Empowered Couples

Men are facing an inner-challenge that is also affecting the marriage. For men to feel a sense of meaning, empowerment, responsibility, value, and achievement they have to show up in the eternal world a certain way. Whether this be in business, profession, managing finances or contracts for the family, relationships with family/friends; men are supposed to show up as warriors, lions, unstoppable, and unshakeable in their pursuits…   But at home that same mentality causes issues and conflicts. Men are then supposed to be understanding, supportive, slow to anger, quick to listen, and in a loving attitude to meet their spouses needs. But without knowing how to transition back to being a partner; men can be defensive, quick to react, withdrawn, and with poor coping and communication with their partners. In this episode you will hear about how men can navigate this internal conflict so they can both be the warrior and protect the family in the outside world, and be a loving partner and father.   Relationship Resou

Are you able to have a disagreement with your partner without fighting against each other? To be honest many couples view having a disagreement as a fight, because anytime they disagree and there is a little bit of emotion, it always turns into a fight. We are here to tell you that you can disagree while staying on the same team and moving down the decision making path together to find the best route for both of you and your future.  In this episode you will hear 6 different tools/skills to implement in a moment of disagreement that will keep you on the same side and avoid it turning into a conflict or fight. This is a significant and powerful episode as you cannot avoid disagreement in a marriage, but you can use that to gain understanding and make even better decisions as a couple, rather than have it turn into a fight.   Relationship Resources: 1) Visit our top resources for the season you are in, find anything from guides, to challenges, courses, and even attending an in person workshop: https://www.meett

This is the second half of that age old question “what do men want” in a marriage? If having a successful marriage is directly related to meeting each other’s needs then it’s quite important to know what those needs are. This episode is the followup from last week about women's needs right now.  With the amount of coaching sessions we do, we have a great insight into the common needs that are going unmet for couples. There are themes that seem to show up in general, so even the specific needs we hear from men in one season, will not be the same in another (though admittedly more consistent than women’s it seems)!  In this episode you will hear the top 3 needs we are hearing from men right now. A little different from the start of the women’s needs episode, you will also hear 3 key traits that also need to be present in the marriage for there to be willingness and receptivity to these needs. Get ready for a great episode for insight into men’s needs (and the critical element of integrity)!   Relationship Resou

It’s the age old question “what do women want” in a marriage? If having a successful marriage is directly related to meeting each other’s needs then it’s quite important to know what those needs are. This episode will be a two part series that will follow up with exploring the needs that men have as well (so don’t feel left out guys)! With the amount of coaching sessions we do, we have a great insight into the common needs that are going unmet for couples. There are themes that seem to show up in general, so even the specific needs we hear from women in one season, will not be the same in another.  In this episode you will hear the top 3 needs we are hearing from women right now, which are especially related to the longer a couple is together. As you will hear from the beginning, these needs are more like categories than specific actions. If you look at them this way then it won’t seem like a moving target from one season to another. Focus on these 3 categories and you will find more flexibility and effective

The success of your life and marriage isn’t as much about the things that happen to you, but how well you can course-correct. This goes for bigger life decisions about where to live, send your kids to school, and where to spend money. As well as the amount of time to pass before initiating repair after a conflict, the attitude you wake up with, and even the thoughts you let your mind focus on.  So then what does “course-correcting” actually look like in regard to these decisions? That is exactly what you will hear in the episode. You are going to hear 4 questions to ask yourselves that will help you to determine whether you are on path or off path, which greatly impacts your satisfaction in your life and marriage together. (So yes it’s pretty important!)   Relationship Resources Mentioned   The Level 1 “Prioritizing Us” 30-Day Couples Challenge (you get the popular Family Meeting guide as a bonus gift with this) The Level 2 “Rebuilding Us” 30-Day Couples Challenge (repairing and rebuilding after a harder seas

Whether you’ve been in a funk as a couple, or things have just felt pretty routine with your “adulting” responsibilities, this episode will help you SPARK more fun together! The truth is, life is short. And we don’t believe we’re meant to just let the weeks pass by and survive our busy schedule. Of course there are challenging days (and you hear us talk about that), but let’s enter into a season of more fulfillment, connection, and play together. You will hear 5 very tangible and actionable ways to spark more fun together, so dive on in! We often hear couples say, “we get inspired and motivated to create these changes for a few days, and then we forget or get off track.” And that’s exactly why we created the 30-Day Couples Challenge!   Relationship Resources (pick between):  Level 1: “Prioritizing Us” is focused on strengthening your connection, communication, and fun Love Deposit ideas. LINKED HERE - https://mycoupleschallenge.com/ Level 2: “Rebuilding Us” is focused on repairing and rebuilding after a harde

