marriage

Are you sabotaging your love life?

Statistics show that 85 percent of single women can’t wait to get married– but do they really want the whole package? We already know that women have vastly different expectations of marriage than men do so it should be no surprise that men don’t always live up to those expectations. Throughout the phases of marriage, however, many things can change.

As many as 70 percent of wives express unhappiness and dissatisfaction in their marriages over time– which is a pretty big number. Is that just part of the natural cycle that marriages go through, or does it signal a larger issue? When women are dissatisfied, what do they do about it?

This episode, our guest has the answers to these questions and can help explain why couples experience these cycles. She also has some tips on marriage– how to make it, break it or keep it. Susan Shapiro Barash is the author of 13 books, including The Nine Phases of Marriage. Susan teaches gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College and helps women understand the issues they face during marriage.

To learn more about Susan Shapiro Barash visit her website. Visit BookTrib to find out more about Susan’s many publications.

If there was an instruction book for a happy marriage, would you use it?

No one makes such a great commitment, like marriage, with the assumption that they will one day end up as anything other than happy. So what is the key to a happy marriage when small squabbles and large debates muddy the waters of your love? We often don’t consider these issues unless they’re directly affecting our own marriages. Is it possible to turn a bad situation around when we’re being reactive to a situation rather than being proactive?

In a lot of cases, many little issues add up to become one big issue. If you can identify what some of those “little things” are, you can make any necessary adjustments in your marriage that can help you stay happy as a couple. But how exactly do you work to discover what these problem triggers could be?

Dr. Tina Lepage shares 10 of the humorous secrets to staying happily married from a marriage counselor’s perspective. Tina is founder of Lepage Associates in Durham, North Carolina, where she specializes in couples and marriage therapy. To find out more about Tina Lepage and her practice in Durham, NC,  Lepage Associates, you can visit their website or call (919)572-0000 for an appointment.

Is your marriage strong enough to endure the challenges of autism?

Living with a family member on the autism spectrum can make communication difficult. Whether it’s your spouse, your child or yourself, trying to break through the communication barrier to have a fulfilling relationship can be so taxing that it takes away from other family relationships. In many cases, families’ lives begin to revolve around the needs of just one person – and then, everyone suffers.

Adults begin to feel isolated from one another because they’re suffering from guilt, stress and grief. When the special needs family member is a spouse, feelings of isolation can become even more extreme – and can even lead to divorce in some cases.

How do you move past these challenges to lead a happy, fulfilling life? Is it possible to salvage a relationship that’s been eroded by years of difficult struggles?

Abbe Colodny is an outpatient therapist with Therapeutic Partners in Raleigh, NC. Abbe received her Master’s in mental health counseling and has extensive experience in diagnosing and working with those with autism and other developmental delays. Abbe has used her specific training and experience to work with individuals, couples and families struggling with autism.

To find out more about Abbe Colodny and her practice, Therapeutic Partners, you can visit their website or call 919-233-7360 for an appointment.