Worried that your spouse cannot satisfy you intimately? In this episode Dr. Debbie Neel returns (her previous visit can be found here) to discuss the differences of emotional intimacy and sexual intimacy, saying that integrating them allows for a strong, satisfied marriage. Emotional intimacy is the understanding, appreciation, and acceptance between mates: the ‘I love you unconditionally.’ Sexual intimacy is the physical openness, communication, and comfort of love and affection also requiring unconditional acceptance. Dr. Neel notes the differences in mental wiring of men and women, how their thoughts and expectations differ, showing that husbands and wives are not intentionally neglecting each other and argues that couples should understand they will change physically and emotionally and that good communication can help avoid a breakdown of intimacy.

Debbie Neel is a licenced psychologist, certified health services provider and certified sex therapist with a private practice in Raleigh North Carolina. She specializes in individual adult and couples therapy, sex therapy, and attention deficit disorder in adults. To find out more about Debbie and her practice, visit her website at http://www.atriumpsychology.com, or call her at (919) 781-8810.

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Happy Father’s Day! Dr. Susan Orenstein discusses the importance of the father’s role in a successful marriage and happy family, which has changed from being the distant, work-oriented bread winner to being a nurturing caregiver with greater participation in his children’s activities and lives. Dr. Orenstein debunks many myths about marriage and fatherhood which have been perpetuated, if not created entirely, by what we see in Hollywood films or what we learn from our parents. Fathers are not the disinterested figures with low-expectations for their wives and children that they can be made out to be; rather, most fathers value the special bonds in their relationships with their families and often do not voice their greater expectations.

Dr. Orenstein is a licensed psychologist with offices in Cary, NC and Chapel Hill NC. She specializes in couples counseling dealing with issues including intimacy, marital satisfaction, affair recovery, and work/family balance. You can find out more about Susan’s practice and seminars by visiting her site: orensteinsolutions.com, or calling her office at (919) 654 - 7311.

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“Hump: True Tales of Sex After Kids” takes a look at restoring the intimate bond between spouses after the changes in life that take place once children enter the picture. Author Kimberly Ford discusses the book and what prompted her to write it, as well as what she learned in the process. The book explores the importance of physical intimacy in making a couple feel like spouses and adults - not just parents. “Hump” is available July 8th on St. Martin’s Press.

Kimberly lives in California with her husband and three children. She received her Ph.D. in Spanish and French Literature in 2001 and since then has published short fiction and essays in magazines including Mothering, The Believer, and Brain, Child. You can find out more about Kimberly and her other work at kimberlyvford.com. To find out more about “Hump”, please visit humpthebook.com, where you can share your stories as well.

Click here to pre-order the book from Amazon.com.

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Why are we quick to repair a clog in the kitchen sink, but let problems in our relationship pile up without fixing them? In this episode, Sharyn Wolf discusses her book “This Old Spouse: Tips and Tools for Keeping the Honeymoon Glow”, and how relating issues with your spouse to issues with your house not only makes it possible to approach and fix problems in a more practical manner, but to appreciate the positive attributes of your marriage more than you do already. Sharyn also goes into detail about the 5 tools that “do-it-yourselfers” need to start solving problems on their own, as well as the 5 behaviors more likely to do harm than benefit to a relationship.

You can find out more about the book at www.this-old-spouse.com, which also includes Sharyn’s blog, reviews of the book, reader stories, and information about Sharyn’s workshops, seminars and counseling services. Click here to order the book in hardcover, or here to pre-order the paperback edition (out June 24 on Plume Books).

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Do changes in desire for your spouse mean that you are no longer in love? Debbie Neel, PhD. discusses how intimacy and desire mature over the course of a marriage and how to understand and enjoy a deeper relationship with your spouse. Physiological and hormonal changes that occur throughout a marriage may often send the wrong signal about loving one’s spouse, as does the waning sense of intimacy that can come from dealing with the mountain of day-to-day tasks that are pushed aside during the initial romance of a marriage.

Debbie Neel is a licenced psychologist, certified health services provider and certified sex therapist with a private practice in Raleigh North Carolina. She specializes in individual adult and couples therapy, sex therapy, and attention deficit disorder in adults. To find out more about Debbie and her practice, visit her website at http://www.atriumpsychology.com, or call her at (919) 781-8810.

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It can be difficult to make an intimate relationship with your spouse a priority when a few years of work, kids, and other day-to-day responsibilities have crept in to your lives. When communication breaks down, the temptation to seek fulfillment outside of the marriage becomes much greater. Sherri Hughes, Certified Life Coach, Reiki Master, and Hypnotherapist, discusses what it takes to get a relationship back on track before serious problems arise.

Sherri practices in Raleigh North Carolina and offers a complementary 15 minute consultation to anyone interested in seeking marriage counseling. You can contact Sherri and find out more about her services by visiting her website at http://www.journeybeginswithin.com, or calling (919) 272-1454.

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Hindsight is 20/20, but sometimes we can learn from the mistakes of others and avoid problems ourselves. Host Lee Rosen and guest Jennifer Coleman, a divorce coach with the Rosen Law Firm, discuss Jennifer’s experience in what she has learned about keeping a relationship strong by examining where others have fallen apart.

This episode touches on issues that commonly cause problems in a marriage, like lack of communication, but also goes deeper into issues such as setting goals in the interest of the marriage instead of the self, and what steps can be taken to repair a relationship if one party is considering a divorce.

You can find out more about Jennifer at the Rosen Law Firm website.

You can access a transcript of this show here.

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A serious illness puts incredible stress on even the strongest relationship. This week’s guest, David Garver LMFT, and host Lee Rosen discuss the emotional and psychological impact of an illness on both the well and the ill spouse, and touch on how these events can affect previous issues in the relationship, as well as how both spouses can address their newfound emotions of guilt, anger, and frustration.

David Garver specializes in couples therapy with University Psychological Associates in Charlotte, NC. He also works with adolescents and adults with trauma histories, adjustment/transitions, and family issues and focuses on helping adolescents gain greater self-esteem and assertiveness so that they may lead more satisfying, fulfilling lives. David can be reached at (704) 547-1483 or by visiting UniversityPsychologicalAssociates.com

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Many of us know couples who seem to have lost their own identities after they began dating. But what kind of problems can this cause in a long-term relationship or marriage? This week, Dr. Dan Ryan analyzes the “Popeye defense” and gives tips for how to achieve balance in your relationship by being an individual and being part of a couple.

Dr. Dan Ryan is a Licensed Psychologist with a private practice in Raleigh, NC. Dr. Ryan has worked in the mental health field, in a variety of settings, for over 33 years. Dr. Ryan can be contacted at 919.878.7800 x 2, or check out his website at www.psychotherapyresources.com/ryan.htm.

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Infidelity. Distrust. Anger. Heartbreak.

25% of men and 15% of women will have an extramarital affair.

An affair can end any marriage. But, it doesn’t have to.

In this episode, Carmella Broome, a Licensed Professional Counselor with Crossroads Counseling Center in Lexington, South Carolina, talks about how couples can repair their marriage post-affair. Be sure to listen as Carmella details the stages couples go through while recovering from an affair.

Please visit Carmella’s website at http://www.solutionsforlife.org.

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