Relationship Radio: Marriage, Sex, Limerence & Avoiding Divorce

In today’s episode of Relationship Radio, we interview Annette. Annette has been standing for her marriage after her husband decided he wanted to pursue an affair. Annette shares her struggles and accomplishments while standing, and sheds light on ways to overcome the hardships of living alone through separation. Although she has not reconciled her marriage, we believe in sharing stories like these because you may be going through a similar situation. We know that no matter what the...

While marriage might be between two people, many other people can influence it. For example, parents, siblings, and even distant relatives can positively and negatively affect your marriage. Your family may lead you down the right path 99% of the time because they care about you. But biased people and biased advice can lead you to make poor decisions. This is especially true if you’re having troubles in your marriage. If you’ve determined that you can set enough STOPs and COREs that it’s...

We often hear that a couple can’t start to reconcile their marriage because one of them is too ashamed. They might have had an affair, gambled away their money, or had an addiction problem, and now they feel like their spouse won’t forgive them. Guilt can be a positive thing if it helps us realize we need to change. But long-term guilt can lead to a sense of shame that can affect your sense of self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, and your physiology. People experiencing deep shame...

If you’re going through a separation or a divorce, your spouse may have stopped wanting to communicate with you. At Marriage Helper, we’ve developed a method called SMART contact that we built just for this situation. SMART contact is an acronym that we use to describe the process a person can go through when they are trying to teach themselves how to best communicate with their spouse. SMART contact works. But even if you do everything right, your spouse has the free will to choose not to...

In this episode of Relationship Radio, we interview Rozanne; a Marriage Helper client who sought help after going through some difficult problems in her marriage. Hidden addictions, poor communication, and other issues were leading them towards disaster. She later found out that there was a secret affair going on between her husband and another woman. Rozanne found Marriage Helper and has since started to find a renewed hope for her marriage. Listen in on this episode of Relationship Radio...

Forgiveness can be difficult to both give and receive. When we’ve been hurt, especially by a loved one, that pain will take time to heal. The first and most important key to remember is that you can’t force forgiveness. Accept that your spouse has the right to forgive you or not. But is there a way to get your spouse to forgive you? Forgiveness must be earned. You can take several actions to aid this process, but everyone grieves at a different pace. Continuing to apologize might do more...

If you knew that you’d done something that might hurt your spouse, would you tell them? Maybe you have a porn addiction that they haven't discovered. Perhaps you have a gambling problem, have had an affair, or one of the hundreds of other possibilities. Any one of these could be devastating to your spouse and your relationship. So is there ever a good time to not share everything? The answer is complicated. At Marriage Helper, we advise that you weigh the benefit versus the cost. Think...

It can be very frustrating when you can’t get your spouse to understand what you feel, saying, or how their actions affect others. Or maybe you need to talk to them about the fact that what they're doing is causing more harm than good. Is there something that you think you just must discuss with each other, but your spouse doesn't even want to do that? Join Dr. Beam and Kimberly as they offer some ideas about how to get your spouse to understand your point of view. How do you get your...

The experiences and traumas from your past can significantly impact your current life and marriage. This week, our Director of Marketing, Gemma sits down with Shel to discuss the tumultuous times that caused her marriage to fall apart and how she’s using Marriage Helper to try and rebuild herself and her marriage. Shel discusses both of their parents’ past use of drugs and how that affected them differently, the stresses of 12 years of failed conception, and how depression played a part in...

It can be very frustrating when you can’t get your spouse to understand what you feel, saying, or how their actions affect others. Or maybe you need to talk to them about the fact that what they're doing is causing more harm than good. Is there something that you think you just must discuss with each other, but your spouse doesn't even want to do that? How do you get your spouse to understand you? Join Dr. Beam and Kimberly as they offer some ideas about how to get your spouse to...

Reconciling a marriage is a long and challenging process. You may feel at times that you and your spouse are getting along and becoming close again. Yet, other times you might feel them pulling back. So how do you handle these cycles of emotion or false starts? Today, we look at four steps to avoid false reconciliations when trying to repair your marriage. We look at the reasons these can occur, how you can reset this path with STOPs and CORES, and use PIES to work on yourself and look for...

Divorce can be as painful and confusing for your children as it is for you. If you've realized "my children won't talk to my spouse," there's still hope. Research from all over the world has proven that marital issues, when children are involved, affect them as well. After divorce occurs, 25% of fathers will no longer see their child after the first year. This percentage increases to 50% around the five to the ten-year mark. So, how can you help to mitigate those chances? How can you help...

Marriages require time and attention to nurture and grow. That can be easier said than done with all the obstacles of daily life. Derrick from Texas found this out the hard way. Derrick’s marriage was tested early when he was forced to spend time away from a growing family due to his time in the military. Gemma sits down with Derrick to discuss how he met his wife, where their relationship troubles started, how he’s used Marriage Helper to try and heal their wounds, and how he got his...

Preparing to have a difficult conversation with your spouse can be nerve-racking and stressful. In most cases, you can already assume that they will react negatively to it. Is there anything you can do to make the situation easier? In this episode of Relationship Radio, we’ll discuss the "two Es" of being prepared, environment, and emotion. Dr. Joe Beam and Kimberly Beam Holmes break down why each is so important and what you can bring to the table in the way of solutions. The goal of...

Communication is a vital part of any marriage. But what is communication? Speaking to each other every day about bills and mundane happenings isn't enough. So, what do you do when your spouse refuses to communicate with you anymore? Dr. Joe Beam and Kimberly Beam Holmes discuss how to improve your communication skills in this episode of Relationship Radio. Taking a look at how you might be contributing to the rift should be your first step. Look at your body language, your responses, and...

What do you do when you're trying to save your marriage only to find out your spouse is in love with someone else? In today's episode of Relationship Radio, Lawrence shares his story of how he found strength to continue standing for his marriage despite his wife still being in limerence. Through introspection, self-improvement, and forgiveness Lawrence cultivated unwavering hope for his marriage and his future. No matter what has happened in your marriage, there is hope. There is a way...

Hate is a strong emotion; it’s intense and passionate. But, we can also define love, especially in its initial stage, using the same words. They are bound together through intimacy, passion, and commitment. But what can you do when your spouse hates you? Is there a way to get your marriage back on the love path? In this episode of Relationship Radio, Dr. Joe Beam and Kimberly Beam Holmes give their five keys to turning the hate in your marriage back to love. Along the way, you’ll learn what...

Hearing that your spouse, who you love deeply, hates you can be devastating. But how did that love turn to hate? Is it possible to save your marriage after that? We believe so at Marriage Helper, and today’s episode of Relationship Radio is geared to help you do so. Understanding how intimacy, passion, and commitment lead to both love and hate can guide you down the path to reconciliation. Dr. Joe Beam and Kimberly Beam Holmes will inform you how your spouse’s perceived reality can be...

You’ve decided to end your affair and go back to your spouse. But how do you do it? How honest do you need to be when they ask you details about your affair? Dr. Joe Beam and Kimberly Beam Holmes will give you their five keys to reconciling your marriage from the perspective of the person who cheated. Affairs can cause hurt for both parties involved. Find out how to deal with the pain by using empathy, speaking truthfully but not hurtful, and other techniques perfected over the 23 years...

We at Marriage Helper get a lot of questions about marriage, particularly marriages that are having problems. And people know that one thing we do is that we help people get past extramarital affairs. And as a matter of fact, I have a pretty good record of helping people to do that. And so, a lot of the questions that we get are from the spouse that's been cheated on. But, understand that we do get a great number of questions from the spouse who had the affair. Is there different...