Are baby blues hurting your family and spouse? Some of us have spent our entire lives dreaming of what life would be like once we were all grown up. We planned out our weddings, our ideal mates, and our perfect nuclear family with 2.5 children. It is when life does not go exactly according to plan that we begin to panic and loose control of our lives. Childbirth can be one of those hazy moments in life. We plan for months about a new addition to the family, but once we welcome this new little bundle into the world, life doesn’t always become the sunshine-filled dream we expected.

Dr. Sara Rosenquist is a specialist in the field of dealing with postpartum depression in women, and couples. Sara’s book, After The Stork: The Couple’s guide to Preventing and Overcoming Postpartum Depression, deals explicitly with these issues. Sara has a very extensive global background, which has allowed her to communicate easily with others. Over her lifetime Sara has lived in Tunisia, Argentina, Uruguay, Thailand, and El Salvador before coming back to the United States to study at Duke University, where she received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. To find out more about Dr. Sara Rosenquist you can visit her website or call 919-872-4648 for an appointment. Sara’s book, After The Stork: The Couple’s guide to Preventing and Overcoming Postpartum Depression, is available on Amazon.com.

“Relationships aren’t destroyed by cataclysmic arguments. They are eroded by the little things that happen over time. We’re all excited when a relationship starts. We watch what we do. We edit our actions and mind our words. We gloss over the details because we love the dream of what could be. We sacrifice the now for what we want in the future. As our relationship grows, we get comfortable. We stop editing ourselves and return to our old habits… Respect is eroded through the forgetful actions that make you feel as if you don’t matter like you once did…. Yes, relationships usually end in cataclysmic fight, but that is not where they are torn apart”. This insider view of the deterioration of a relationship comes from author Jeff Cannon who believes that meditation is the solution to resolving this age-old dilemma.

Jeff Cannon is the author of the book The Simple Truth: Meditation and Minfulness for the Modern World. Jeff was a fast-track entrepreneur with a portfolio of successful businesses, multiple book publishings, produced documentaries and ran his own public relations agency. Then it all came to a crashing halt at the end of 2009. That day he woke up on a hospital bed recovering from a ten-hour surgery that removed six of seven brain tumors. A long time devotee of the marital arts and yoga, Jeff used meditation to reboot and retrain his brain. He learned firsthand how the brain is hard wired just as it had been 40,000 years ago. More important he learned how it could be reprogrammed through such practices as meditation and mindfulness. Jeff’s book is now available on Amazon.com. To find out more about Jeff Cannon you can visit his website online.

Has your fairy tale marriage turned into a nightmare? Ripped from the pages of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice we’ve been made to believe that happily ever after is possible. People spend years looking for their perfect partner and come to find that all the spark and je ne sais quoi that had attracted them to their partners has now fizzled into an unhappy marriage. Family therapist, Lesli Doares, doesn’t believe in having only two choices: either remaining in a miserable marriage or getting a divorce; Lesli believe in happily ever afters.

Leslie Doares is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Cary, NC. In her practice, Balance Family Therapy, her focus is on helping couples build strong, secure relationships. It is her belief that marriage is a different kind of relationship and, with the proper tools and techniques, most couples can have a happy and successful relationship. Lesli bring both her personal experience and professional training to her work with couples. Her passionate belief in marriage has led to the development of a five step theoretical approach that Lesli detailed in her book Blueprint for a Lasting Marriage: How to Create Your Happily Ever After With More Intention, Less Work.

To find out more Lesli Doares and her practice you can visit the Balanced Family Therapy website or call for an appointment at 919-924-0463. Lesli’s book, Blueprint for a Lasting Marriage: How to Create Your Happily Ever After With More Intention, Less Work, is now available on Amazon.com.

Is your constant bickering ruining your relationship? We’ve all been in a relationship where the fights just never seem to end. We bicker about the little things, the big things, and the things that would matter to no one but us. What does all of this constant fighting do to our relationships? Acclaimed author Laurie Puhn joins us to discuss how fighting affects your relationship, as well as how to overcome the endless fighting cycle.

