In Praise of the Tenacity of Marriage

By Jennifer Grant At the small, religious college I attended, some girls joked that they were there to earn a “Mrs.” degree. I steered clear of them; their preoccupation with finding husbands seemed not only ridiculous but also pathetic to me. And I had plans. After college, I’d go to grad school, write a novel, […]

Before You Tie The Knot

By Michele-Weiner Davis Does knowing one’s fiancée’s values, goals and aspirations increase the odds a couple will live happily ever after?” That’s what reporters often want to know when interviewing me about the questions people should ask before tying the knot. As someone who for several decades has specialized in working with couples teetering on […]

Sacrificing Love for Lent?

By Seth Eisenberg As a Jew, Lent is not one of the traditions my family and ancestors practiced. Yet reading Mike McManus’ post on the Coalition for Divorce Reform website left me inspired by the sacred meaning and potential of the 46 days of reflection and sacrifice observed by Catholics and many Protestants that ends on Easter […]

A Lenten Challenge to Pastors to Cut the Divorce Rate

By Mike McManus After hearing a Lenten sermon on the need to repent from sins and make a new commitment to amend our lives, I asked my pastor to consider calling upon area churches this Lent to create a Community Marriage Covenant.  Scripture is clear: “`I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel.”   We have plenty […]

Giving Hope to a Relationship Third-World Country

By Sage Erickson Picture a third world country: desperate poverty, a daily struggle to survive, widespread suffering, minimal sanitation, and diminished economic opportunities. Now picture the United States. Although the United States has long been known as a first-world country politically and economically, has it become a third world country when it comes to romantic […]

Is “Married At First Sight” A Recipe for Happily Ever After?

By Seth Eisenberg The new American television series “Married At First Sight” follows six people as they discover if married at first sight can last. Personally, I know love at first sight can last. A lasting, happy marriage, however, is about much more than the feelings that come up at the first sight of a potential partner for life. My […]

An Unspoken Fact About Sex-Starved Marriages

By Michele-Weiner Davis Do (or did) you and your spouse have a sexual desire gap? If so, you are not alone. Did you know that 1 in 3 couples have completely different levels of interest in sex? But just because you aren’t alone, it doesn’t mean you should be complacent about a ho-hum sexual relationship. You shouldn’t. […]

Conscious Uncoupling: Another View

By Seth Eisenberg I have to admit, I became “consciously uncoupled” long before Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin created a national conversation about the phrase. My parents became consciously uncoupled before my fourth birthday. I admit this as someone proud to consider myself among the most passionate proponents of marriage. When TIME Magazine interviewed me a few years ago about […]

Why Divorce Reform Is Key To America’s Prosperity

The devastation caused by divorce in America each year is real and pervasive.  And the toll it takes on men, women and especially children has far ranging negative consequences in every realm — financial, physical and emotional.  “Families are torn in two, children grow up without a stable home or with a missing mother or […]

The ABCs of Marriage and Relationship Education

Written by Seth Eisenberg Nearly 30 years ago Virginia Satir, called the “Mother of Family Therapy,” encouraged psychotherapists to shift focus from therapy to education as their primary strategy for helping repair relationships. Fifteen years later, Dr. Marty Sullivan of Duke University’s renowned Integrative Medicine Program began integrating relationship skills training into a holistic approach […]