When Conflict Gets in the Way of Closeness
The Marriage You Want Chapters 7 & 8 on Emotional Connection
“Feels Like Home”, that song we all remember from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, is one of mine and my husband’s “songs” that we danced to at our wedding.
We all want a marriage that feels like home—that makes us feel safe, warm, and loved. A place we feel fully understood and fully accepted.
Unfortunately, conflict, unhealthy patterns of communication, and trouble managing your emotions can get in the way of that closeness we desire.
Today we’ll cover Chapters 7 and 8 on Emotional Connection: The Understanding You Want and The Closeness You Want. Read on for today’s content:
A summary of Chapters 7 & 8
Research from John Gottman (Gottman Marriage Therapy) on unhealthy communication patterns
A Mind-Body practice for recognizing and regulating your emotions during conflict
Questions for personal reflection and our discussion
Don’t forget to join us May 18 at 7:30pm EST for our live book club meeting! We’ll discuss the book and its applications to our own relationships.
Today’s post is exclusive for paid subscribers, who receive two additional posts per month for our book club and a live book club meeting this month. You can subscribe for $5 per month or $50 per year to get access to our book club. And if you can’t afford a subscription, email me and let me know and I’m happy to extend one for free.
Summary of Chapters 7 & 8
“Marriage can and should be what makes life easier to handle because there are two of you sharing the load. Instead of saying, ‘Marriage is hard,’ we’d phrase it as ‘Life is hard. But marriage is meant to make it easier!’”
—The Marriage You Want