Talk about things before they become a bigger issue. On our vacation with family, I brought up the topic of intimacy (physical specifically) and it sparked a great conversation between us. Now for many this could be a conversation that isn’t brought up and turns into a bigger issue later. This is when it can turn into a “weed” that impacts your marriage. Or it could be a conversation that causes defensiveness and conflict. Neither of these are positive options.  You see, we want to talk about how we’re feeling and what we want BEFORE it starts to affect  you and the connection, trust, or openness you have with your partner.  In this episode you will hear us discuss: What’s a “seed” in the relationship vs a “weed” What happens when we don’t discuss things soon enough How to think about bringing these things up and making it a productive conversation   Relationship Resources: The Level 1 “Prioritizing Us” 30-Day Couples Challenge (you get the popular Family Meeting guide as a bonus gift with this) The L

You’ve likely heard of the now popular Attachment Theory about having a secure, safe, trusting, and connected relationship. If you have, likely what you’ve seen is quite conceptual and you are not sure how to use the information. If you have not heard of this theory it simply describes how you connect and bond with a partner and how that was influenced by your parents (or primary caregiver) as well as other romantic relationships you have been in (primary attachment figures). For us Attachment Theory has become so popular online, rightfully so, but without the right experts describing how to use this theory to make a difference in your own relationship, or how to actually change your style. In this episode you will hear from Attachment Theory expert, counselor, PhD, author, and founder of Personal Development School, Thais Gibson! You will hear her cover: The 4 Attachment Styles (quickly) The 5 Pillars and traits of each style How to reprogram your conscious mind (where attachment needs and behaviors co

Many communications between couples can cause misunderstandings. This leads to more expectations and further frustrations and upsets. Then these upsets can turn into conflicts. Though it seems simple to just “listen better”, listening is not the same as hearing.  Listening is the requirement for understanding, but even then, it does not guarantee complete and accurate understanding of what was actually meant by your partner.  Though much of this has to do with the listener's role, there is also much to say about the speaker and how they deliver the message so as to not create mistranslations.    In this episode you will hear: Mistakes the speaker makes Mistakes the listener makes 5 tips for more productive conversations  Plus the psychology principles that can prevent communications from being misunderstood or turning into conflicts.   Relationship Resources: 1) Join the upcoming 30-Day Couples Challenge “Prioritizing Us”, proven to improve your interactions, help you understand each other more, str

“I’m sorry” - 2 little words that can not only be challenging for some partners to say, but also can mean MANY different things.  So in today’s episode we cover: Several specific reasons apologizing can be harder for some (self-awareness) Why couples can battle over whether the ‘I’m sorry’ is deemed “necessary” The different meanings of “I’m sorry” and how to expand your language for more things to say in these moments How to get better at apologizing, big or small We encourage BOTH of you to listen to this episode and talk about how you can both be better. Because these little moments truly can strengthen your bond or erode your ability to respect each other. We know, strong statement, but respect is tied to this.  As you listen, make sure you get our popular Making Up & Moving Forward guide. These repair steps prevent re-triggering a conflict, having to re-hash the details, and ensures you both feel resolved.

“How do I get my partner to _____?” This is one of the most common questions we get. Obviously this is referring to wanting a partner to change a behavior in a certain area of the relationship. Underneath that question is the real question of “what is going to motivate my partner?”  If you have ever had this experience of wanting your partner to change something, but they didn’t, you likely felt discouraged or even burnt out. This was likely because you have been asking for things to change for some time now, but nothing did.  In this episode you will hear about the process of motivation and being able to achieve a result you have been wanting to have in your relationship. You will get the 6 steps of the decision making process and how to overcome the motivation threshold so that you do not feel that same burnout or discouragement from not seeing a change happen. In the end you will realize there was something even better for you than the goal you initially set out to achieve!    Relationship Resources: 1) Fo

We said to several couples last week: “The ultimate sign of a secure marriage is knowing that even if one of you says something at the wrong time, in the wrong way, or with the wrong tone, the other person will be responsible for their reaction.” And this is the ultimate goal for so many couples.  So dive in today as we cover: The 4 D’s that derail conversations and destroy your connection 3 strategies for being responsible for your reactions Further understanding of the brain so you don’t act from 2 of them in unproductive ways.    As you listen, get 2 of our popular guides: De-escalating Conflicts & Regulating Emotions HERE Making Up & Moving Forward (repair steps after conflicts) HERE

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,

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

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: