Stay Happily Married

Anxiety is reaching epidemic proportions with nearly 50% of Americans meeting the criteria for an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. We worry about money, our health, safety, car accidents, whether or not people like us, traveling, work, and more. All this worry takes a huge toll-wasting an enormous amount of time and energy that would be better spent elsewhere. An often overlooked area of concern is the impact of anxiety on our close relationships. Dr. Christine Korol is a cognitive-behavioral therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and sees the consequences of untreated anxiety on the relationships of many of her patients. Dr. Christine Korol is a psychologist specializing in anxiety and stress in adults and children and is currently practicing in Calgary, Alberta. She has worked for many years, in both private practice and in hospital settings, and is a former lecturer at the University of British Columbia. Christine is also a cartoonist and author of the blog Wired to Worry and is currently working on an illustrated guide on anxiety management. To find out more about Dr. Korol you can visit her site, Therapy Works.

They say that once trust is lost that it can never be regained. The ultimate betrayal of trust in a relationship is, without a doubt, an affair. People often don’t realize the consequences of their actions until after the act has been committed. Undoubtedly, the hardest part of an affair is when you come to the point where you need to tell your spouse exactly what has happened. Like anything else, there is a right and a wrong way to break this heavy news to your spouse. Dr. Janet Savia joins us to discuss the effects that an affair can have on your relationship and how to break the news to your spouse. Janet practices in Durham, NC with Lepage Associates, where she helps couples repair marriages damaged by trust issues on a daily basis. She has a master’s and doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Savia works with helping people with general stress and life transitions, and personal growth pursuits. To find out more about Dr. Janet Savia you can visit the Lepage Associates website or call 919-570-000 for an appointment.

Is your constant bickering ruining your relationship? We’ve all been in a relationship where the fights just never seem to end. We bicker about the little things, the big things, and the things that would matter to no one but us. What does all of this constant fighting do to our relationships? Acclaimed author Laurie Puhn joins us to discuss how fighting affects your relationship, as well as how to overcome the endless fighting cycle. Laurie has a Bachelor’s and law degree from Harvard University. Formerly a corporate attorney, she is now a recognized expert in the field of couples mediation and conflict resolution. Laurie has a private practice in couples mediation in Manhattan. Her empowering, fast and simple mediation approach for keeping relationships strong and healthy is what sets her apart from other relationship experts. She is the author of the national bestseller “Fight Less, Love More: 5-Minute Conversations to Change Your Relationship without Blowing Up or Giving In”. When Laurie isn’t busy writing books she is often featured as an expert guest on shows such as Good Morning America, The Early Show, Fox News Channel, Weekend Today, 20/20, and CNN. Her relationship communication advice has been featured in Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, Redbook, Newsday, and The New York Times. Lastly, Laurie is also a syndicated columnist and Huffington Post blogger. To find out more about Laurie or her book you can visit www.fightlesslovemore.com. Laurie's book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for purchase.  

Is your hectic schedule damaging your relationship? We all have busy schedules filled with work, appointments, children’s activities, and family events. No matter how much we seem to get done we can’t seem to muster any more free time. This lack of time can begin to affect our families, and even our spouse. Dr. Kristen Wynns joins us to discuss why you should always make time to do three things with your spouse: eat, sleep and play. Dr. Kristen Wynns holds a Doctorate and Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and is a Licensed Psychologist. She is founder and owner of Wynns Family Psychology, is a therapy and testing specialist for children, adolescents, and families. Dr. Wynns is experienced in individual, family, group, play, and couples therapy. To find out more about Dr. Wynn you can visit www.wynnsfamilypsychology.com or call 919-467-7777 for an appointment.

Ever felt like ending your marriage after a bad argument or affair? There could be a better solution. Marriage is one of the best and worst things you will ever go through in life. From arguments, lifestyle changes, children and even infidelity; there never seems to be a rule on how exactly you should handle each of the different events that life throws at you.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a "go-to" couples who'd be through it all before? Jason and Debby Coleman have been happily married for 22 years. They’ve been through it all. They’ve dealt with infidelity, lifestyle changes, children, and anything else that life could throw at them. Instead of giving up and walking out they decided to work through their issues and record their solutions into a book called Discovering Your Amazing Marriage, now available on Amazon.com. To find out more about Jason & Debby Coleman you can visit their website at www.youramazingmarriage.com.