Laurie has a Bachelor’s and law degree from Harvard University. Formerly a corporate attorney, she is now a recognized expert in the field of couples mediation and conflict resolution. Laurie has a private practice in couples mediation in Manhattan. Her empowering, fast and simple mediation approach for keeping relationships strong and healthy is what sets her apart from other relationship experts. She is the author of the national bestseller “Fight Less, Love More: 5-Minute Conversations to Change Your Relationship without Blowing Up or Giving In”. When Laurie isn’t busy writing books she is often featured as an expert guest on shows such as Good Morning America, The Early Show, Fox News Channel, Weekend Today, 20/20, and CNN. Her relationship communication advice has been featured in Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, Redbook, Newsday, and The New York Times. Lastly, Laurie is also a syndicated columnist and Huffington Post blogger.

To find out more about Laurie or her book you can visit www.fightlesslovemore.com. Laurie’s book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for purchase.

Should you stay married or not? Are the issues in your relationship big enough to warrant a divorce. No matter how perfect a relationship may seem to the outside observer, there are always issues within a relationship that put stress on each of the partners. Although we may love our spouse, we can find ourselves questioning the relationship. It could be the annoying habit of one spouse or a lack of communication and respect. Several problems could leave us wondering if the relationship is really worth all of the effort. Unless the problem is acknowledged and resolved, this could spell a split, or even a divorce, for some.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Robin Siebold has worked with individuals and organizations imparting the skills, insights and strategies that make life more manageable and meaningful. She specializes in divorce and relationship issues, communication skills, and codependency. Robin is a licensed mental health counselor and maintains a private practice in Florida. Robin has recently published a book called To Divorce or Not: Reflections of the Self, which is now available on Amazon. To find out more about Robin you can always check out her website at www.robinsiebold.com.

We often read about happy couples in romance novels and see healthy relationships in movies. This overexposure to the “ideal couple” often leaves us questioning our own relationships. We find flaws in our relationships that we often have no idea of how to overcome. Our lack of proper communication and skills can often leave couples wondering “why did I marry you anyway?”

We’re joined this week by Mrs. Barbara Bartlein. Barbara is also the author of the book Why Did I Marry You Anyway? Overcoming the Myths That Hinder a Happy Marriage. Barbara is a registered nurse and holds a master’s degree in physical and mental health. She is a licensed psychotherapist and has had a private practice for over 20 years that specializes in couples and families therapy. Barbara has worked with hundreds of couples as they have struggled to save their marriages.

Barbara’s book is avilable on Amazon.com. You can find out more about Barbara, as well as her current and future book releases at www.whydidimarryyouanyway.com.

Does it seem like the most serious arguments you and your partner have are always rooted in the same few things? Are you at your wit’s end from having the same arguments over and over?

Dr. Tina Tessina returns to the show to talk about her book Money, Sex, and Kids: Stop Fighting About the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage. She explains how some of those constant stresses in life can turn into big stresses on your marriage, and what you can do about it.

Tina is a licensed psychotherapist in California with over thirty years of counseling experience. She’s written over a dozen books, and hosts a radio show and a relationship blog. You can find her only at TinaTessina.com, and her book Money, Sex, and Kids can be purchased from Amazon.

Do either you or your partner have anxieties about your relationship?  Are you uncomfortable getting too close?  The way you each feel and behave in your relationship may actually be linked to your individual attachment styles.

Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine joins us to talk about the the theory behind Attached, a new book about adult attachment theory that he co-authored with Rachel S. F. Heller.  Amir is a graduate of Columbia University with his own practice in Manhattan, and is presently working at Columbia as a Principal Investigator on a research project sponsored by the National Institute of Health.

Attached can be purchased online from Amazon or from any major bookseller.  You can find out more about the book and about Amir by visiting AttachedTheBook.com.

Are the expectations we put on our spouse to blame for the disintegration of intimacy and connectedness? Do you consider yourself a victim of your spouse’s unreasonable behavior, or are you simply bored of your spouse?

