EmPowered Couples with The Freemans

Do you know what you need in your relationship? Whether you do or not right in this moment, knowing what you need is certainly a requirement for being able to communicate and act to fulfill it. This is the basis for having a satisfying relationship. In this episode we go deeper into explaining our process for effectively communicating your needs and what being assertive really means. But you will also have a new perspective on whether you really know what you need or not. It is not as simple as you think. Relationship Resources: Both of the 30 Day Couples Challenges start on Jne 1st. The Level 1 - Prioritizing Us Challenge The Level 2 - Rebuilding Us Challenge

Can you count on each other completely? Not with just the BIG things, but also with the small daily things in your life? Building and living a great life with each other is only possible if you can count on, TRUST, each other. When you see the word "trust" it's easy to think of big things around feeling physically safe or being truthful in what you say. But this conversation gets way more into your day-to-day experiences that either lead to doubting each other and losing trust or increasing the reliability and foundational confidence you have no matter what comes up. Being attracted to each other, feeling connected, being intimate, and having fun together, is only possible if you can COUNT on each other as partners and that you each are operating as people of integrity to these 4 things… Relationship Resources: It is the last week to attend the in person Couples Workshop with us in Arizona on May 26th. Check out the details and reserve your seats here: http://thecouplesworkshop.com If that date is past, or you are looking for immediate resrouces, like the Making Up & Moving Forward Guide: you can see all the resoruces here.

Which of these 7 stages of marriage are you two in right now? Knowing this not only gives you perspective about navigating your current season, but also what's ahead of you in the bigger picture of being married for many years. It is unrealistic to think that every season of marriage should be the same, or will be in the same order as another couple's. But also, we should be able to navigate some of the harder stages more quickly so they don't last too long or rob us of joy and fulfillment in living life together. RELATIONSHIP RESOURCES: Meet us in-person at The Couples Workshop in Arizona at the end of May. Start the Prioritize Us 30-Day Couples Challenge and see why over 25,000 couples have loved these prompts!

We all want some degree of change in our lives, and our relationships. So long as they are the changes we want! Change can be difficult if it brings about a lot of unknown, or if the change you desire requires your partner to change some of their behavior. But what is it that creates change and how do you get the results that you really want? In this episode we outline the drives and motivations behind creating change and the one foundational element that you must be able to identify if any real change is going to happen, let alone last! Relationship Resources - May 26th, 2024 is The Couples Workshop in Arizona. If you have been wanting to join us in person for this 1/2 day event to create positive change in your communiation and conflict resolution, save your seat today! Make this a little vacation/reset for both of you. - If the May workshop is past, make sure to check out which online resource is best for the change you are looking to make: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

Building connection (and closeness) with your partner is fundamental to having a happy and satisfying relationship. Yet it's the first thing that takes a back seat when you are busy, stressed, or just in the routine of your life. Yes, maintaining connection takes effort. If you thought you could be in a marriage without effort, someone needs to inform your partner! But it doesn't need to be extravagant or just be when you have time for date nights. In this episode you will hear 3 ways to build and maintain connection in your everyday life, so that your long-term life can be satisfying for both of you! Relationship Resources The next round of 30 Day Couples Challenges start May 1st. Now we have the level 1, prioritizing Us, and the level 2, Rebuilding Us challenges. You can see the details of both of them at our main weblink here: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

The last 2 years could have torn us apart and made us turn against each other. It felt like life was throwing everything at us at once, all while we had a newborn baby. In this episode, you'll hear: Our personal journey of what trials we faced over the last 2 years How exactly we triumphed after these challenges and got stronger than EVER What social psychology says about overcoming stressors and adversity 4 areas of wisdom to guide you through anything you face as a couple As you listen, make sure you also get signed up for one of our 30-Day Couples Challenges: The Level 1 'Prioritizing Us' Challenge focuses on filling your Love Accounts, improving your communication, and strengthens your connection. The Level 2 'Rebuilding Us' Challenge focuses on repairing and rebuilding the foundation of your partnership after being in a harder season of marriage.

Who's to blame for your frustrating problems and patterns in your relationship? It's obviously your partner, right... they're the problem. No… blaming them doesn't get you anywhere, in fact it makes things worse and more difficult to get out of. If there's one thing that is inarguable in social psychology it's that relationships are bi-directional.Meaning, your attitude, actions, and choices affect your partner's attitude, actions, and choices, and vice versa. Unfortunately many couples stay stuck in frustrating cycles or without a solution because they aren't in a problem-solving state. If you truly operate as a team and dive a little deeper into WHY you keep encountering this frustrating pattern, you can overcome it together. In this episode you'll hear a deep-dive into: The 5 root causes of most marriage problems/issues 4 self-reflective questions to ask yourself to identify your partner in the situation Understanding more about a psychology approach to effective problem solving Use this link to join the mentioned Rebuilding Us 30-Day Couples Challenge (level 2). Or for other resources, link on our general website link.

