The Empowered Wife Podcast: Marriage Help with Laura Doyle

If you've ever experienced verbal abuse, you know how devastating, demeaning and cruel it is. You know how destructive it is to your self-esteem. When that hurtful scenario keeps recurring, it seems the only sane thing to do is get away from that abusive person at least temporarily and possibly permanently. But when that person is your husband, someone you’ve built a life with—sworn to love, honor and respect—and have children with, it’s not so easy to tear apart your family. But you don’t want to live with ongoing verbal abuse either! Nobody should have to live with that. What if you could reduce the blow-ups? What if they dwindled down to hardly ever? Or even none at all? I wouldn’t have believed that was possible if I hadn’t seen it in my own marriage. And now that I’ve also witnessed thousands of other women use the Connection Framework to create the same peaceful, even playful outcome in their marriages, I’m a believer. You don’t have to take my word for it—you can see for yourself by experimenting in your own relationship. Learn what victims of verbal abuse have done to create peace, connection, and playfulness in their relationships. Sometimes, such victims make one of two common mistakes that worsen the abuse. It’s shocking because I remember feeling so hopeless and helpless about this in my marriage, I was offended by the idea that I was making any mistakes besides having married the wrong person! But I was making these two mistakes that were within my control to fix…

Do you worry about your husband drinking too much—or, worse, driving after drinking and all the heartache that could cause? Then you’ve got to hear Amanda’s story. She had already been struggling with her husband’s lies, stonewalling, depression, and alcoholism when he was arrested for driving under the influence. That’s what made her look for help and find a book that changed everything. Now he’s sober, and they talk, flirt, and snuggle like teenagers in love. Learn how she used that crisis as a catalyst to build a stronger, more connected marriage. How did she find hope, strength, and a way forward? And what do you need to know if you’re in a crisis, too? You’re about to find out!

Remember when he couldn’t keep his eyes—or hands—off you? If you’re missing that spark and want to feel truly desired again, this episode is for you. Learn how you can be ridiculously attractive to your husband in ways that go beyond looks. If, like me, you’ve found yourself feeling entirely resistible to your man, you know how painful that is. You might think that means it’s time to lose a few pounds or get a makeover. When I couldn’t seduce my own husband, that’s what I thought too. But that had nothing to do with why I wasn’t attractive to him. Now that I know how to magnetize him, I want every woman to know because this stuff really works to make you irresistible. Like when I’m brushing crumbs off the kitchen counter and John says “Don’t move,” he gets out his phone to take my picture like I’m a supermodel he’s been married to for 35 years. What I learned has given me an unfair advantage. Here’s how to make yourself a magnet too, sweatpants and bed hair included.

Ever hear the devastating words “I'm NEVER coming back” and feel your heart drop into your stomach? Vanessa did. She already felt unloved, then her husband left her. But even when it seemed all hope was lost, she was determined to get him back. So she didn’t just sit there in despair—she took action. Today the same husband is the man of her dreams. They fall asleep cuddling, and she’s confident that he loves her dearly and profoundly. Listen in to discover the surprising steps she took to turn things around and how you can bring hope back to your marriage too.

If you’re anything like I was, you know the frustration of getting so angry at your husband that it gets ugly and you end up with an emotional hangover. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Once you adopt these 3 practices, everything can change. This is the true confession of a former rageaholic who found a lasting cure. Here’s how to restore peace in your marriage and get your dignity back. For over a decade, managing my anger was impossible as far as I could tell. I picked on unlucky store clerks, bank tellers and customer service reps. But most of all, I raged at my husband, who suffered through my episodes by saying very little and escaping as soon as he could. The tremendous shame and remorse I felt afterward didn’t help me when the urge arose the next time. But I no longer feel that urge. I haven’t had a Godzilla episode in over 20 years. My clients and coaches also report that their anger subsided and they regained their dignity when they adopted these simple practices.

