4 Ways Couples Can Practice Better Communication

There’s a million ways to say, “I love you.” You could write it on a sticky note, show it with a surprise lunch, or suggest it by blowing a kiss.

Unfortunately, there’s also a million ways to say, “I don’t.”

We use more than just words when we communicate with one another, and healthy communication requires a mix of the right words and the right non-verbal cues. How do you train your brain to work through your options instead of spewing off words triggered by emotion? Here are four easy ways to practice better communication.

1. Practice Active Listening

Good listeners do more than just sit silently while someone else talks. In relationships, we want to listen actively, not passively, when our partner is sharing. This means listening without distracting thoughts, judgement, and interruption—there is no quicker way to convince your partner that you don’t care about them than by cutting them off.

Your only goal should be to understand. Show your attention with nonverbal cues like nodding or softly “Mhm-ing”. A good way to practice this is by setting a five-minute timer and letting your partner speak for the entire time, only cutting in to ask follow-up questions.

You may find that your partner has more to say than you thought.

2. Interpret Your Partner’s Words Through Four “Ears”

According to the Four-Sides Model of Communication, there are four different “ears” we use to interpret meaning when someone talks. For example, say your partner mentions, “The gas was crazy low when I started the car today.”

According to the model, there are four ways you could interpret their statement depending on what you’re listening for:

FACTUAL INFORMATION: “The car is low on gas.”
SELF-REVELATION: “I like driving with a full tank.”
RELATIONSHIP NOTES: “You’re inconsiderate and selfish with the car.”
APPEALS FOR CHANGE: “Go fill up the car with gas.”

Conversations with loved ones can quickly descend into chaos if we’re only listening for specific information. Try re-interpreting what your partner said again through one of the four “ears” and see if you come up with a healthier way to understand and respond.

What might’ve felt like an attack before might look like a simple comment now.

3. Share Concerns in a Non-Judgemental Way

When you speak with words that aren’t meaningful or thoughtfully chosen, it ends up diluting the message you want to convey. Let’s say your partner left their laundry in the washer instead of promptly moving it to the dryer.

First, you want to objectively share the event with your partner: “I noticed that your laundry has been in the washer for two days.”

Then, communicate your feelings instead of hiding them from your partner, and express them in a non-judgemental way. This can be as simple as saying, “It made me annoyed.”

Next, take the time to understand your needs and share them with your partner. Like, “I want you to be considerate about the housework that I have to do, too.”

Finally, make a clear request as to how your needs can be met. “Please finish your laundry when you start it so it doesn’t get in the way.”

If you need more time to overcome those harsh first thoughts, try a handwritten note or text. These give you the space to craft exactly what you want to say, and you’ll find your words to be kinder and more accurate to how you actually feel.

4. Respond with Positivity and Genuine Curiosity

After years of knowing your partner like the back of your hand, it can feel easy to dismiss their exciting news, stories, and goals as something you already knew or could have guessed.

The older we get, the more we change, and so do the people we love. Stay curious about your partner and look for opportunities to re-discover them over the years. When they share news, respond in an active and constructive way that shows how truly happy you are for them.

We can solve a lot of our problems today with better communication. If you find your relationship needs help with healthy communication, schedule an appointment with one of our counselors today.

Rebuilding Trust After Infidelity Starts with Seeking Professional Help

Love is one of the greatest things we get to experience in life. So if you break your trust with the person you love the most, how can you possibly go on together?

First, you don’t have to go through it alone.

When working with couples experiencing infidelity, we provide a listening ear and strive to uncover the unconscious drives that tell us “why” we do what we do.

At our practice, we are not rooting for you to stay together or break up. You won’t disappoint us with whatever decision you make. Our only goal is to get you back to living your most authentic life.

Getting Real Answers

Your first thought after being cheated on may simply be, “Why?”

Did you know that long-term relationships naturally change in ways that we can predict? In counseling, we can discuss the Developmental Model of couples therapy to help you understand what stage your relationship is in.

Perhaps one or both of you are in the Rapprochement stage, where couples tend to need more space from each other. Infidelity is an unhealthy way to adjust to this stage, but through couples counseling, we can identify where each partner is at in the model, as well as explore healthy ways to cope with each stage.

Identifying Unhealthy Habits

Couples who try therapy after an affair tend to display what is known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or key pain points that can destroy a partnership. They are:

Criticism – Verbally attacking another person’s character.

Contempt – Insulting or abusing someone from a place of moral superiority.

Defensiveness – Victimizing yourself to defend against a perceived attack and trade blame.

Stonewalling – Feeling overwhelmed by emotion and completely withdrawing from the conversation.

Healing Together

The good news is that each of these Horsemen has a solution.

For Criticism, we suggest using what’s called a Gentle Start-Up, or “complaining without the blame”. Talk about your concerns using “I” statements and communicate a positive need.

