Stay Happily Married

When things get difficult, It's easy to start questioning whether It's really worth it to stay in your marriage.  Does it seem like you aren't communicating anymore? How can you resolve your conflicts when it feels like nothing is working? John Wilder joins us to take a look at what you can do when you're considering giving up on your marriage, and shows us how we may able to repair our conflict solving skills. John is a marriage coach in New Castle, Indiana, with over thirty years of counseling experience. You can get in touch with John and learn more about his coaching services by emailing him at marriagecoach1@yahoo.com.

Have you considered traditional marriage counseling, but found yourself curious about other possible options? Marriage workshops are a growing alternative to traditional counseling with a more classroom-like approach, and have been increasing in popularity both with married couples and with engaged couples who want to plan for the future. Natasha Crawford, founder of a new marriage workshop of her own called the Marriage Academy, joins us today to tell us more about this growing trend and what to expect from it to help you decide if a workshop might be the right choice for you. Natasha is a licensed North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapist Associate and certified Prepare-Enrich premarital counselor with a private practice in Raleigh. You can find out more about Natasha at her website, NatashaCrawford.com, by following her on Twitter @NatashaCrawford, by calling her office at 919.807.1156, or by visiting her blog at NatashaCrawford.blogspot.com

With Mother's Day just around the corner, we're all reminded just how important it is to show appreciation for the mothers in our lives. But sometimes we can forget that It's just as important to show appreciation and support for your wife's role as a mother throughout the rest of the year. What are some of the issues mothers deal with on a daily basis that sometimes go unnoticed, and what can husbands do to show their appreciation? Dr. Kristen Wynns returns to discuss common complaints from mothers who feel unappreciated and what you can do to support your wife and show her how much you value what she does for your family. Dr. Wynns has a private practice in Cary, NC and specializes in therapy for children, adolescents, and families. You can find out more about Dr. Wynns practice and services at her website, WynnsFamilyPsychology.com, or by calling her office at 919.805.0182. Kristen also has a blog called Marriage and Parenting 101 with great advice for parents.

Having a great marriage is tough work. In second marriages, factors like ex-spouses, step children, and fears and insecurities from the last marriage make things even more difficult. Are you afraid your current marriage will end up like your last one? Tim Lewis joins us to discuss the unique pitfalls of remarriages and what steps you can take today to make sure that this marriage makes it, whether It's your first or fifth. Tim is a Marriage Coach and a certified Prepare-Enrich Seminar Director & Counselor with a private practice in Huntersville, NC. Tim and his wife Christina operate The Redesign Company, which combines marriage coaching and home design. You can find out more about Tim and The Redesign Company on their website, LoveComingHome.com, by visiting their Facebook page, or by calling 704.604.2687.

It's no secret that for most problems, men like clear-cut instructions - and relationships are no different. Dennis Yanke joins us to discuss his book, Love Your Wife... Get Better Sex, and talk about his manual for not just improving your sex life, but deepening the intimacy and emotional connection as well. Dennis is a veteran financial planner with three decades of experiences helping couples manage their finances. You can find out more about Dennis and the  book at LoveYourWifeGetBetterSex.com, where you can read an entire chapter of the book for free, as well as ask Dennis questions that he answers on the site. We're excited to be giving away two copies of Love Your Wife... Get Better Sex. Listen to the show, leave us a comment at StayHappilyMarried.com, and on Friday (4/30/10), we'll pick two commenters to receive copies of the book!

Adultery leaves many spouses thinking that there will never be any trust in the relationship and that divorce is the inevitable conclusion. How likely is it that your marriage will survive infidelity, and is it possible to rebuild trust and respect? Mary Jo Rapini joins us to explore the different reasons men and women cheat, the likelihood that a marriage will survive cheating, and a checklist that you can put into place today to repair your marriage if infidelity has damaged the relationship. Mary Jo is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice in Houston, TX. She also writes a syndicated newspaper column, hosts a television show in Houston, and has appeared on CNN, Headline News, and TLC. You can find out more about Mary Jo at her website, MaryJoRapini.com, where you can get information on her services, books, and videos, as well as read her blog for couples.

Are you dreading the day when your kids start dating? Different parenting styles, youthful defiance, and parental concern may seem like recipe for disaster. It's no wonder that parents of teens often have some of the lowest marital satisfaction. Annie Fox joins us to discuss what to expect when your kids reach dating age, how to deal with your concerns in a way that doesn't alienate your children, and how to keep some sanity in your marriage during the process. Annie has been writing books for teens and educators for almost 40 years. Her book The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating is available for free on her website, AnnieFox.com. While you're there, be sure to check out her other books, including the Middleschool Confidential series, her blog for parents and educators, and her podcast.