If you suspect your husband is a narcissist or he’s been diagnosed as one, you’ve gotta wonder if there’s any hope for him to change. Can you protect your self-worth and make your marriage thrive? My guest today shares the strategies that worked to change her narcissistic husband without him even realizing it. After enduring verbal abuse and stonewalling, Jade was ready to announce divorce. Then she learned the 6 Intimacy Skills™ and discovered that the biggest challenge in her marriage wasn’t at all what she thought it was. Today, the same man makes her laugh, their children are happier, and the intimacy has gone from zero to hero. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, she’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

Is nothing you do ever good enough? If he makes you feel bad about yourself by criticizing what you say, how you cook, what you wear, or how much you get done, it can be hard on your self-esteem. It’s also exhausting to defend yourself all the time. No matter how hard things seem right now, you can teach him how to treat you with a lot more tenderness and love. Learn these 2 essential ways to get him to stop being so critical and to truly see your value.

Wish your husband would just communicate with the kids the right way so there’s no conflict and everyone’s happy? Maybe you’ve tried to guide him but it’s just not working. If you want more influence over how he interacts with the children, today’s case study is full of wisdom bombs you won’t want to miss. My guest Juveriya’s marriage had lost its spark and felt exhausting. It was hard to respect her husband. Today they’re back to laughing a lot and feeling connected again after this one important discovery…

Ever wonder how you would do as a certified relationship coach? Do you think you have what it takes to make your own marriage amazing while you’re helping other women fix theirs? Learn what it’s like being a coach and expert on the 6 Intimacy Skills™ as Catherine lays out the 4 steps she took to Relationship Coach Certification. Plus, I have exciting news about The Empowered Wife Podcast! Lots of you have asked how you can listen to case studies on a specific marriage topic, and we heard you. From now on, every guest interview like this one will have its own podcast episode with its own title to match the topic, so you can search for it easily on lauradoyle.org. If you want to hear how to fix your marriage to a narcissist or a man with neurodiversity, or with a blended family or addiction, an affair or separation, or a sexless marriage, you can go to https://lauradoyle.org/podcast-search/ and find new interview episodes by title. I’ll also continue to share my experience and my best tips on how to practice the 6 Intimacy Skills™ to fix your marriage without his conscious effort in separate episodes so you can still search for those topics, too.

Learn life-changing ways to start feeling taken care of instead of lonely and exhausted. Because it’s too tiring to be the one who does everything, from taking care of kids to housework to earning money to paying bills and managing social plans. Especially if you’ve asked your man to help and it just feels like pulling teeth! Or if he does things and you have to redo them because they aren’t done right. It’s so unfair. Who wouldn’t be resentful when you’re doing so much more of the work? I was. VERY resentful. Even the things that he did, I had to remind him to do them, which was a heavy mental load. I told him he needed to step up and do more. That got me wall-to-wall hostility, but not more help with housework. So today, I’m revealing two secrets to stop doing all the work in marriage. Plus, I have exciting news about The Empowered Wife Podcast! Lots of you have asked how you can listen to case studies on a specific marriage topic, and we heard you. From now on, every guest interview will have its own podcast episode with its own title to match the topic, so you can search for it easily on lauradoyle.org. If you want to hear how to fix your marriage to a narcissist or a man with neurodiversity, or with a blended family or addiction, an affair or separation, or a sexless marriage, you can go to lauradoyle.org/podcasts and find new interview episodes by title. I’ll also continue to share my experience and my best tips on how to practice the 6 Intimacy Skills™ to fix your marriage without his conscious effort in separate episodes so you can still search for those topics, too. Starting with this one…

It’s natural to feel scared or jealous at times, but what are you supposed to do when your jealousy feels justified? It’s so painful to worry about being cheated on, and devastating to have it happen to you. It makes you feel like a fool no matter what you do. But I’m here to tell you that you have more power than you probably realize to create a marriage where cheating is just not a concern. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m revealing why husbands cheat and how to prevent it. Plus, my guest Sabrina felt unwanted, unappreciated and unseen in her marriage, which was lacking intimacy. But then she discovered her power and what was contributing to their problems. Today she and her husband are so close and intimate in every way. She feels cherished, wanted, respected and so loved! She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

