Challenges

Married

Podcasts

• Addressing Relationship Energy Drainers

  This lesson will teach you to recognize immediately when your energy is being drained and what you can do about it.

• Overcoming the Core Beliefs that Cause Relationship Failures

  Learn how your subconscious beliefs can cause your relationships to fail.

Articles

• Wedding Rings: To Wear or Not to Wear

  For many, a wedding band is a beautiful and important symbol of a couple’s commitment. For others, it seems unnecessary, uncomfortable and even heavy-handed.

• Addiction

  • Alcoholism Test for the Alcoholic Marriage

    Learn how to recognize the signs of your spouse being a functioning alcoholic.

  • Drugs Can Ruin Your Marriage

    Learn about the negative affects that drug use can have on a relationship.

  • Effects of Sexual Addictions on Partners, Families, Children

    Learn about the effects that sexual addictions have on partners, children, parents and siblings.

  • Pornography Addiction and Your Relationship

    Addiction to pornography can create conflict, emotional distance, and distrust in intimate partnerships. If your partner’s pornography consumption is creating strain in your relationship, learn how to communicate with him/her about the issue.

  • When Your Partner is Struggling with an Addiction

    Addiction is damaging on many levels, including relationship health. Tips on ensuring you, your partner and your relationship all get the treatment they deserve.

  Building a Love That Lasts

  • Is Marriage a Bad Bet?

    With the high rate of divorce in the United States some people question the concept of marriage.

  Communication/Conflict

  • Dealing with Anger in a Relationship

    Anger can be an ugly animal...keep it from ravaging your relationship.

  • Dealing with Anger in Marriage

    Learn how to effectively and successfully manage anger within a marriage relationship.

  • Dealing With Conflict in Marriage

    Learn the differences between the good ways and bad ways to work out conflict.

  • Dealing with Cultural Differences in a Relationship

    Differences in culture can put a strain on a relationship; learn how to ensure it does not cause the end of the relationship.

  • Getting Past Problems to Solutions in Marriage

    Learn how to work through trouble spots in your marriage.

  • Saying You're Sorry

    Saying you're sorry can be difficult at times, TwoOfUs.org lets you know how to make it easier.

  • Silence is Not Golden

    The rule "silence is golden" doesn't apply when referring to your relationship. How to cope with the silent treatment.

  • Start Soft When You Want To Be Heard

    Learn how starting softly will increase the chances of resolving the problem and finding a mutual solution.

  • When Words Wound: Solving Conflict Without Hurting Your Partner

    Arguments are inevitable in any relationship. What matters most is how you respond during conflict.

  Family Challenges

  • Handling the Exes During the Holidays

    Factoring in exes for the holidays can be especially stressful for divorced, or remarried couples.

  • How Much Time is Your Own With a Wife and Kids at Home

    You used to do what you wanted when you wanted. Once you have a family, though, the question of "me" time gets more challenging....

  • Remarriage – So, Now You’re a Stepparent

    About 50% of all marriages are actually remarriages for one or both spouses. These marriages often invovle unique challenges, including stepparenting.

  • Surviving Holidays With the Family

    Take the time to reset the holiday expectations meter for yourself and your significant other with these tips to manage your way to a happier holiday.

  • Surviving Living with the In-Laws

    Forced to move in with your in-laws? Tips to help you cope when your in-laws are too close for comfort.

  Finances

  • Are Your Money Styles Compatible?

    Learn how to effectively communicate about money and finances when you and your partner may come from different financial backgrounds.

  • Help for Money Arguments

    Learn how to work as a team to tackle stressful financial situations.

  • How to Confront Your Partner’s Poor Spending Habits

    Confronting your partners spending and financial habits can be difficult, TwoOfUs.org will help couples explore this issue.

  • How to Ride Out the Storm and Recession-Proof Your Relationship

    Read about three ways to protect your love and your money during these stressful economic times.

  • Solving 8 Money Issues That Cause Marriage Problems

    Learn about eight common money issues in relationships and the possible ways to solve them.

  • Strategies for Couples Dealing With Financial Strain

    Learn several effective strategies for dealing with financial strain as a couple.

  • The Financial Impact of Divorce

    If you are contemplating divorce, be sure you first understand all the potential expenses involved.