There are disagreements in your relationship, and then there are Power Struggles! These power struggles are more detrimental and have deeper rooted contributing factors. They keep you from being the best team possible and being able to come up with mutually beneficial solutions for your family. In today's episode we dive into: How to define a power struggle The goal of interdependence, rather than co-dependence or independence Contributing factors to being in a power struggle Communication skills to be more collaborative + harmonious Dive into our Relationship Resources: 📔 Family Meeting guide 💻 Marriage WebClass ❣️ Our NEW 30-Day Couples Challenge: Rebuilding US …and more! ALL LINKED HERE

Your family is a source of support, love, and acceptance. Now there are certainly times that our perception of actions from family members make us forget those underlying intentions. Of course this can be even more true when you are interacting (or dealing with) your partner's family members (your in-laws)! There is always the grand idea that two sides of a family can come together and just magnify the sense of community, family, and support, but that doesn't always happen. It can be common that each of your own families (and how you individually interact with them) can be a source of conflict, even between you and your partner. In this episode we dive into some of these sources of conflict and 5 particular patterns that you should avoid as to not make your partner out to be the bad guy with your family! Relationship Resources: It's April 1st, 2024 and we now have TWO 30-Day Couples Challenges that you can start! 1) The Prioritize Us Couples Challenge - daily activities to grow your love accounts 2) The Rebuilding Us Couples Challenge - daily prompts to repair and rebuild after a hard season.

The basis of a strong marriage is how well you handle 3 "stages" of interactions. These 3 stages are before, during and after conflicts. The before stage is all about communication and being able to prevent conflicts from even happening. The during conflict stage is about de-escalating tensions and potential conflicts. The after stage is about how you repair when conflicts to happen (because they will) In this episode you will hear the tools you will need to master each of the 3 stages and putting them all together will make you feel unstoppable and confident that you can handle any challenge as a team. This episode is our "audio version" of the webclass we just hosted. So be sure to watch the replay of the webclass while it's still available. You can find it here on our Top Resources Page. There you can also find the BRAND NEW 'Level 2' 30-Day Couples Challenge that is all about repairing and rebuilding from a hard season. This is the advanced "Rebuilding Us Couples Challenge"!

Emotional Intelligence (or lack thereof) can truthfully be a make it or break it factor for a marriage. It's a big part of what helps you be connected, navigate hardship and disagreements, and embrace your differences. It's also what can cause feelings of "walking on egg-shells" or be what escalates simple miscommunications into big conflicts. Yet nowadays this term can be used too conceptually, and you know we are all about making things useful and practical! In this episode you'll hear: 6 keys to Emotional Intelligence Examples of how these look in your marriage How to improve in each one Also, our LIVE Marriage WebClass is next week, March 25th! And we only host these two times a year, so get signed up here. (yes, it's free!) Spots will be limited to 500, so make sure to join early for Communicating Constructively, De-escalating Conflicts, and Repairing Arguments webclass. After March 25th, visit our resource link for the latest guides, courses, and events

You can't build a strong marriage on a weak foundation. But do you know what the ingredients for a rock-solid foundation are? Well don't worry, we're covering that today and we're certain this will open up some great conversations for you two. In this episode you'll hear: The 5 foundations to a strong marriage Specific examples so that you can have these conversations with your partner How these can help guide you when you disagree and/or encounter hard moments Also, make sure you utilize our resources because we have a long waitlist for private sessions: Steps to Rebuild guide Prioritize Us 30-Day Couples Challenge 3. Making Up & Moving Forward guide

You don't often "think about your own psychology", life is just happening and you are responding. So when it comes to interactions with your partner, it's easy to defend yourself when your perspective is brought into question. The cycle continues when you go back and forth about who remembers events more accurately. Your perception and memory are all a part of your psychology. These are actually very complex cognitive functions that can easily make errors and include bias you are not even aware of. In this episode we intend to share some of these errors and biases with the intent that you loosen the grip you have on being right and be willing to be more flexible with your own perception to bring more understanding into your marriage. Resources For Your Relationship: 1. Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting April 1st, 2024 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. 2. STEPS TO REBUILD A MARRIAGE GUIDE: A step-by-step guide to the process of rebuilding a marriage after a hard and prolonged season of disconnect or hurt. It's the Rebuild a Marriage Guide and it's only $19.