Dr. Judith Sherven and Dr. Jim Sniechowski join us to talk about why many people are so quick to abandon a relationship, what factors contribute to that behavior, and what you can change in your marriage to turn around your relationship, as well as the obvious aphrodisiac that most couples overlook.

Drs. Judith and Jim have been married for 22 years and are the authors of 5 bestselling books on marriage and relationships. Be sure to visit their website, JudithandJim.com for more relationship advice and information about their books.

Is your marriage not all you expected it to be? Are you not sure if there’s something wrong, or if this is just the natural progression of a relationship?

Harry Harrison, author of 1001 Things Happy Couples Know About Marriage, joins us to share some of the lessons he’s compiled from talking to successful long-term couples, covering everything from money to intimacy to forgiveness.

Harry is the bestselling author of the Raising Parents book series, ten books on parenting and family life. You can order a copy of 1001 Things… at Amazon.com and be sure to check out his books on his website, RaisingParents.com.

The biggest hurdle to fixing a relationship plagued by conflict is acknowledging the problem, but how do you resolve the underlying disputes without falling into old habits and fighting even more? Will strategies designed for both spouses be effective when only one spouse is willing to work toward solving the problem?

Paul Shaffer returns to the show to share five tools you can start using today to disarm hostile and repetitive conflicts.

Paul has been a professional counselor for almost 25 years and currently owns his own practice, Right Choices Counseling, in Huntersville, NC. You can find out more about Paul and his practice at RightChoicescounseling.com, or by calling 704.578.2725. You can also purchase Paul’s books, Conflict Resolution for Couples, and Conflict Resolution for Christian Couples from Amazon.com, or by visiting the publisher directly, at AuthorHouse.com

Has communicating with your spouse become a lost cause? Does he or she seem not to have any understanding of where you’re coming from, or just flat out refuse to engage – leading to fighting and resentment?

Paul Shaffer joins us to discuss the top 5 factors that create communication stalemates in marriages and other ideas he explores in his book, Conflict Resolution for Couples.

Paul has been a professional counselor for almost 25 years and currently owns his own practice, Right Choices Counseling, in Huntersville, NC. You can find out more about Paul and his practice at RightChoicescounseling.com, or by calling 704.578.2725. You can also purchase Paul’s books, Conflict Resolution for Couples, and Conflict Resolution for Christian Couples from Amazon.com

Have you yourself constantly keeping score of the things your spouse has done that upset you? Does it feel like your spouse should know when you feel that something is unfair if he or she really loves you?  Dr. B. Janet Hibbs joins us to discuss why our ideas about fairness often differ from those of our spouse and what steps you can take today to fix issues of fairness and equality in your marriage, as well as sharing advice from her book, Try To See It My Way: Being Fair In Love And Marriage.

Dr. Hibbs has 15 years of graduate teaching and has been in private practice for 25 years. For more information on Dr. Hibbs’ background and practice, visit DrBHibbs.com. You can find out more about Try To See It My Way: Being Fair In Love And Marriage at TryToSeeItMyWay.com, which offers helpful fairness tips and an online fairness quiz, or order a copy at Amazon.com

A great marriage can seem like a bit of a mystery when conflict and communication issues are part of your daily routine. What are the secrets that couples with great marriages who know how to weather both the good and bat times are using in their relationships?

Linda and Charlie Bloom join us to discuss what they learned by interviewing couples who have made their marriages work despite difficult challenges, as well as what they’ve discovered in their marriage and counseling practice.

You can purchase a copy of the Blooms first book, 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married, and their upcoming book, Secrets of Great Marriages from Amazon.com, or by visiting their website, BloomWork.com, where you can find out more about their upcoming workshops and counseling services.

Why is it so much more tempting to get rid of your spouse rather than to work on the issues causing problems in your marriage? Sally Watkins joins us to discuss her new book, Change Your Mindset, Not Your Man, and explore how men and women are socialized to have certain expectations of how a marriage will work and why those lead many of us running for the hills at the first sign of conflict, as well as the pitfalls in marriage therapy that can actually make the problems worse.