  Healthy Relationship Skills

  • Are You “Mothering” Your Partner?

    Taking good care of your significant other is a good thing. However, "mothering" your partner can quickly turn into smothering your partner.

  • Are You Oversharing About Your Partner?

    Talking too much about your relationship with others can put your relationship at risk.

  • Beating Relationship Boredom

    Tips to help you and your significant other beat the boredom that sometimes sets in with relationships.

  • Conquering the Fear of Marriage Counseling

    Few words strike as much fear into the heart of man (or woman) as "couples counseling." But it doesn't have to be that way.

  • Cutting the Cord: Breaking Unhealthy Dependencies That Impact Your Partner

    We are all bound to our parents in complex ways that can be beautiful, confounding, and infuriating. But the ties that bind us to our parents can be hard on those we marry.

  • Ho-Hum Marriages

    Learn how to face challenges and difficulties of the ho-hum stages of marriage.

  • Keeping a Marriage Safe from Infidelity

    Protect your marriage from inappropriate connections ... whether physical or emotional.

  • Losing Your Emotional Baggage

    Emotional baggage can be difficult to leave behind. Here are tips to help you leave the past behind.

  • Maintaining Friendships After Marriage

    Did you know that your friendships may change after you get married and have kids? It's true, and it's the result of a combination of factors that include a decrease in free time and a shift in priorities.

  • Must the Truth Hurt? Honesty and Relationships

    Everyone says the truth hurts but does it really have to?

  • Opposite Sex Friendships

    Opposite sex friendships are possible ... but they get trickier when a significant other is involved.

  • The Art of Compromise

    Being uncompromising on ethical matters makes you a strong person. Being uncompromising in an intimate relationship, however, is often less noble.

  • Understanding the Emotional Needs of Your Female Partner

    Learning what your female partner values most is essential to making the relationship work.

  • Why Forgiveness is Good … for You

    Too often, we see forgiveness solely as an (undeserved) kindness we extend to an oppressor. But forgiveness is also a gift we give ourselves—a gift that provides considerable physical and psychological benefits to the giver.

  • Why Forgiveness Matters

    Trust and forgiveness are essential components to a healthy relationship.

  • Why Trust Matters

    How to build ... or rebuild ... trust in your relationship.

  Infidelity

  • Emotional Cheating

    Learn the damaging effects of emotional cheating and how to recognize the signs of it in a relationship.

  • Emotional Infidelity

    Emotional infidelity can be just as damaging to a committed relationship as a physical affair.

  • Female Infidelity

    Cheating: It’s not just a man’s game anymore. Truth be told, it probably never was. But recent data suggests female infidelity is far more common than previously believed...

  • Infidelity, Paranoia and the Internet Age

    The emergence of "dating" sites for married people has gotten a lot of media hype. But is all this talk doing anything to prevent infidelity? Or is it simply making us more paranoid?

  • Preventing Infidelity: How to Stop Affairs Before They Start

    Rebuilding a relationship after an affair can be difficult. It is far better to prevent an affair from ever happening.

  • Rebuilding Trust in Your Marriage After an Affair

    Successfully rebuilding trust after an extra-marital affair is possible but it can be difficult, lengthy and overwhelming.

  • Should You Tell a Friend He or She Is Being Cheated On?

    Discovering your friend is being cheated on is a no-win situation: If you say anything, you risk losing the friendship. But not telling can be just as damaging.

  • Spring Fever: Rising Temperatures, Rising Temptation

    Do you find yourself a little bored with your relationship this spring? If you find yourself tempted by an affair, here are some questions to ask yourself first.

  Other Challenges

  • Breadwinning Women and Stay-at-Home Dads

    Even in the most progressive homes, spouses sometimes still struggle with gender roles and responsibilities.

  • Cougars, Sugar Daddies and the Real Impact of Age Differences in a Relationship

    The significance of age differences in a romantic relationship is often distorted—either exaggerated or ignored.

  • Fighting the Holiday Blues

    Fatigue, finances, family tensions and unrealistic expectations can all cause the holiday blues. Make your holidays a little brighter this year...

  • How Depression Can Threaten Your Marriage

    Learn how untreated depression can take a heavy toll on the quality of your marriage.