CRITICISM: “You never cook for me. You are so lazy.”

GENTLE START-UP: “I had a really hard day and could use some chill time. Would you help me out by cooking dinner tonight?”

For Contempt, we strive to Build a Culture of Appreciation. Think about what you love the most about your partner, then take the time to notice and express those things regularly.

CONTEMPT: “Thanks for leaving the garage door wide open again. Glad you care about my safety.”

CULTURE OF APPRECIATION: “I know how much you want to relax right after work, but could you please remember to close the garage door before you come in? I would really appreciate it.”

For Defensiveness, healing starts with the choice to Take Responsibility. Respect your partner’s viewpoint by apologizing for any harm you may have caused.

DEFENSIVENESS: “It is not my fault we missed the movie. You stopped at every yellow light on the way.”

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: “I am sorry that I was not ready when it was time to leave. I know how much you were looking forward to this movie. I can start getting ready earlier next time.”

For Stonewalling, we recommend Physiological Self-Soothing. This looks like taking a break to do something soothing and distracting. Then, when you’re ready, re-enter the conversation.

STONEWALLING: “I’m done with this conversation.”

PHYSIOLOGICAL SELF-SOOTHING: “This conversation is a lot for me right now, so let’s take a 20-minute break to breathe. I’ll be ready to talk again after that.”

Getting Started

Bouncing back from infidelity is a lengthy process that can take weeks, months, or years, depending on the couple. Although, most experts agree that positive change can occur within two years on average.

If your partnership has experienced infidelity and you are wondering what the next steps are, start counseling today and we can figure it out together.

6 Tips For Couples Who Are Looking to Improve Their Connection

By Jeni Woodfin, LMFT

As a couples therapist, one of the biggest pieces of advice I would give any couple, happy or unhappy, is to tend to your relationship.  Relationships are very similar to living beings, they need care and comfort to thrive.  When each partner dedicates their time and effort into making small gestures, it can increase the relationship satisfaction tenfold.  

 

Many couples come to couples counseling looking for action items.  Things they can DO to change the atmosphere of their relationship.  Here are 6 tips for couples who are looking to improve their connection.

 

  • Express appreciation.  Sharing your observation with your partner that you see their positive actions is equivalent to giving your partner a little shot of ‘go-juice’ when it comes to continuing the positive behavior.  And people who feel appreciated tend to share an appreciation for others.  It’s a win-win.  

  • Make the most of the comings and goings.  Some couples overlook the little moments of saying hello and waving goodbye and, in reality, these are some of the most important little moments in a relationship.  Making sure to give a kiss or touch hello and goodbye, making eye contact with each other, sharing a smile, these all communicate ‘you are important to me and I am valuing our time together’.  

  • If you do find yourselves in conflict, sometimes it’s better to call for a time-out than continue to escalate.  When recognizing the need for a break is there, created a structured time out instead of just leaving.  To do this, announce the need for a break, “I’m getting escalated, I need a time out” then let your partner know you’re coming back.  State the importance of the conversation and the desire to come together again.  “Our conversation is important to me, but I’m getting too upset to think.  I’m going to take a break for one hour then I’d like for us to meet back here and continue talking”. 

  • Schedule sex.  This tip does not sound sexy, but it’s vital.  Some couples have made the decision to wait until they are both, simultaneously in the mood for sex and they end up having less sex than they’d like.  With scheduling sex, you don’t have to show up ready to go, but rather show up with an openness and willingness to try.  It’s very similar to that feeling before you go to the gym, you may not want to go beforehand but as soon as you finish your workout you feel great, energized, proud.  This is the same thing with sex.  

  • Communicate throughout the day.  By sending your partner a quick text, meme, or call, you’re communicating ‘you’re on my mind’.  This is a quick easy way to give your partner a quick connection point during a busy day.  

  • Try something new together.  Engaging in a new-to-both-of-you activity allows you to experience yourself and your partner under stress.  This may not sound like a fun idea, but you’re creating a stressful environment so you can bond in the stress.  People under stress tend to come together, so explore some lighthearted-stressful activities together.  

Without intentionally putting energy into your relationship, it can become stagnate, unfulfilling, and unsatisfying.  When you each decide to be intentional about your relationship, by creating it together instead of letting it happen by itself, you decide what type of relationship works best for each of you.  It shows you respect yourself, your partner, and the experience you’re sharing together.  

If you’re ready to work towards a more secure connection, give us a call today. We’re happy to guide you towards a healthier relationship.

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Why do people cheat?

By: Jeni Woodfin, LMFT

Recently, I was asked the question, directly, “Why do people cheat”?

Such a good question and so many answers. The question I hear from every single betrayed spouse I work with is the “Why?”

There are reasons, fairly well-understood reasons, and none of them bring comfort to the betrayed partner. But they are a good starting point when looking at what needs to be tweaked in the relationship and the betraying partner.