Sally is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private practice in Folsom California and has been helping couples resolve their issues for more than twenty years. You can find out more about Sally and her practice at her website, HealingWords.net and you can find out more about Change Your Mindset, Not Your Man, including the complete first chapter, at SallyWatkins.net

Divorce is almost non-existent in the Amish community, but is there anything we can learn from their approach without giving up modern life? Suzanne Woods Fisher joins us to discuss her latest book, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World. In the book, Suzanne shares stories from the time she spent researching and living with the Amish and how their unique approach to marriage and family creates relationships.

For more information about the book, as well as Suzanne’s upcoming fiction and non-fiction books about the Amish, be sure to visit her website at SuzanneWoodsFisher.com, where Suzanne also blogs regularly. You can order Amish Peace here from Amazon.com or by calling 800-877-2665.

Has an affair left you unable to trust or respect your spouse, or are you concerned that a growing emotional distance between you and your partner may lead to infidelity? Dr. Stephen Frueh returns to the show to discuss what role each spouse plays in an affair and recovery and take a look at traditional views on blame and responsibility can drive a couple farther apart.

To find out more about Stephen’s speaking and workshops and to subscribe to his podcast, be sure to visit MarriageConversation.com, where you can learn more about his upcoming book, From Marginal To Magnificent: How to Make Your Marriage Sing. You can also check out his last book, With These Rings at Amazon.com. Stephen also recommends Bruce Derman’s We’d Have A Great Relationship if It Weren’t For You for any couple that feels their marriage is marginal.

Is it inevitable that as a marriage matures, satisfaction and communication suffer, or are we simply ill-equipped to manage the emotional changes that are a natural part of relationships? Dr. Bryce Kaye joins us to explore the main reasons marriages lose their verve and how understanding the reflexive nature of our emotions can help repair them, as well as discussing his new book, The Marriage First Aid Kit.

Bryce has more than 35 years of experience in therapy and marriage counseling and has a private practice in Cary, NC and Oriental, NC. You can find out more about The Marriage First Aid Kit at the book’s website, MarriageFirstAid.com, and you can order a copy from Amazon.com by clicking here. To find out more about Bryce’s practice, visit his website at CaryCounseling.com

Do you ever wish you could bring back the excitement and energy you and your spouse had when dating, or have you just accepted that your relationship won’t have the sizzle it did at the beginning? Author Lindsey Rietzsch joins us to talk about why you shouldn’t stop dating your spouse just because you are married and shares her favorite tips for putting the spark back in your relationship.

Lindsey started out designing and teaching self management and relationship courses, one of which was so popular that it inspired the book “How To Date Your Spouse”. You can find out more about Lindsey and her book on her website, HowToDateYourSpouse.com, which also includes Lindsey’s blog and relationship forum. Buy How to Date Your Spouse from Amazon.com

What’s the secret to a lifelong marriage? Sheryl Kurland, author of “Everlasting Matrimony: Pearls of Wisdom From Couples Married 50 Years Or More”, joins us to share what she learned from the 75 happily married couples she interviewed for her book, and how to put their advice to work in your relationship.

You can find out more about Sheryl and the book on her website, EverlastingMatrimony.com, which also features information about the corporate seminars and relationship workshops she offers for employers. Order Everlasting Matrimony
now at Amazon.com

Is it possible to add the romantic flare of an epic fantasy to your daily life of work, carpool, and grocery shopping? Are big, gallant gestures always required to make your spouse feel loved, or are the smaller, every-day expressions of care and commitment more important?

Romance author Sonja Foust joins us to discuss what she has learned about being married from writing romance novels, as well as what being a romance author has taught her about marriage, and covers the importance of everyday romantic gestures and pitfalls of setting unrealistic expectations for yourself and your spouse. You can find out more about Sonja and her writing at her website, SonjaFoust.com

Financial stress can take a toll on even the strongest marriages and in today’s uncertain economic climate, the differences in spending habits between spouses, lack of a family budget, and everyday money issues put us all at risk of a meltdown.