Maybe you and your spouse started out having great sex on a regular basis. It might have been spontaneous, playful, energetic, and enjoyable. But over time, with hectic routines, kids to care for, and careers to balance, your sex life has suffered. Are you having sex less often? When you do have sex is it routine and unimaginative? Has the romance and adventure slipped away as the years have gone by? Many marriages suffer when the sex becomes rote and predictable or just doesn’t happen as often. Sexual intimacy is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy, happy marriage. Psychologist Colette Segalla joins us to teach us about how to re-vitalize your sex life and improve your satisfaction with sex and your marriage. Colette Segalla is a psychologist with Lepage Associates in Durham, NC. Colette has extensive training and experience working with people of all ages, with special training in the field of adult relationships. She has used her integrated approach to help lots of couples on both their individual and relationship problems in order to improve their relationships. To find out more about Colette, or to book an appointment, visit www.lepageassociates.com or call 919-570-0000.

Are your actions as a parent sabotaging your child and spouse for life? Dr. Mike Daniels joins us to discuss the new phenomena of “teacup parenting”. We do our best to make sure that we raise our children to be responsible young adults. We nurture and care for them the best that we know how. However, there is a fine line between parenting and obsession. It seems that there are parents today who have too active a role in their childrens life that it is actually stunting the social, intellectual, and emotional growth of the child, not to mention sabotaging the romantic relationships in a parent’s life. Dr. Mike Daniels completed his undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina, where he majored in English Education, as well as Psychology. Mike spent twelve years working as a high school English teacher and athletic coach. Mike left teaching to obtain his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Mike now works for Wynns Family Psychology in Cary, NC. To find out more about Mike you can always check out the Wynns Family Psychology website at www.wynnsfamilypsychology.com or call 919-467-7777 to book an appointment.

Should you stay married or not? Are the issues in your relationship big enough to warrant a divorce. No matter how perfect a relationship may seem to the outside observer, there are always issues within a relationship that put stress on each of the partners. Although we may love our spouse, we can find ourselves questioning the relationship. It could be the annoying habit of one spouse or a lack of communication and respect. Several problems could leave us wondering if the relationship is really worth all of the effort. Unless the problem is acknowledged and resolved, this could spell a split, or even a divorce, for some. For more than 20 years, Dr. Robin Siebold has worked with individuals and organizations imparting the skills, insights and strategies that make life more manageable and meaningful. She specializes in divorce and relationship issues, communication skills, and codependency. Robin is a licensed mental health counselor and maintains a private practice in Florida. Robin has recently published a book called To Divorce or Not: Reflections of the Self, which is now available on Amazon. To find out more about Robin you can always check out her website at www.robinsiebold.com.  

They say that hindsight is 20/20. We often never see the real problems in a relationship until after they have exploded. With couples divorcing at an alarming rate, it may be time to call on a new relationship expert- someone who deals with divorce. There is no better way to learn than from your mistakes; or even better, the mistakes of others. Judge Lynn Toler has worked with divorcing couples for years. She has seen couples at their worst and has been able to use this experience for the good of all relationships. Judge Lynn Toler is a graduate of Harvard University and The University of Pennsylvania Law School. She has elected and served as judge on the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court. Lynn has hosted such shows as Power of Attorney, Divorce Court, and Decision House. Lynn is also a frequent guest on the NPR show News and Notes. With all of this going on, Lynn has somehow managed to write two books. Her first, My Mother’s Rules: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Emotional Genius, as well as Put It In Writing, a book that gives readers concrete, conflict-free solutions to difficult situations that arise.  To find out more about Lynn, please visit www.JudgeLynn.com. You can catch Judge Lynn in action on Divorce Court, airing weekdays in syndication nationwide. To find out where to watch, check your local listings or go to www.divorcecourt.com.

It is possible that the expression “opposites attract” could be as old as the concept of dating itself. We hear stories of good girls going for the bad guys, or a tight laced accountant falling for an outgoing actress. In these relationships there seems to be a balance between the two personalities that makes the relationship harmonious. This sensitive balance, if disturbed, could mean terrible things for a relationship. Relationship therapist Dr. Stephen Betchen joins us to discuss how keeping a balance of conflict between partners is the key to happy and healthy relationship. Dr. Stephen Betchen is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified sex therapist with a private practice in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University's Graduate Program in Couple and Family Therapy, and a Senior Supervisor and Lecturer in the Post-Graduate Training Program for Couple and Family Therapy at the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia. He contributes regularly to both scholarly journals and popular national magazines. Stephen has just released a book, entitled Magnetic Partners: Discover How the Hidden Conflict That Once Attracted You to Each Other is Now Driving You Apart, now available on Amazon.com. To find out more about Dr. Betchen you can visit www.magneticpartners.net.  