With today's shaky economic climate, spending a few extra hours at work every week is necessary just to get by. But where is the line between doing what it takes to provide for the family, and avoiding the family altogether? Dr. Nicole Imbraguglio returns to the show to examine how dedicating too much time to work, hobbies, or social activities can both cause problems in your relationship, and be indicators that there are other problems as well. Dr. Imbraguglio practices with Lepage Associates in Durham, NC and helps both adults and children with a wide range of emotional issues. She has provided counseling for individuals, groups, couples, and families. You can learn more about Nicole at LepageAssociates.com, or by calling 919.572.0000

The biggest hurdle to fixing a relationship plagued by conflict is acknowledging the problem, but how do you resolve the underlying disputes without falling into old habits and fighting even more? Will strategies designed for both spouses be effective when only one spouse is willing to work toward solving the problem? Paul Shaffer returns to the show to share five tools you can start using today to disarm hostile and repetitive conflicts. Paul has been a professional counselor for almost 25 years and currently owns his own practice, Right Choices Counseling, in Huntersville, NC. You can find out more about Paul and his practice at RightChoicescounseling.com, or by calling 704.578.2725. You can also purchase Paul's books, Conflict Resolution for Couples, and Conflict Resolution for Christian Couples from Amazon.com, or by visiting the publisher directly, at AuthorHouse.com

Has communicating with your spouse become a lost cause? Does he or she seem not to have any understanding of where you're coming from, or just flat out refuse to engage - leading to fighting and resentment? Paul Shaffer joins us to discuss the top 5 factors that create communication stalemates in marriages and other ideas he explores in his book, Conflict Resolution for Couples. Paul has been a professional counselor for almost 25 years and currently owns his own practice, Right Choices Counseling, in Huntersville, NC. You can find out more about Paul and his practice at RightChoicescounseling.com, or by calling 704.578.2725. You can also purchase Paul's books, Conflict Resolution for Couples, and Conflict Resolution for Christian Couples from Amazon.com

Have late nights and early mornings at the office become the norm? Has your marriage lost It's spark because your spouse seems to care more about work than the relationship? Natasha Crawford joins us to explore the difference between hard work and neglecting your marriage, as well as examining the factors that make spouses likely to become "workaholics", how to prevent it from happening, and what to do if you or your partner is already there. Natasha is a licensed North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapist Associate and certified Prepare-Enrich premarital counselor with a private practice in Raleigh. You can find out more about Natasha at her website, NatashaCrawford.com, by following her on Twitter @NatashaCrawford, by calling her office at 919.807.1156, or by visiting her blog at NatashaCrawford.blogspot.com

Are you tired of the dirty clothes never making their way to the washer? The nagging? Being embarrassed in public? Or just plain old nose picking? Is there a way to get your spouse to drop the bad habits without reading the riot act? Jennifer Coleman returns to the show do discuss why It's sometimes more difficult to bring up problems to a spouse than a friend, and how you can approach your partner about his or her annoying habits in a way that doesn't put anyone on the offensive, and will make headway in fixing the problem. Jennifer is a licensed professional counselor and is a nationally certified counselor who practices with Eastover Psychological and Psychiatric Group in Cornelius, NC, where she works with couples, families and  individuals from young children to adults on issues ranging from depression, anxiety, relationship issues and life transitions. Jennifer is also a Life Transitions Coach with Rosen Law Firm, where she helps clients set goals and priorities to help manage their lives. You can find out more about Jennifer and her practice at EPPG.org

Have your expectations of what a "perfect" marriage should be left you to wonder whether the problems in your relationship will keep you from living "happily ever after" with your spouse? Dr. Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones returns to the show to examine what makes successful marriages last and what couples who have been married for two months or two decades can do to put their relationships on the right track. 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

Are you in a last-minute panic about which flowers to buy, where to make dinner reservations, and whether or not you bought this same card for your wife last year? Are you trying to figure out how to top the Valentine's Day gift you bought last February? Dr. Michael Hall returns to the show to share four sure-fire steps for husbands trying to make a good impression as well as discussing how to move away from focusing on the ever bigger box of candy or flower arrangement and instead paying attention to the individual needs and emotions of your wife. Michael owns a private practice with his wife Barbara in Charlotte, NC where he not only works with individuals and couples for relationship and marriage counseling, he is a well known figure in the corporate and career counseling world as well. You can give Michael a call at 704.858.2984 to find out more.

Has the inability to conceive created problems for your personal health, relationship with your spouse, or the priorities in your marriage? Harboring guilt or resentment quickly leads to a breakdown in communication that puts your marriage in serious jeopardy. Dr. Christina Rush joins us to discuss the emotional and psychological impact of infertility on both the spouses individually and the couple as a whole, and how to approach the goal of having children and the treatments that go along with them in a way that doesn't overshadow the needs of the marriage. Christina is in private practice with Wynns Family Psychology in Cary, NC, where she helps get couples get through some marriage's toughest issues, from sexual trauma to eating disorders and depression. In addition to having clinical experience helping other couples with infertility issues, she has first-hand experience dealing with them in her own life. You can find out more about Dr. Rush by visiting the Wynns Family Psychology website, or by calling her office at 919.805.0182