Married Couples
Echoes from Childhood
Unpacking the hidden ways our earliest bonds influence love and trust in our adult relationships. One of the most powerful topics in the SmartLoving Engaged course addresses formation in our family of origin. The family is where we first encounter love and learn to relate with others. That’s why the Church calls the family “a…
Read MoreThree Tools for Better Conflict
Every marriage has conflict. Two imperfect people sharing a home and dealing with all the pressures of modern life? It’s inevitable! But conflict doesn’t have to be destructive. Whether it’s the sting of misunderstanding, silent withdrawal, passive aggression or a shouty, foot-stomping exchange, conflict shows up regularly in married life. Busyness, stress, and insufficient…
Read MoreMaking the Connection…with Arguments
Neither of us likes it when we disagree, yet we’ve had more than a few in our 28 years of marriage – some of them leading to horrible arguments. When disagreements descend into arguments, they usually become hurtful and unproductive, leaving us feeling bitter and exhausted. But are arguments all bad, or always harmful?…
Read MoreThe Riskiest Place For Our Marriage
A while ago a viral video clip came to our attention. In the video, a marriage counsellor is responding to the claim that 85% of affairs begin at work. While the insights presented were quite good, we were curious about the details as that 85% figure seemed high. After considerable searching, we eventually identified the…
Read MoreThe Cohabitation Myth
Many dating couples opt to live together before deciding to marry, because they believe that it is a responsible and prudent thing to do. They reason that cohabitating together will be like a trial marriage. They will learn all about each other’s habits and discover whether they are truly compatible. And when they do finally…
Read MoreDeclining Divorces: A Cause for Celebration?
Exploring the trends and what they mean for our relationships and families Recently published data on marriage and divorce in Australia have caught media attention: according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the crude divorce rate has dropped to 2.3 per 1,000 residents (2023). Like trends in USA and other developed nations, it’s…
Read MoreFrom Complaint to Request
The Unforeseen Truth While deep down we really love each other, all couples inevitably have ‘complaints’ about their spouse. They can be as simple as annoying habits, inconsistent behaviour and frustrating personality traits. Often, the very characteristics that first attracted us become the most infuriating ones of all. You fall in love with his sense…
Read MoreEmbracing Hope in Our Marriage
Letting go of EXPECTATIONS opens us to God’s grace. Like most couples, we stood at the altar on our wedding day with hearts full of dreams of what our married life would bring. We imagined a partnership filled with effortless harmony, where our spouse intuitively anticipated our every need. But as the years…
Read MoreRestoring Fertility…. God’s Way
The Catholic Church has some surprising treasures. No – we’re not thinking of the Vatican museums or its countless historic churches! We’re thinking of the remarkable services that exist to support couples with subfertility. Restorative Reproductive Medicine is a rapidly growing field that seeks to treat subfertility by restoring it to healthy functioning, rather…
Read MoreChampions Make Champions
Anyone who has ever excelled in anything in life, be it music, sport or business, knows that if you want to be the best, you have to hang out with the best. Training with others who are dedicated to excellence in your chosen field helps advance your own ability. Not only do you learn…
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