When we watch the interaction that occurs between the sexes we are often left wondering why such a huge communication gap still exists between men and women. Popular media has made the world conscious of this idea that women speak in a code that very few men have the ability to decipher. This imbalance can prove disastrous in dating and married life. Lucky for us, we are joined this week by dating and relationship advisor Kiai Kim. Kiai, also known by her writing alias “Wing Girl Kim”, is author of the book Alpha Dog: A Man’s Guide to Dating. This book centers on Kiai’s foundation of leadership principles and the Jungian personality type theory. When Kiai isn’t helping others via her book, Twitter, or blog- she writes for an online men’s magazine, The Rugged.

Do you ever feel like there are not enough hours in the day? Sure, we all say this, but it seems with each passing day our plates are loaded with more and more activities that we have to try and cram in. Remember the good ole' days where you had time to go out to a nice dinner date with your loved one? Those were the days pre-children. Once children came into the picture, time seemed to fast-forward. We no longer had time for ourselves, let alone our spouse. All too often this is an issue that plagues many couples. The romance and marital bliss seem to deteriorate once children enter the equation. However, according to Dr. Julia Jacobs, this does not have to the be the case. Dr. Julia Jacobs has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and practices with Lepage Associates in Durham, NC. Julia has experience working with individuals, couples and groups of all ages. Most importantly, she has experience with couples who have children. You can schedule an appointment by visiting www.LepageAssociates.com or calling 919.572.0000.

Have you ever felt suffocated in your relationship? Perhaps you feel like you and your spouse are always fighting. It would seem as through the fights and arguments have consumed your relationship whole! No matter what you do, you can't seem to escape from one argument before you're in another brawl with your spouse. When you are stuck in this seemingly endless loop, the best person to call on could be your spouse. Dr. Tina Tessina, a licensed psychotherapist who has been practicing marriage and family therapy in California for over 30 years returns the show this week to discuss her book "How to Be a Couple and Still Be Free". Tina has been featured on Oprah and Larry King. She has her own radio show and online blog. Tina has also authored over a dozen books, including "Money, Sex and Kids", as well as "The Commuter Marriage" which have been featured on our site previously. You can find out more about Tina by visiting www.TinaTessina.com.

Let’s face facts, no relationship is perfect! In the “relationship road trip” there are potholes, speed bumps and road kill that all couples have to try steer clear of. More often than not, when we have stopped paying attention, we run into something we didn’t mean to hit.  The best way to protect yourself, and your spouse, is to spot the troubled areas on the road ahead, before you hit them head on. Dr. Karen Sherman joins us to discuss how to set expectations and enjoy your relationship to the fullest.  Karen is a licensed psychologist in New York and has been in private practice for over 20 years. Karen focuses on relationship and marriage counseling and how to help people achieve their greatest potential. Karen is author of “Mindfulness and The Art of Choice: Transform Your Life” and the co-author of “Marriage Magic! Find It, Keep It, and Make It Last”.  Karen is a featured author on such online forums as Yahoo Personals, ThirdAge.com, and HitchedMag.com. Karen's books are available on Amazon.com. To find out more about Karen you can visit her websites, www.ChoiceRelationships.com or www.DrKarenSherman.com.

It takes a lot of moving pieces to make a relationship work; such as patience and compromise. However, perhaps the most important element to any relationship is trust. Without trust a relationship can become stunted from growth. When trust is taken away from a relationship, it can crumble on it's very foundation. Trust is one of the hardest items to attain and even more difficult to earn back once it is lost. Dr. Abigail Hirsch, an accomplished scholar of such prestigious academic institutions as Harvard, University of Colorado, and University of Massachusetts,  joins us to discuss how to put trust back into your relationship. Abigail's background in Clinical Psychology is the driving force behind her website Power of  Two, a marriage counseling website. The results from her online counseling service, Power of Two, have been so successful that the project has received a $2.5 million federal grant dollars. You can find out more about Abigail by visiting www.poweroftwomarriage.com or by calling 877-411-4948