr. Kristen Wynns returns to the show to discuss what men are really looking for. Kristen has a private practice in Cary, NC and specializes in therapy for children, adolescents, and families. You can find out more about her practice and services at her website, WynnsFamilyPsychology.com, or by calling her office at 919.805.0182. She also has a blog called Marriage and Parenting 101 with great advice for couples and families.

We're bombarded with advice on how to fix our relationships from almost every angle -- from family, friends, and media. But how much of that advice is really good advice? Dr. Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones returns to the show to share some pieces of marriage advice she's heard that can do a lot more harm than good. Katrina holds a Masters degree in Forensic Psychology, a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and has been practicing for over 10 years. Katrina practices with Lepage Associates in Durham, NC and can be reached at 919.572.0000, or by visiting LepageAssociates.com.

Do you feel that your spouse's lack of appreciation is a sign that he or she is no longer happy with the relationship? Or is your spouse upset with your marriage while you think things are going fine? This dynamic can lead to feelings of betrayal that quickly spiral into much larger problems like suspicion and resentment that can be toxic to your relationship. Charlotte Michie joins us to discuss what role both spouses play in this problem and how you and your spouse can improve your trust and communication to revive the compassion in your relationship. Charlotte holds Masters degrees in both Social Psychology and Social Work, and does both individual and couples counseling in her Cary, NC practice. You can find out more about Charlotte on her website, CAMichie.com, or by calling her office at 919.467.3661

Has your sex life with your spouse cooled down since you got married?  Are you not getting the same satisfaction that you used to, and do you feel like there's nothing you can do about it? Dr. Trina Read joins us to talk about her book, Till Sex Do Us Part: Making Your Married Sex Irresistible, which focuses on the transition couples go through from single sex to married sex, and tells you what you can do to keep things satisfying after you've tied the knot. Trina is a sexologist with a successful coaching practice who's written for a variety of publications in addition to writing her own books.  She's given interviews and lectures both in North America and overseas. You can go to her website, TrinaRead.com, to learn more and to find plenty of resources, and to TillSexDoUsPart.com to order her book for yourself.

It's easy to get caught up in the negative things in our lives, but are you letting the same happen in your relationship? Are you no longer able to see the good things in your marriage? Drs. Charley and Liz Schmitz join us to discuss how to break out of the cycle of negativity and put the positivity back in your marriage, beginning with five simple things you should say to your spouse every day. Charley and Liz are marriage experts with three decades of research and a 43-year marriage of their own. You can purchase their latest book, Building a Love That Lasts, through Amazon.com, and you can visit their website at SimpleThingsMatter.com, where you can find their blog along with a variety of relationship resources.

Do you feel like you can't live up to what your spouse expects from you in the bedroom? Or do you feel you're not getting everything you think you should get from your spouse? Dr. Sara Rosenquist joins us to discuss how our culture's emphasis on sex can give us unrealistic expectations and put a strain on relationships, and gives advice on how couples can find satisfaction with each other - even if they aren't in a hyper-sexual Hollywood romance. Sara is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Chapel Hill and Cary, NC, where she focuses on reproductive issues and sex therapy. You can find out more by visiting her website, DrSara.com, where she has some great articles and free resources available.

Is your marriage not all you expected it to be? Are you not sure if there's something wrong, or if this is just the natural progression of a relationship? Harry Harrison, author of 1001 Things Happy Couples Know About Marriage, joins us to share some of the lessons he's compiled from talking to successful long-term couples, covering everything from money to intimacy to forgiveness. Harry is the bestselling author of the Raising Parents book series, ten books on parenting and family life. You can order a copy of 1001 Things... at Amazon.com and be sure to check out his books on his website, RaisingParents.com.

Has your sex life become so dissatisfying that you feel restless with your marriage, or even resentful of your spouse? Marnia Robinson joins us to take a look at the science behind why steamy romance is destined to fade, what that means for the future of marriage, as well as to share some of her 31 tips for reengaging sexually with your spouse and using your biological instincts to rekindle passion. Marnia is the author of Cupid's Poisoned Arrow: From Habit to Harmony in Sexual Realationships, in which she challenges conventional approaches toward intimacy in relationships and examines the biological and neurological forces that shape our sexual desires. You can order the book from Amazon.com here, and find out more about Marnia and her research at her website, Reuniting.info

A child who's having difficulties in school can create a lot of unexpected stress in a relationship. Do you and your spouse have different ideas of what's best when it comes to your child's education? How can you communicate with each other and with your child to understand what's happening at school, and what you can do? Dr. Jaclyn Starritt joins us to talk about how important it is to advocate for your child and how parents can effectively deal with their child's problems in school through cooperation. Jaclyn earned her PhD. in the field of School Psychology, and is married with three children of her own. She's now putting her experience to work as a new member of Wynns Family Psychology in Cary, NC. You can find out more about her services by visiting KristenWynns.com or calling her office at (919) 805-0182 to set up an appointment.

When kids start acting out, the strain on the marriage is immediate. Are the different approaches that you and your spouse take toward discipline and the examples you set making the problem worse? Tina Lepage joins us  to discuss the three reasons why almost all children act out, as well as common mistakes couples make and what steps you can take today to better communicate with your kids and each other in order to raise better behaved children in a loving environment. Tina is the founder of Lepage Associates, where she focuses on personal and professional relationship issues, as well as children and family therapy, and personal growth. You can find out more about Tina and her staff by visiting her website at LepageAssociates.com, or by calling her office at 919.572.0000.