  • How Stress Affects a Relationship

    It is important to understand how stressful events can affect your marriage or relationship.

  • Is Work Coming Between You and Your Spouse?

    Balancing work and relationships can be a difficult task, TwoOfUs.org has some tips on how to survive.

  • Lack of Sexual Intimacy: What It Means and How to Deal with It

    What causes a lack of sex drive ... and how do you resolve the issue in your relationship?

  • My Partner was Just Diagnosed with a Chronic Illness ... Now What?

    Read about how to deal with the challenges of a chronic illness in your relationship.

  • Neat Freaks vs. Clutter Bugs: What Does ‘Clean’ Mean?

    Spouses often have different tolerance levels for messiness. But neat freaks and clutter bugs can live together in harmony ….

  • Pressured to Have a Child?

    Feeling peer-pressured into having a baby? How to cope with the push to have a child.

  • Putting Your Spouse Through College

    Supporting your spouse while he or she finishes school can be challenging. How to cope with the financial and emotional stress...

  • Shared Lives, Shared Passwords?

    As a married person, is your online activity strictly private? Or should your spouse have a clear window into your online world?

  • Sports Widows

    As football season turns into basketball season, many women feel like they have “lost” their spouse.

  • Stress Management Current Trends - Guided Imagery

    Guided imagery is a gentle but powerful technique that focuses and directs the imagination.

  • The ‘Chore War’: Battling Over Who Does What around the House

    Sharing household chores now ranks third on the list of elements tied to successful marriages. Yet many couples still struggle to reach an equitable division of chores.

  • The Distracted Partner: Competing with Technology for His/Her Attention

    We are tantalized by technology. What’s worse, so are our partners. But when our significant other falls for this same seduction, we often fail to see the charm.

  Pregnancy Challenges/Infertility

  • Coping with Infertility in Your Marriage

    Learn how to keep your marriage strong even as you cope with the difficulties of infertility.

  Relationship Stages and Commitment

  • Are You Ready for a Child?

    Before you have a baby, consider these five good—and five bad—motivations for having a child.

  • I Want Kids but My Spouse Isn’t Ready

    Is your timeline for having children not lining up with your spouse's?

  Sex & Intimacy

  • The Affection Connection

    TwoOfUs.org explores a new study which tackles the stereotype "Men want sex. Women just want to cuddle."

  Top 10 Lists

  • Top 10 Books Recommended for Couples in Crisis

    Every year, over 2,000 self-help books published. Here are some of the best to help couples in crisis.

  • Top 10 Challenges Couples Face in Forming and Sustaining Healthy Relationships and Marriages

    Here are 10 obstacles couples encounter in developing and maintaining healthy long-term relationships.

  Unhappy Marriages

  • Is Divorce ‘Contagious’?

    Divorce can be contagious in social networks, according to a recent study. But what does that really mean for the future of your relationship?

  • Is My Marriage at its End?

    Are you second-guessing your decision to get married, or at least your choice of spouse? How do you know if your marriage is over?

  • People with Depression Benefit more from Marriage Than Others

    Learn how the affects of marriage can benefits people who suffer with depression.

  • Weathering Storms in Your Marriage

    What helps carry one marriage through seemingly impossible circumstances while others crash on the rocks?

Videos

• Can watching porn hurt my relationship?

  In this video, Drs. Mark and Debbie Laaser discuss the effects that watching porn can have on your relationship.

• Creating a Plan B in case of job loss

  In this video, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott give advice on surviving a career crisis.

• Does divorce make people happy

  Michelle Weiner-Davis explores whether divorce is the best solution for achieving happiness.

• Emotional cheating: What is it and how do I avoid it?

  In this video David Carder, MA identifies what emotional cheating is and how you can avoid it in your relationship.

• Facing infidelity in your marriage

  This video discusses the process a couple goes through when infidelity has scarred the relationship.

• How can I heal our marriage after infidelity?

  In this video, David Carder, MA gives advice on how to heal your marriage after infidelity.

• How can I keep my spouse from cheating?

  In this video, Dr. Barry McCarthy talks about how you can keep your spouse from cheating.