From the thousands of coaching sessions, DMs, and emails that we receive, we tend to see themes come up in marriage. You would be surprised to learn how common certain topics are for couples, that all seem to come up in the same weeks and months. We are not here to hypothesize about why that is, but just make these themes known. This is the highly anticipated followup episode from last week's on mistakes men are making. Lately we have been noticing themes around Women and mistakes they are making in marriage. These are not character flaws but just patterns of behavior that we see adding to the dynamics in marriage. Today you will hear from Jocelyn on this solo episode about the 3 mistakes women are making: Criticisms, Conclusions, Consistency Resources For Your Relationship: 1. Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting March 1st, 2024 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. 2. If the challenge start already passed, you can find all of our resoruces from guides, to courses, to coaching sessions with this link: Best Resources

From the thousands of coaching sessions, DMs, and emails that we receive, we tend to see themes come up in marriage. You would be surprised to learn how common certain topics are for couples, that all seem to come up in the same weeks and months. We are not here to hypothesize about why that is, but just make these themes known. Lately we have been noticing themes around men and mistakes they are making in marriage. These are not character flaws but just patterns of behavior that we see adding to the dynamics in marriage. Today you will hear from Aaron on this solo episode about the 3 mistakes men are making: Reserved, Responsibility, and Receptivity. If you are new to listening or just looking for where to go for the best relationship resources we have, you can find everything from simple conflict guides, webclasses, books, and dates for upcoming events here with out Resources Link.

The scenario is that your partner makes a comment, you sense they are a little irritated. They may very well have a frustration but have expressed it with a mild (level 2) upset. Yet you are not in a conflict or argument. But as you talk back and forth, you start giving explanations and justifications and an early onset of defensiveness starts to create a divide. This is a critical moment where you could even say to each other "this doesn't have to become a thing …" Often these moments are not handled properly and now it does turn into something. You have this energy between you and your partner that for many can cause you to go do your own separate things and even have you ruin/cancel plans you had together for the evening. We have heard this happens for date nights, and even Valentine's Day plans, which happens to be tomorrow from when this podcast came out. This episode is about how to discern between tension and a true issue in marriage with 5 actions to take to "bounce back" faster. Resources: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Feb 14th, 2024 for Valentines Day - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. Find all our other guides and resources here on our website resources page

What is the bare minimum to expect in a marriage? You likely read that question and think about your expectations about your partner… However this is actually about what to expect from yourself! There are a lot of social media comments on relationship posts that judge the portrayal of a partner. That shows that most people think about what changes a partner needs to make in order to better meet one's own needs. But that is quite backward. In this episode you will hear 6 traits that are the bare minimum to expect within yourself if you want to be a good partner. Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Feb 14th, 2024 for Valentines Day - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. Find all our other guides and resources here on our website resources page

You have heard about the "7 Year Itch" in a marriage. Though that was the name of a Marilyn Monroe movie in 1955, studies have shown that a couples satisfaction in marriage hits a low around 10 years into a marriage. Whether you've been together 2 years, 10 years, or 30+ years, you'll get a lot out of this episode by understanding what couples lose sight of and causes an increase of dissatisfaction. We dive into: What the studies say about the "peak of dissatisfaction" being around year 10 together The actions that lead a couple to these rough patches What to do about it so you two can stay satisfied or boost it up, no matter how long you've been together. As you listen, make sure you join our upcoming 30-Day Couples Challenge here.

Are attachment styles fixed? This is the essence of all the questions and messages we received after last week's episode on attachment style, behaviors, and needs. This required a Part 2 episode this week where you will hear how to overcome your avoidant or anxious style pasts and tendencies. Not only is attachment style not fixed, it's a range, and can be very situational. You may have created a secure relationship experience for both of you, but circumstances and your environment can have you fall back into insecure behaviors that remind you of your past. Today we share more of our own back stories of being anxious and avoidant, how those would creep back in over the years, and 5 ways to move yourselves back into that secure attachment experience you are used to operating in together! Resources: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Feb 1st, 2024 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. P.S. - you also get the Family Meeting Guide as a bonus for start the Couples Challenge!

Attachment is a key term and principle for relationships and refers to the way in which you bond and connect with your partner. The theory of Attachment Style has become much more popular in recent years from its conception by John Bowlby in 1969. Though many are familiar with the Secure and Insecure categorizations and the insecure types of avoidant, anxious, and fearful; people are not so familiar with the attachment needs and behaviors that are as critical. All of this as a theory can feel very conceptual so in this episode you will hear even more depth about the attachment needs, and behaviors so that you can take more practical action to move in the direction of a secure relationship experience. Even if you are securely attached with your partner you will hear how to maintain this on a range of relationship confidence and trust. Also, utilize our resources to put this into practice: The Family Meeting guide and tempaltes. The Steps to Rebuild a Marriage guide 3. All of our resources are here.

