Whether you’ve been with your partner for six months or married for ten years, poor boundaries create dependency and unhappy couples. If you want to develop a healthy and happy relationship, you must each have healthy personal boundaries.

Often, we consider boundaries to be something that pushes people away, or we’re afraid that the other person will react negatively or feel hurt. However, healthy boundaries in relationships are a prerequisite to happiness. They define us and what is essential in our lives. Without them, there is too much room for drama. Boundaries help to create a  [...]

In love and marriage, we often hold back from being fully honest with our partner, even when it’s important. Maybe we’re afraid that we’ll hurt their feelings, or we’re fearful of their reaction. Or perhaps we think they’ll feel like we’re criticizing them. However, we may also hold on to resentment or anger toward them until it spills over to spoil our fun or warps our everyday interactions. 

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Recently, I ran into my dear friend, Merissa. She is alocal photographer in Bozeman, Montana, who photographed some family photos for my family, and my husband and I’s wedding. As we caught up on how our lives were going, Merissa shared some shifts in the wedding industry and how her business changed with this year's trends. An increasing trend she is seeing is twofold: 1) a new way to define elopements and 2) increased popularity of elopements.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

No intimacy in a marriage has many consequences. One of the biggest complaints I hear from couples is that they feel more like roomies than lovers—not what they signed on for. However, there are many varying forms and levels of intimacy; each couple is unique. Every person has a different drive and desire level. So, there are no magic solutions for lack of intimacy, although many behaviors steal the connection from a marriage. Eliminate those, and you'll be on your way to a healthier and happier relationship.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

If you asked a hundred persons about their goals in life, at least half of them would mention their desire to be in a healthy relationship. And right at the front of this relationship train exists a loving, trustworthy spouse.

So, how do you create a healthy relationship? Read on to find out.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Anniversaries are opportunities to reflect on where you have come from, understand where you are, and get clear on where you are going as a couple. And love and marriage deserve a special celebration! While wedding anniversaries are certainly noteworthy for celebrating, they are also a wonderful time to adjust the compass and chart a new course together or just revel in your journey so far.

Estimated reading time: 4.5 minutes

What determines a successful marriage? Do you know?

Many couples want to have a healthy relationship yet struggle to know how. Why can most couples instantly tell when their partner is upset with them, but not know how to create the understanding and honesty necessary to resolve conflict?

This ability is a crucial factor that builds successful and long-term marriages, so how is it that it's commonly lacking?

A key to healthy relationships is understanding how best to express your love to your partner—loving in a way that resonates with them and fulfills their needs. Dr. Gary Chapman devised a meaningful method to communicate with your partner and show your affection based on their innate preferences. Dubbed the Love Languages, this approach relies on the theory that every individual has a predisposition to and identifies more heavily with one of five ways to spread and receive love.

There are little speed bumps in relationships, and there are major roadblocks. Most relationships survive speed bumps, but when couples make major missteps regularly, continue to hurt one another, or create roadblocks to love and loving, things start going downhill—sometimes gradually, and sometimes unexpectedly with an affair. Wouldn't you like to replace these unloving behaviors and roadblocks with loving habits to build a healthy relationship instead? Looking for advice about love?