Find yourself at odds with your spouse about how to spend your hard earned money? Although no one likes to admit to being materialistic, we all are. How can we not be? Our entire society runs off one thing…money. We need it to put a roof over our head, food in our bodies and function in this world. With something like this playing such a huge role in our lives it is bound to come up in our relationships.

Jessie Sell, a marriage and family therapist with a private practice in Durham, NC believes in using an interpersonal approach with her clients, meaning the better relationship between her and the client, the better the success. Over the last 12 years Jessie has worked in a variety of settings including higher education and non-profit agencies. Now she works with couples hoping to overcome issues in their relationships. To find out more about Jessie Sell you can visit her website or call 919-225-3478 for an appointment.

Is constant interference from your in-laws killing your marriage? We’ve all seen a football game where everything went from fantastic to devastating in mere minutes. It looks like a clear win; your team is ahead, defeating all obstacles in their path. Then BOOM, out of nowhere interference by the other team turns the game around entirely. What was once an easy game turns messy and complicated very quickly. A good relationship can overcome a lot of obstacles that the world throws at it, but constant interference from an outside source can create larger rifts that are hard to overcome.

Dr. Nicole Imbraguglio is Clinical Director at Lepage Associates in Durham, NC where she provides counseling and evaluation services to individuals of all ages. She is experienced in individual, couples, and group therapy and specializes in couples issues. She holds her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Interpersonal Dynamics, as well as a Master’s degree in Community and Clinical Psychology. To find out more about Dr. Nicole Imbraguglio you can visit the Lepage Associates website or call 919-572-0000 for an appointment.

Is your friendship with your child hurting your marriage? Only a few shorts years ago, or so it seems, we were all children ourselves; laughing and playing with our friends, disobeying our parents, and tormenting the family pet. Before we knew it we were adults who were getting married and having children of our own. When time seems to fly and get away from us, we often forget that we, ourselves, are not children anymore. This can be especially hard when dealing with our own children and a parent’s natural desire for acceptance and love. Sometimes it may seem that the easiest path is to be a friend, rather than a parent but these actions could be harming your marriage.

To give us more insight into the situation we have Dr. Laura Green of Wynns Family Psychology in Cary, NC.  Dr. Greene specializes in child and family therapy and child evaluations. Before joining Wynns Family Psychology, Dr. Greene received her Bachelor’s degree from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA and her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Psychology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She has worked in a variety of settings, ranging from outpatient mental health centers to school systems. To find out more about Dr. Laura Greene you can visit the Wynns Family Psychology website or call 919-467-7777 for an appointment.

“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.

Anxiety is reaching epidemic proportions with nearly 50% of Americans meeting the criteria for an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. We worry about money, our health, safety, car accidents, whether or not people like us, traveling, work, and more. All this worry takes a huge toll-wasting an enormous amount of time and energy that would be better spent elsewhere. An often overlooked area of concern is the impact of anxiety on our close relationships. Dr. Christine Korol is a cognitive-behavioral therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and sees the consequences of untreated anxiety on the relationships of many of her patients.

Dr. Christine Korol is a psychologist specializing in anxiety and stress in adults and children and is currently practicing in Calgary, Alberta. She has worked for many years, in both private practice and in hospital settings, and is a former lecturer at the University of British Columbia. Christine is also a cartoonist and author of the blog Wired to Worry and is currently working on an illustrated guide on anxiety management. To find out more about Dr. Korol you can visit her site, Therapy Works.

They say that once trust is lost that it can never be regained. The ultimate betrayal of trust in a relationship is, without a doubt, an affair. People often don’t realize the consequences of their actions until after the act has been committed. Undoubtedly, the hardest part of an affair is when you come to the point where you need to tell your spouse exactly what has happened. Like anything else, there is a right and a wrong way to break this heavy news to your spouse.

Dr. Janet Savia joins us to discuss the effects that an affair can have on your relationship and how to break the news to your spouse. Janet practices in Durham, NC with Lepage Associates, where she helps couples repair marriages damaged by trust issues on a daily basis. She has a master’s and doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Savia works with helping people with general stress and life transitions, and personal growth pursuits. To find out more about Dr. Janet Savia you can visit the Lepage Associates website or call 919-570-000 for an appointment.

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.

They say that hindsight is 20/20. We often never see the real problems in a relationship until after they have exploded. With couples divorcing at an alarming rate, it may be time to call on a new relationship expert- someone who deals with divorce. There is no better way to learn than from your mistakes; or even better, the mistakes of others. Judge Lynn Toler has worked with divorcing couples for years. She has seen couples at their worst and has been able to use this experience for the good of all relationships.

Judge Lynn Toler is a graduate of Harvard University and The University of Pennsylvania Law School. She has elected and served as judge on the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court. Lynn has hosted such shows as Power of Attorney, Divorce Court, and Decision House. Lynn is also a frequent guest on the NPR show News and Notes. With all of this going on, Lynn has somehow managed to write two books. Her first, My Mother’s Rules: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Emotional Genius, as well as Put It In Writing, a book that gives readers concrete, conflict-free solutions to difficult situations that arise.  To find out more about Lynn, please visit www.JudgeLynn.com. You can catch Judge Lynn in action on Divorce Court, airing weekdays in syndication nationwide. To find out where to watch, check your local listings or go to www.divorcecourt.com.

Let’s face facts, no relationship is perfect! In the “relationship road trip” there are potholes, speed bumps and road kill that all couples have to try steer clear of. More often than not, when we have stopped paying attention, we run into something we didn’t mean to hit.  The best way to protect yourself, and your spouse, is to spot the troubled areas on the road ahead, before you hit them head on.

Dr. Karen Sherman joins us to discuss how to set expectations and enjoy your relationship to the fullest.  Karen is a licensed psychologist in New York and has been in private practice for over 20 years. Karen focuses on relationship and marriage counseling and how to help people achieve their greatest potential. Karen is author of “Mindfulness and The Art of Choice: Transform Your Life” and the co-author of “Marriage Magic! Find It, Keep It, and Make It Last”.  Karen is a featured author on such online forums as Yahoo Personals, ThirdAge.com, and HitchedMag.com.

Karen’s books are available on Amazon.com. To find out more about Karen you can visit her websites, www.ChoiceRelationships.com or www.DrKarenSherman.com.

Ever feel like you can never say or do the right thing in your wife’s eyes? Do you aim to impress and end up only causing her stress? We have the keys to making the special woman in your life smile! From remembering the little things, like anniversaries and birthdays, to planning a romantic getaway. We have the secrets that you’ll need to make your other half happy.

Dr. Steevie Jane Parks currently runs her own private practice in Carrboro, NC and has been helping couples with issues for more than 20 years. Equipped with a degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maine, Dr. Parks shares with us the secrets of making your wife happy. You can find out more about Steevie by visiting drsteeviejaneparks.com.

Where is the line between a normal concern for your spouse’s well-being, and micr0-managing his or her every decision? Are problems with respect and control solely the fault of the “parent” in the relationship, or do both spouses play a part in creating this kind of dynamic? Dr. Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones joins us to look at the control issues and maturity issues that can lead to this problem and discuss what both spouses can do today to start fixing this unhealthy pattern.

Katrina holds a Masters degree in Forensic Psychology, a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and has been practicing for over 10 years. Katrina practices with Lepage Associates in Durham, NC and can be reached at 919.572.0000, or by visiting LepageAssociates.com