What is Love in a very practical sense? We hear people say "we fell in love" or "we fell out of love"... so what is causing this experience of love? Or why do couples start to feel more like roommates? As the years pass, it can be easier to fall into what is called "empty love" or "friendship love" and miss the 3rd element of love that we all crave. So dive into today's episode where you'll hear: The 3 components of love Variations of relationships that have one or 2 components but are missing the 3rd How to maintain "complete love" encompassing all 3 components Also, utilize our resources to put this into practice: Our "Prioritize Us" 30-Day Couples Challenge is open for just a couple more days. The Family Meeting guide for weekly, quarterly, and yearly check-ins 3. Or see all of our resources are here (including in-person events & coaching)

The one thing that the beginning of a year allows you to do is draw a clear line in the sand. It's a psychological distinction to review your last 12 months and see how well you executed on your game plan. Some do this for work, for individual achievements, as sports teams, and it is very powerful to do for your marriage. In this episode you will hear how to go through a Yearly Check-in to start off your new year. This will allow you to reestablish your core values, set your vision and goals, and remove any old distractions and barriers that didn't serve you from the previous year. Resources For Your Relationship: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Jan 1st, 2024 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. PLUS you get the Family Meeting Guide as a Bonus FAMILY MEETING GUIDE: The step-by-step guide to having your family meeting, with templates for weekly, quarterly, and the yearly meetings. This is the Family Meeting Guide from the episode and it's only $19.

Parenting definitely shifts priorities, but that shouldn't mean we de-prioritize our marriage, right? This week was our daughter's 2nd birthday and we were reflecting on our own parenting journey up until this point. We know from many couples that parenting really does shift many things in a marriage, even studies have shown that satisfaction goes down in the first 5 years of becoming parents. Though there are so many great positives that also come with being a parent, in this episode you will hear about the challenges that we have faced in the first 2 years, the common challenges other parents face, and the steps to take to better handle these challenges. All so that they do not negatively impact your marriage and you can focus more on all the benefits of being a parent and a great partner. Resources For Your Relationship: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Jan 1st, 2024 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. STEPS TO REBUILD A MARRIAGE GUIDE: A step-by-step guide to the process of rebuilding a marriage after a hard and prolonged season of disconnect or hurt. It's the Rebuild a Marriage Guide and it's only $19.

If you have listened to the podcast at all you probably have thought "Yes, I get the importance of validating my partner but HOW exactly do I do that?" Even if this is your first time listening you likely have the same question about how to have your partner feel validated in their experience especially when you do not agree with their feelings or details of an event! Validating a partner is a difficult thing to do because you will not always see (or experience) events the same way. You also might feel as if they are blaming you for how they feel, which makes it more difficult to validate because it seems you have to take the blame. In this episode you will hear 7 easy actions to take to have your partner feel validated but also understand the real importance of validation on positive influence! Resources For Your Relationship: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Jan 1st, 2024 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. STEPS TO REBUILD A MARRIAGE GUIDE: A step-by-step guide to the process of rebuilding a marriage after a hard and prolonged season of disconnect or hurt. It's the Rebuild a Marriage Guide and it's only $19.

All Work & No Play Makes For A Dull Marriage. If you're like most of the couples we talk to, you've been working at overcoming patterns and challenges that have kept you stuck and in frustrating cycles. Many couples even say, "I'm so exhausted" or "When do we get back to more fun times?" If you have ever seen the movie Moneyball, it's just clicking in a few key aspects so that you can get on a winning streak! In this episode you will hear a brief answer for why you might feel like you're on a losing streak, but how you can use the same ideas to turn it into a winning streak. Then we give you categories that you can take an action in to keep the positive momentum going. Resources For Your Relationship: 1)Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Jan 1st, 2023 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. 2)STEPS TO REBUILD A MARRIAGE GUIDE: A step-by-step guide to the process of rebuilding a marriage after a hard and prolonged season of disconnect or hurt. It's the Rebuild a Marriage Guide and it's only $19.

We were not going to leave the men out from last week's episode about what women need in a marriage. This episode is about what men need that is often overshadowed and not expressed. Just so you know, the answer is not going to be sex… we have our own issue with accounts that tote sex as men's only need in a marriage (but you will hear that in the episode)! In this episode you will hear about the need of Harmony and how that is a key need for men, even if they would not have said it that way. You will hear 5 pathways to practically move into more harmony and how to have men's underlying needs in this area be met so that each of you can be more fulfilled in both the short and long term! Relationship Resources: STEPS TO REBUILD A MARRIAGE GUIDE: A step-by-step guide to the process of rebuilding a marriage after a hard and prolonged season of disconnect or hurt. It's the Rebuild a Marriage Guide and it's only $19.