• How can I support my husband, now that he has been diagnosed with a serious illness?

  Dr. Scott Haltzman suggests how women can support their husband or male partner after he has been diagnosed with a major medical issue.

• How can I support my wife, now that she's been diagnosed with a serious illness?

  Dr. Scott Haltzman suggests how men can show support to their wife or female partner after she has been diagnosed with a major medical issue.

• How can I tell if my marriage is in trouble, and what can I do to prevent breakup? Part 1

  In this video, relationship expert Sue Johnson identifies warning signs in a marriage and what you can do to prevent issues from destroying your relationship.

• How can I tell if my marriage is in trouble, and what can I do to prevent breakup? Part 2

  In this video, relationship expert Ed Gray identifies warning signs in a marriage and what you can do to prevent issues from destroying your relationship.

• How can I tell if my marriage is in trouble, and what can I do to prevent breakup? Part 3

  In this video, relationship experts Dr. Howard Markman identifies warning signs in a marriage and what you can do to prevent issues from destroying your relationship.

• How can we avoid infidelity in our relationship?

  In this video, Dr. Barry McCarthy talks about how to avoid temptations within our relationships.

• How can we keep our marriage strong in tough economic times?

  Dr. Linda Miles explores how to keep a marriage vibrant even during difficult financial times.

• How do I learn to trust my partner again after he/she has cheated?

  In this video, David Carder, MA discusses ways you can learn to trust your partner after he/she has cheated.

• How do I tell my partner I want to work on improving our relationship?

  In this video, relationship expert Nisa Muhammad responds to the question, "How do I tell my partner I want to work on improving our relationship?".

• How do I tell my partner I want to work on repairing our relationship?

  How do I tell my partner I want to work on repairing our relationship?

• How does our health affect our marriage?

  In this video, Dr. Scott Haltzman talks about the how one's health can affect a marriage.

• How to argue correctly

  This video highlights some techniques that couples can utilize to communicate and argue more effectively.

• How will we handle the financial strain of my partner's illness?

  In this video, Dr. Scott Haltzman talks about how to deal with the financial strain resulting from a partner becoming ill.

• If I'm in a bad marriage, will the kids be better off if we divorce?

  Relationship expert Elizabeth Einstein responds to the question of whether your children might be better off if you end an unhappy marriage.

• If we argue a lot, does it mean we have a bad marriage?

  Relationship expert Nisa Muhammad explores whether frequent arguments are an indicator of a bad marriage.

• Is marriage supposed to be this hard?

  Relationship experts Dr. Ed Gray, Joseph Hernandez, Ph.D. and Ana Morante address whether marriage is supposed to be difficult.

• Is monogamy possible?

  In this video, Dr. Barry McCarthy talks about if monogamy is possible or not.

• Losing trust in your spouse

  This video talks about the process a couple must go through to reestablish trust after losing it in their relationship.

• My in-laws are causing trouble for our marriage. What should I do?

  Relationship expert Joseph Hernandez, Ph.D. talks about how to deal with difficult in-laws.

• My partner has a gambling problem and it's affecting our relationship. What do I do?

  Dr. Scott Hatlzman addresses how to respond to a partner with a gambling addiction.

• My partner's substance abuse is affecting our relationship. What do I do?

  In this video, Drs. Mark and Debbie Laaser discuss the implications that substance abuse and addictions can have on relationships.

• My substance abuse is starting to affect our relationship. What do I do?

  In this video, Dr. Scott Haltzman provides insight on how to deal with a substance abuse issue in a relationship.

• Opposite sex friends

  This video talks about the importance of protecting your marriage relationship while balancing other important friendships.

• What if my partner won't come with me to marriage counseling?

  What if your partner won't go with you to marriage counseling? In this video, Andrew Daire, Ph.D. explores how to handle the situation.

• What should I do if I've been unfaithful?

  In this video, David Carder talks about what you should do if you've been unfaithful in your relationship.

• What should we do when things get difficult?

  Joseph Hernandez, Ph.D. and Ana Morante explore how to respond when you encounter storms in your relationship.

Other Resources

• My gambling is starting to affect our relationship

  Dr. Scott Haltzman addresses what to do when your gambling problem gets out of hand and begins to affect your relationship.