It's heartbreaking to feel distant from your man when you long for the closeness you once shared. Without that spark, there’s a lonely ache, even when you’re together, leaving you wondering if you'll ever feel desired again. You may have heard that respect is like oxygen for men, but why should you have to do all the work? What if you don’t respect him? That’s exactly how I felt. But what made me decide to be bound to him for life if he was such a loser pants? Wouldn’t that make me a loser pants too? No! So that led me to think about what I had been drawn to, how wise and generous he once was, how talented and sweet, how musically talented and adventurous and handsome. And he’s still that same guy. When I remembered all that, I felt grateful instead of resentful and contemptuous. (Turns out, gratitude is a much happier feeling.) But how do you get there if you’re not feeling it? On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m sharing 3 secrets for restoring the intimacy in your marriage. Plus, my guest Mina was suffering through cold wars every weekend and worried about her man’s lies. But when she dedicated herself to trying some new skills, she was able to create peace in her home. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

Have you ever wondered how our relationship coaches help women transform their marriages without their husbands even knowing? Today, I’m taking you behind the curtain to hear an actual coaching call. If you haven’t experienced coaching from a Certified Laura Doyle Relationship Coach, you might think, “Is there any real difference between relationship coaching and counseling? Aren’t they pretty much the same?” This is where I get very animated because, oh no it’s not the same! But instead of telling you about all the ways relationship coaching is more effective and enjoyable, we got special permission to play this actual session for you so you can hear for yourself why our approach is so transformative. It’s something mind-blowing, and maybe even jarring, that I want every woman to experience. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m letting you eavesdrop on a real coaching call.

How do you know if your marriage is successful? You sure know when it’s not because it’s stressful and exhausting. At least that’s how it was at my house. We were fighting and having cold wars without talking for days. It was too embarrassing to tell anyone. I was always trying to fix it. The only choices I saw were changing him or getting divorced. The problems were all him—he wasn’t very affectionate or attentive, even though I told him to be. But the harder I tried to fix it, the worse it got. I was stuck, until I got these 5 keys to a successful marriage. Now I get to hear how beautiful and wonderful I am, and get lots of affection and attention from my husband. So on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about the top five keys to a successful marriage. Plus, do you ever wonder what the husband thought about his wife practicing the 6 Intimacy Skills™ in their marriage? Today you’ll find out because my guest Eran tells us his side of the story as part of our Man Panel series. Hear the male perspective on what makes men attracted to their wives and want to be her hero.

Imagine being able to attract your husband like you did in the beginning, without having to do anything special. Where he’s looking for you because he just can’t wait to be with you, and is always pulling you close. If that stops, it can make you feel unattractive or even ugly, which feels terrible. But I’ve got great news: Attracting your husband effortlessly is not about how you look. Feeling desired and adored is completely possible. If you cultivate these three traits, it’s not just possible—it’s inevitable that you will attract him, without having to beg or feel desperate. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about 3 traits to attract your husband effortlessly. Also, do you ever wonder what the husband thought about his wife practicing the 6 Intimacy Skills™ in their marriage? Today you’re going to find out because my guest Ferrin tells us his side of the story as part of our Man Panel series. Get ready to hear the male perspective on what makes men attracted to their wives and want to be her hero.

I have a confession about the 6 Intimacy Skills™ I’m always talking about. At first, I thought they sounded stupid. I remember thinking, “I am NOT going to do THAAAAT!” I thought they were old-fashioned and just plain yucky. I thought if I apologized for being disrespectful, that would be a step back for all womankind. And that’s NOT how *I* was raised. Or if I expressed my gratitude for something my husband should do anyway, that would turn me into a Stepford Wife robot. Good thing I was so desperate or I probably never would have tried the 6 Intimacy Skills. Once I did, I saw things so differently. Yes, the Skills were counterintuitive but also compelling. I got excited about how I felt when I experimented with them. I didn’t think that was going to happen, but then I actually *tried* them. Which wasn’t easy to do all by my lonesome. Fortunately, there’s now a whole community of like-minded women, and we have something exciting brewing! I’ll tell you all about it on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, where I’m talking about the 5-Day Adored Wife Challenge. And the Man Panel continues! My guest Tim is the husband of a podcast guest and relationship coach. I’ll get his perspective on the changes in his family as a result of his wife using the 6 Intimacy Skills and the Connection Framework. Get ready to hear the male perspective on what makes men attracted to their wives and want to be her hero.