In this insightful podcast episode, dive into the heart of successful marriages and discover a nuanced perspective on meeting the emotional needs of women, a crucial but often overlooked aspect. Women generally prioritize people and nurturing, while men care more about things and problem-solving. This difference poses a challenge to men in grasping the seemingly ever-changing emotional needs of their partners and introduces a vital skill: Emotional Attunement. You will hear a vivid contrast between what it looks like to be unattuned versus the transformative qualities of attunement. Attunement is commonly absent in many male partners stemming from childhood experiences, unresolved conflicts, and a lack of self-validation. Ultimately, the episode empowers you with the profound understanding that emotional attunement is a cornerstone for creating a deeply connected and fulfilling marriage. Resources For Your Relationship: 1)Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Dec 1st, 2023 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. 2)STEPS TO REBUILD A MARRIAGE GUIDE: A step-by-step guide to the process of rebuilding a marriage after a hard and prolonged season of disconnect or hurt. It's the Rebuild a Marriage Guide and it's only $19.

If you plan to be married for a long time, you need to work through hard seasons, course-correct, and commit to make changes. These are the times that you need to take steps to rebuild the marriage and start a chapter. This is PART 2 of the "Steps to Rebuild a Marriage" episode #312 as we got so many messages about this topic. In this episode we will briefly remind you of the steps to rebuild, which we have shortened from 8 to 6. Then we will dive further into 4 ways that you can easily get off track in these difficult conversations for rebuilding. These conversations are inherently going to be more vulnerable and potentially charged, so you will need to quickly adjust when you feel them getting off track. Relationship Resources From This Episode: The brand NEW Steps to Rebuild a Marriage Guide so you can end a hard season and create a new chapter together.

Meeting each other's needs is the basis for a great relationship. This can get complex especially when it comes to the need of intimacy in a marriage, a fundamental need that often takes different forms for men and women. While some men seek physical intimacy to feel connected, their female partners emphasize the need for emotional intimacy. In this episode you will hear the significance of first establishing emotional safety (in its various forms) before either type of intimacy can be created. Then how each person's need can be accepted as valid and a roadmap for building emotional intimacy through 4 key elements: attunement, honesty, vulnerability, and initiation. As for physical intimacy, you will hear the keys of emphasizing love deposits, injecting fun, and introducing intentional variety into the experience. You will understand that you can in fact meet both of your needs as they are independent of each other first. The meeting of those needs further raise both the emotional and physical aspects of your marriage. Relationship Resources (mentioned in the episode): 1) Register for the next "Prioritize Us" 30 Day Couples Challenge and get the Family Meeting Guide as a part of it. 2) Get the Family Meeting Guide on it's own now.

It's not that difficult to show up as a great partner when everything is going smoothly in your life. Being an exceptional partner has much to do with how you show up in the face of challenges and things not going how you planned. In this episode you will hear 5 ways to be an exceptional partner that will be demonstrated through aligning your words and actions, being responsible for the attitude you bring to the environment, how you show up in support, focusing on the satisfaction of your partner, and your mental and emotional resiliency. Relationship Resources: Check out the in-person couples workshop in Arizona Jan 28th. http://thecouplesworkshop.com/ Explore all the resources from simple guides to private coaching. https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

Disconnection and dissatisfaction can often stem from a power struggle for leadership, especially if it's been absent. This episode highlights the unique marriage challenges in contemporary relationships, where misconceptions about domination and disengagement can create more conflicts. Leadership within a marriage is not about control but influence and the initiative to guide. This episode explores essential leadership values including a just cause, trust within the team, accountability, collaborative rivalry, substantial flexibility, and the courage to navigate life's challenges together. Ultimately, you'll be inspired to approach your marriage with a renewed perspective for sharing leadership for long-term satisfaction. Marriage Resources: Find all the resoruces you need from simple step-by-step guides, to webclasses, in person workshops, and even private coaching at https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

In this thought-provoking episode, you'll explore the intriguing concept of "crucible moments" and where you have already experienced them in your own relationship. These pivotal junctures, situations, or decision points test the strength of your bond and commitment, with choices leading to breakthroughs or declines in your relationship. You'll hear real-life examples, from navigating the newborn stage to handling heated arguments or even a big financial loss. This episode encourages you to make decisions aligned with your values, practice ruthless self-honesty, and consider the long-term consequences, leaving you with essential guidance for when you are confronted with critical crucible moments in your marriage! Relationship Resources: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting Nov 1st, 2023 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication.