Some of the reasons I see are:

  1. The affair-involved spouse is looking for an exit to the relationship. Some people really struggle with ending relationships or feel they need someone to accompany them in the break-up process. We all have walls up to protect what we hold dear and the walls around that protect the relationship are down leaving room for an affair to bring comfort during a rough breakup.

  2. They want change in the relationship and have felt minimized, unheard, or have been too anxious/uncomfortable to ask for change so they, as I often refer to it, create an explosion that blows the relationship to bits (I don’t use the word bits). This is an unhealthy, messy way to begin the conversation about what they want different in the relationship.

  3. The connection of the relationship has been damaged or severed and the affair-involved partner is angry or resentful. Rather than continuing to try to repair the connection, they look for a separate, idealized connection.

  4. They are unhappy with who they are in the relationship and they find themselves having an affair and exploring new aspects to themselves. In the affair, they get to be sexually daring, bold, fun, young … And in the marriage, they get to be steady, reliable, predictable.

  5. There are also the affairs that stem from narcissistic traits, the “I want this so I deserve this” tendency. A bit of this trait is required for each type, but if there are repeated infractions over a long period of time, these traits typically play a larger part.

There are so many combinations of reasons, it’s very difficult to get to the bottom of the Why. It’s also an important piece to figure out if the couple would like to repair the relationship.

Recovery is an incredibly difficult process, but it is one that can be done successfully if both parties are willing to be open, vulnerable, and take risks.

If you’re asking the question, “Why did you cheat?”, it’s time to reach out. Figuring the answers out is a delicate process. Reach out now and let’s begin.

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What Happens if You Stay After They’ve Cheated?

betrayed spouse cycle

There are many different paths the betrayed partner can take.  In my experience, I see a few different outcomes for the betrayed spouse cycle.  There are always outliers, but these are some common patterns.

First, occasionally is the spouse who stays in the marriage and also stays angry, resentful, and continues to punish their partner. This happens less often and the true outcome is two miserable people staying in a marriage out of fear or obligation.  These relationships can survive, but the betrayed partner may become highly controlling, short with their partner, and very unhappy.

Or the betrayed partner will stay in the relationship but keep their emotional distance from their partner as a way to protect themselves. This is a relationship that looks great on the outside and even pretty good if you look a little closer. But there’s distance and a lack of true intimacy. With this path of recovery, I see two happy-ish people who are together in being lonely on the inside.  In these relationships, there is the potential for the betrayed partner to shift back into a connected relationship, but the willingness to open themselves back up the risk of trusting has to be present.

These two outcomes happen less common and take intensive treatment to change.  The betrayed partner must have some willingness to accept this unwanted addition to their life story.  They don’t have to like it, but there must be an acknowledgment and acceptance that it is.  

And here’s the best, most common outcome I see after the betrayed spouse cycle. A couple will decide to be vulnerable, take risks, and stay in the discomfort that comes with recovery together. They realize the old marriage is gone and a new marriage has to be intentionally created. With these couples, I see the betrayed partner gradually become more themselves, more confident in their ability to survive very-bad-things, and proud of the work they’ve done to create a new relationship.

This partner uses the trauma of infidelity and changes the energy of the destruction to the energy of growth and creation.

Effects of discovering betrayal

Oftentimes, the betrayed will exhibit many symptoms of PTSD after the discovery of betrayal.  They may experience:

  • Difficulty sleeping

  • No appetite

  • Nightmares

  • Clumsiness

  • Forgetfulness

  • Emotions that swing from one extreme to another

In the early stages of recovery, these are all normal.

After the betrayed spouse cycle:

However, what I sometimes see in the end stages of recovery for the betrayed partner is:

  • A person more authentically engaged in their relationship

  • A person who knows they will survive if this happens again

  • A person who knows they have the strength to recover

  • A person who knows they have the drive to take charge of their life

These betrayed partners feel joy, contentment, and are glad they made the decision to attempt the repair.

With therapy, talking with others, reading books, listening to podcasts, they learn to see the infidelity as something that belongs to their partner.  The cheat was something that did not have anything to do with them.  They see the infidelity not as demeaning or humiliating to them but saying speaking solely about their partner.

Infidelity can demolish relationships and also be something that can be more than just survived.  For both partners.

I don’t like to use ‘always’ or ‘never’ statements, but I will here.  No couple ever gets through recovery with complete grace.  There is always at least one moment that people look back on and think “yeah, I wish I had done that differently”.  Give yourself the gift of accepting your imperfections and accept, this process does not exist without a few moments you may wish you could take back.

If you have this type of moment in your recovery, I find they become neutralized with apologies.  Owning your behavior and words, showing you are remorseful, and explaining how you’ll handle things going forward works to rebuild.

If you’re going through the betrayed spouse cycle and you’re on the fence about whether to stay or go, let’s talk. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

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