If you've ever felt the frustration and loneliness of trying to communicate with a partner who just shuts down, you're not alone. If your man won’t say a word to you or only talks about logistics or the kids, it’s devastating and scary. I remember feeling panicked when that used to happen at my house because I felt so abandoned. The only way to stop the terror, I thought, was to insist that he talk to me, which seemed to make him dig in even more. It was awful and I felt pathetic. Other people said just ignore him until he calms down, but I’m not a patient person and that never worked for me. So on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about how to deal with a stonewalling husband. These three tips will help you navigate those stressful moments with more dignity and to create a home where there’s so much emotional safety that stonewalling becomes a distant memory. Plus, my guest Jessee is not a student but rather the husband of a podcast guest and coach. He generously agreed to be part of our Man Panel series, and today I’m going to get his perspective on the changes in his family as a result of his wife using the 6 Intimacy Skills™ and the Connection Framework. Get ready to hear the male perspective on what makes a man attracted to his wife and want to be her hero.

Having the topic of separation on the table is scary and painful. Even if you’re the one who wants to separate, it means you’ve been suffering and struggling, probably for a long time. That’s no way to live. Which is why separation is on the table to begin with! When you have a headache, you just want it to stop. Likewise, when you’re in a marriage that hurts every day, you just want the pain to stop. Separation promises to give you that relief. Plus, it seems a lot less final than divorce. If, on the other hand, you don’t want to separate, this can be a really terrifying topic. Either way, on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about 3 questions to ask before you separate. Plus, my guest Caroline wondered why her husband was so angry. Her marriage felt heavy with the threat of divorce. But as she experimented with the Intimacy Skills she started to feel like a princess. Her husband adores her now and divorce is off the table. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too!

Everybody has feelings, but as women, we have emotional brilliance. Maybe your feelings are overwhelming or you think that you’re too emotional or too sensitive and you want to figure out a way to not be so easily hurt. But I don’t know of a way to not feel what you feel. Even if I did, I wouldn’t recommend it. I see being sensitive as a gift. Now that I know how to connect with my feelings, they’re not a burden. They are the key ingredient for so many tender and connecting moments in my relationships. They tell me when I’m enjoying myself, when I want to make a change, and how to care for myself. And yes, when I’m hurt, disappointed or lonely. I know what I want because I connect with my feelings. I know myself because I tune into how I feel. And that helps me make myself happy, even if I start out miserable. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about three ways to connect with your feelings. Plus, my guest Theresia’s marriage felt lonely whenever she got her husband’s silent treatment, which sometimes lasted for weeks! He seemed to be getting angrier and angrier. Then she had some insights on how to talk to him. Now, she feels close and playful with her husband, who doesn’t seem so angry anymore. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too!

Normally, I’m allergic to focusing on what is wrong, but today we’re making an exception. We’ll focus on whether something is wrong because that may be where you are right now, if you’re anything like I was. It’s a nagging, anxious feeling. Is something wrong? You’ve tried asking what’s up, but if he doesn’t offer any explanation or just says he’s stressed or tired, your mind could wander down a dark alley. Maybe your heart is telling you there’s more to marriage than just being roommates, just getting by without laughter, passion and plans for the future. You’re right—there is definitely more to marriage than just existing, without feeling loved, which is depressing and demoralizing. That’s not okay. So on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about how to figure out whether something is wrong with your marriage. I’ll share 3 ways to know and what to do about it. Plus, my guest Heidi’s husband had shut down and moved out. But then she said something that made him soften, which felt like a miracle. Now he tells her he loves her every day and their relationship is better than ever. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.