In this podcast episode, the fifth step in rebuilding a marriage takes center stage – expressing and agreeing to non-negotiables. Overall this is a crucial step for building trust and granting forgiveness. You will hear 4 non-negotiables that we feel are paramount to a strong and lasting marriage. Those steps are individual responsibility, emotional intelligence, open communication, and developing the traits of flexibility and resilience. You will discover how these keys lead to a stronger, more connected partnership, where both partners actively participate in nurturing a resilient and fulfilling relationship that will last. Resources: 1) Join the FREE Marriage Webclass on communication, conflict repair, and deescalation on Oct 19th, 2023. Register at: https://onlinecouplesworkshops.com/ 2) After that date, find the resource guides here: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

Are you facing a difficult season in your marriage, feeling weighed down, worn out, or dissatisfied by challenges and conflicts? This type of season is not uncommon for marriages. Though it seems complex and ominous to tackle, there are specific patterns that have brought you both to this place. In this episode you'll explore the process of revitalizing a marriage mired in challenges, resentment, and conflicts and provides you with crucial steps to navigate this journey. You'll learn the importance of committing authentically to your relationship, focusing on effective communication, shedding old patterns, and identifying non-negotiables. By listening, you'll gain insight and guidance to embark on the challenging yet hopeful path of rebuilding your marriage and becoming the partners you aspire to be for a stronger future together. Resources: You can find our top resources, incuding step-by-step guides and online courses, with this one link here: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

In this episode, you'll explore the critical role of agreements during times of conflicts in your own marriage. Just like any game, your marriage really only works on the adherence to certain rules or guidelines, then everyone can have fun playing the game! While your marriage involves various agreements for different aspects of life, the most vital ones are those designed for navigating conflicts. These agreements, treated as laws, encompass actions for you to take or avoid when emotions run high, including refraining from yelling, name-calling, bringing up past grievances, or storming out without communicating the need for a break. Beyond mere verbal promises, these agreements demand your genuine commitment and personal responsibility. Emotions are viewed as data, not directives, and you're encouraged to recognize your emotions, calm your nervous system, and pause when necessary. Even when your partner fails to uphold their agreements, this episode stresses the importance of your personal integrity and establishing minimum acceptable standards for yourself, ultimately providing you with a roadmap for resolving conflicts constructively and maintaining a healthy marriage. Resources: NEW DE-ESCALATE CONFLICTS GUIDE: A realistic guide to managing your emotions and keeping simple conversations from escalating into overblown fights. It's the De-escalating Conflicts & Regulating Emotions Guide and it's only $19.

What truly determines the health and success of a romantic relationship? While popular resources online suggest differences in personality traits, attachment styles, past traumas, or external stressors as contributing factors, the episode sheds light on a more precise concept – "relationship stability." Psychologists have coined this term to better measure long-term success in relationships, ultimately linked to the duration of the partnership along with a sense of fulfillment, not driven by obligation or fear. The VSA model of Marriage, encompassing Vulnerabilities, Stress, and Adaptation, takes center stage, highlighting the significance of effective communication, problem-solving, compromise, support, and the ability to adapt and evolve behavior to nurture a healthy and satisfying marriage. This episode invites you to reflect on their own relationships, emphasizing that it's not about what happens to you, but how you respond when vulnerabilities surface amidst external stressors. Also, make sure you join the upcoming 30-Day Couples Challenge here. Receive daily prompts to fill your "Love Accounts," improve your communication, and become more connected.

In this heartfelt podcast episode, you'll explore the crucial difference between falling in love and staying in love. The hosts share insightful points on making your partner feel seen, appreciated, adored, respected, and accepted over time. They also emphasize the importance of navigating the natural ebbs and flows of intimacy, remaining receptive to each other's needs, course-correcting when necessary, and investing the effort required for enduring love. This episode provides you with a roadmap to cultivate a deep, lasting connection with your partner, reminding you that love is a journey, and staying in love is an ongoing commitment, regardless of the stage of your relationship. Resources: Use this link to find our top communication and conflict resolution resources and guides. https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links FREE BOOK for reviews through Sept 21st, 2023: Want us to personally sign and mail you a copy of our book, The Argument Hangover? For EVERY SINGLE one of you that writes a review for our podcast, or emails us about how our guides or challenges have benefited you, we will send this book. Due to shipping restrictions, this applies to those in the United States. For those of you outside the U.S., we will send you the E-Book plus a bonus thank you gift. Just email us the review: [email protected]. This goes through Sept 21st, 2023.