Dr. Kim Kimberling joins us to discuss the money mistakes he sees couples making on a daily basis and shares his tips for keeping your bank account in the black and your marriage on solid ground.

Dr. Kimberling has been a professional counselor for over twenty years and is the President and co-founder of Family Christian Counseling in Oklahoma City. You can learn more about Dr. Kimberling and  his popular Prep for Marriage classes at PrepForMarriage.com. While you’re there, be sure to take a look at his latest book, Living the Marriage of a Lifetime, as well.

Lee and Kim also discuss Dave Ramsey’s excellent online financial resources, available at www.DaveRamsey.com

Making big (or even small) decisions can often be tough – the responsibility and conflict it can bring are issues that can’t be taken lightly, but living in a perpetual state of “maybe” can harm both you and your relationship. Dr. Stephen Frueh joins us to discuss the importance of knowing the “yes”s and “no”s in your relationship.

You can find out more about Stephen’s practice, as well as a schedule of his upcoming events at WithTheseRings.com. Be sure to visit MarriageConversation.com to read his latest articles and listen to his podcast and check out his book With These Rings, Volume 1: A New Look at Marriage

We’ve all procrastinated at some point, but when avoiding important issues becomes a compulsion, it can have negative effects on your relationship.  Dr. Gloria Arenson joins us to talk about her latest book, Procrastination Nation, and discusses the serious consequences that arise when spouses avoid completing tasks – a behavior often motivated my fear.

Gloria is a psychotherapist, teacher, and author, who runs a private practice in Santa Barbara California.  You can find much more information about Gloria’s other books and media appearances, as well as free articles and other resources on her website at GloriaArenson.com.  You can order a copy of Procrastination Nation from Amazon.com by clicking here.

Keeping your marriage healthy takes a lot of work under the best of circumstances.  Tina Tessina, a.k.a. “Dr. Romance”, joins us to talk about her latest book, The Commuter Marriage and discusses what steps couples can take when one spouse is away for days or weeks at a time.

Work assignments, better paying jobs, and military deployments are just a few of the circumstances that can put a couple in the position of having a commuter marriage.  Tina takes a look at the issues a couple needs to address to make sure the time apart doesn’t adversely impact their relationship, as well as examining the benefits that time apart can provide a couple.

Tina is the author of 13 books and is a licenced psychotherapist with 30 years of experience in counseling.  Her website, TinaTessina.com, offers much more information about her workshops, appearances, and book signings, as well as a free newsletter and blog on marriage tips.

You can order a copy of The Commuter Marriage from Amazon.com by clicking here.

Bill and Pam Farrel join us to talk about their book, The 10 Best Decisions a Couple Can Make, and explain the importance of emotions and communication in making decisions for the good of your relationship.

The Farrels also discuss the importance of keeping a positive outlook regardless of the challenges your relationship faces, as well as how great an impact keeping a sense of humor, even in trying times, can have on your marriage.

The 10 Best Decisions a Couple Can Make is out now on Harvest House Publishers.  Order it now on Amazon.  You can visit their website, FarrelCommunications.com for signed copies of this and other books, as well as more information about Bill and Pam’s CD sets and speaking engagements.

Author and researcher Maggie Scarf joins us to discuss her latest book, September Songs: The Good News About Marriage in the Later Years.  In the book, Maggie examines the “Bonus Years”, or 20+ years after 50 that increased life expectancy has created in the past few generations, and takes a look at how marital satisfaction increases during this phase.

Maggie covers communication, sex, problem solving, and financial issues that affect this stage of life and why it often doesn’t get the coverage it deserves, as well as what she describes as the “U-shaped curve” of marital happiness.

September Songs is out now on Riverhead Books.  You can click here to order it from Amazon.com, or visit Maggie’s website for more information, as well as her blog and other articles.

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

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

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

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

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