We know this can be a hard conversation, but it's critical in order to protect our children from the very real threats and predators. You might think that trafficking is something that is distant or would not affect your area or town. But as you'll learn from today's guest, Rosalia Rivera, the abuse and trafficking of children occurs mostly in plain sight, in areas near and around you. But this episode is not to put you in fear; in fact, it's to empower you to have specific ACTIONS to take, whether your kids are 2 or already up to teens. You will hear: The difference between human trafficking and sexual abuse of children What it means to teach "consent" to children, and conversations to have from parent to child What age you can start having these conversations about body autonomy and consent 3 specific ways to protect children from online predators or exploitation 3 specific ways to protect children from local threats, even that can occur in their clubs, sports activities, and sleepovers with neighbors Conversations to start with your local community, their schools, and daycares, And so much more. All of it is sobering and somewhat shocking that we have to think about this, but we DO Dive into her helpful resources here on her website and instagram!

After you dive into the episode, be sure to sign-up for the 30-Day Couples Challenge starting Sept 1st! This is the best step to consistently add to your love account levels and be more connected on a daily basis. Of course not all relationships are the same because of the personality dynamics that are unique to the two of you and also the specific events or challenges that you face in your marriage. This is where the episode really makes a claim; that you will face challenges in your life and marriage together. As you listen to this episode you are going to hear 3 inescapable truths that you must accept and navigate as to lead to having more happy than hard days. This will be even more critical when you are facing challenges, whether internal or external, so that you can still have happiness, understanding, and collaboration no matter what challenges arise!

Becoming a mother is a transformative and in some ways challenging journey. Everyone focuses on the actions of being a parent and not enough on the identity shifts and emotional journey that it really is. Today's guest expert, Dr Morgan Cutlip, wrote the book, Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself. In today's interview with her, you'll hear: Why "balance" is bologna and what to seek instead The core inner conflicts a mom faces, and likely doesn't expect The impossible standards we set for ourselves and how that affects us How to banish or tame the guilt we encounter with the decisions we make as a mother After you tune in to the interview, please support this hard-working mom by ordering her book and claim the bonuses she provides HERE.

Picture this: you and your partner on vacation at your favorite spot, yet you haven't exchanged a word in three days. The silent tension, the "stand-off," can feel like it's tearing your relationship apart, whether it's a recurring pattern or a prolonged icy silence. But fear not, because in this episode, we dive into the fascinating realm of how our minds can play tricks on us, especially in the heat of a relationship blow-up. Discover the cognitive twists and turns that can lead to misunderstandings and emotional chaos. We explore the psychology behind intelligence and how our cognitive development shapes the way we interpret conflicts. From confirmation bias that paints your partner as the villain to cognitive distortions that blur the lines between feelings and facts, we unravel the mysteries behind these mental mechanisms. Join us as we guide you through navigating the complex landscape of emotions, reminding you that while feelings are valid, they might not always align with reality. Tune in to learn how to dismantle the stand-off, focusing on self-reflection, responsibility, and solution-oriented repair. Don't let your relationship be a casualty of the stand-off – let's bridge the gap together. Additional Resources From the Show Join us in-person at The Couples Workshop on September 10th, 2023 in Arizona. Get the Making Up & Moving Forward guide to repair faster and more effectively.

Proactive communication allows you to have more harmony, ease, and unity in your relationship. But what does that really mean, is it just speaking your mind more often? We all know that "our partner can't read our mind," but how many of us try to just survive the chaos of life without communicating enough with our partner? Or worse, communicate "reactively" once there's already tension, frustration, and miscommunications. Today's episode gives you 3 helpful steps to focus on more proactive communication as a couple. These steps will help you be more on the same page, avoid little upsets, and build more trust in each other. Resources For Your Relationship: To help with these conversations ongoingly, you can get our Family Meeting Guide here for constructive weekly, quarterly, and yearly check-ins.

Join us in this episode as we dive deep into the intricate ways your upbringing shapes your approach to 4 crucial dynamics of your marriage. You will hear the subtle yet profound influences of your past on how you navigate these dynamics with your partner. We all recognize the power of our formative experiences, from childhood to early romance, and their lasting effects on us, but what can you really do about it, right? We'll explore how your emotional regulation, sense of responsibility, reception of feedback, and ability to repair are intricately tied to your upbringing. Discover how your family's approach to emotions, promises, feedback, and conflict resolution unconsciously shape your behavior in these key areas. Tune in to gain insights that will empower you and your partner to create a harmonious and fulfilling relationship, building a bridge between your past and your future together. Resources For Your Relationship: Attend the LIVE Couples Workshop in Arizona on Sept. 10th, 2023: http://thecouplesworkshop.com/ Find our recomended guides, webclasses, and courses on our main website: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

Having good friendships is critical to your fulfillment in life and plays a big role in your marriage as well. However, not all of your friends will tell you the hard truth and some of the things that you really need to hear if you are to get out of a hard season in your relationship. It's also unlikely that your friends are relationship coaches so there is a key piece of advice that you will not hear from any of them, that you really need to hear. This episode is all about how you need to stop acting from how you feel and start acting from your commitment. Listen to this episode so that you can take a stand to turn a hard season around and keep it from any further decline or disconnection. Resources For Your Relationship: Attend the LIVE Couples Workshop in Arizona on Sept. 10th, 2023: http://thecouplesworkshop.com/ Find our recomended guides, webclasses, and courses on our main website: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

We went on an impromptu staycation this weekend… just us! And we used some of our time (besides playing, flirting, and relaxing) to have some meaningful conversations. We like to call them "check-ins." This one in particular happened to be getting on the same page about our life and marriage priorities for the rest of the year. Do you and your partner feel on the same page about what your priorities are? If you don't take some time a few times per year, you can just be going about the motions expending energy in two different directions… or nowhere at all, really. So dive into today's episode to get some inspiration for a great conversation you can have together! Resources For Your Relationship: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. This one starts Aug 1st, 2023 and you get the Family Meeting Guide included. If you just want the Family Meeting Guide on it's own, you can get it separately here too.

This highly anticipated episode is finally here! Today we dive into underlying frustrations and areas of dissatisfaction for men that we want to be mindful of in our relationship. Remember, these aren't to blame one person. We both can participate in meeting each other's needs, preventing frustrations, and talking through the patterns that are interconnected. After you dive into the episode, be sure to sign-up for the 30-Day Couples Challenge starting August 1st!

Getting married and choosing to do life with someone means that you're also saying, "I am going to care about your needs, I am going to care about whether you're satisfied or not, and I am going to do my best to meet the standards we've set for a partnership." When this stops happening for various reasons, then the fulfillment and satisfaction for that partner can start to go down. So today's episode is really about boosting satisfaction in the partnership by understanding the top sources of dissatisfaction for women specifically and how to prevent them. To go with today's episode, also get access to our Family Meeting Guide and Templates here: https://thecouplesexperience.com/family

All great teams "huddle" often, whether a sports team or a professional team. But how often do you guys check-in? Today's episode covers how to have a weekly, quarterly, and yearly check-in. This is a major update to our process we shared in 2021, which was a SUPER popular episode. You'll hear the 5 questions to ask each other every week, what to discuss about your relationship every quarter of the year, and big picture topics to stay on track on a yearly basis. We promise, these can be accomplished in just a few minutes and will help you prevent miscommunications, tackle issues proactively, and experience more harmony in the relationship! To go with the episode, get our BRAND NEW Family Meeting Guide & Templates here: https://thecouplesexperience.com/family Also from the episode, you can get the Making Up & Moving Forward Guide if you need more guidance on how to repair things that were unresolved.

Life will always have challenges and we believe it's about how you respond to them as well as how well you learn and grow. This is a huge aspect of maintaining a healthy relationship, how you handle challenges as a team. Hopefully you know that we are not here to sugar coat anything or give you any advice that is not practical or useful in your daily marriage. So in this episode we share updates from the last 18 months as it was the hardest season we have had as a couple. It is our intent to share these challenges and updates while sharing the lessons and wisdom we have gained (and are still gaining), so that maybe you can learn the lessons without going through it yourself! A major part of us getting through this hard season, truly united as a team, is how often we checked-in with each other. We always knew where we were each at mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We also knew what actions and patterns we needed to change. We did all this by using our Family Meeting Guide & templates that we now have available for you for ust $19. We hope this can get you back on the same page and kepe you there though any challenge you are facing as a couple! For the Guide just to go https://thecouplesexperience.com/family

In this episode we unravel the crucial distinction between repair, finding a solution, and resolution in relationships. Repairing conflicts, rather than simply reducing the frequency of them, is a powerful indicator of a healthy and lasting partnership. You will hear the misconception that finding a solution automatically leads to resolution, and why the emotional aspect of repair is equally vital. By understanding the formula of Repair + Solution = Resolution, we provide you with the tools to navigate conflicts more effectively and create lasting harmony. Resources For Your Relationship: Last chance to sign up for the 30-Day Couples Challenge starting July 1st. Join here. Get the Making Up & Moving Forward guide here.