Posts Tagged ‘Divorce’
Avoiding the Divorce Flu
A new study has documented what counsellors have observed for years: divorce is contagious. Just like a virus, divorce spreads among social networks and influences marriages among the divorcing couple’s friends, family and work colleagues. For example, got a divorced sibling? Your chances of divorcing go up by 22%. A divorced friend? Up by 147%.…
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? Many…
Read MoreThe Marriage Kit: Why Marry?
Couples marry for all sorts of reasons, but one of the almost universal expectations of couples is that marriage will make them happy. It is after all a dominant emotion of the romance experience. But is this really what marriage is for? In this short video we explore happiness and the true purpose of marriage.…
Read MoreBreaking Through
Every marriage goes through seasons – seasons of delight and seasons of heartache.Sometimes, those dark seasons are simple missteps that are corrected quickly and overcome with an even deeper tenderness the result. Sometimes they can seem interminable – stretching into a hope-voided distance. Whatever your season of marriage, the SmartLoving BreakThrough workshop is an essential experience. Unlike…
Read MoreAnnulments made easy…really?
In September when Pope Francis announced a reform of the annulment process, media headlines suggested the Church was stepping towards the acceptance of divorce. However, the closing of the Synod on the Family just one month later saw confirmation that the Church would not change its teaching on the indissolvability of marriage. So what is…
Read MoreWhen should Goldilocks marry?
Almost everyone has an opinion about the optimum age to marry – usually heavily influenced by their own happy or unfortunate history. But what does the research tell us? A recent study by Nicholas Wolfinger (USA) and reported in the Institute of Family Studies (here) challenges the common perception that divorce incidence decreases with age…
Read MoreFlash Wedding – Short Marriage
Weddings aren’t getting any cheaper. According to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, the average wedding in Australia costs $36,200. Around half ($18,683) goes on the reception (food, alcohol, venue), with the balance going on clothing (~$4,000), photography (~$4,000), entertainment (~$3,000), flowers (~$3,000), the ceremony (~$1,000) and miscellaneous items like the car, hair, makeup and…
Read MoreWhy Women Leave Men They Love
Justice Schanfarber | The Good Men Project | Read the full article here As a marriage counsellor working with men and women in relationship crisis, I help clients navigate numerous marriage counselling issues. While many situations are complex, there’s one profoundly simple truth that men need to know. It’s this — Women leave men they love.…
Read MoreFive Ways To Help A Struggling Marriage
We’ve all been in that situation. A friend or relative confides in us that they are having some marriage trouble. We want to help but knowing what to do that is genuinely helpful is tricky. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Use your best listening skills: give your full attention, validate the…
Read MoreThe First Divorce Selfie
Author Tamara Rajakariar This article first appeared in the FamilyEdge section of MercatorNet, a news site dedicated to reframing modern complexities in a framework of human dignity: here This divorce selfie might not actually be the first, but at any rate it has happened. And that’s certainly enough to sadden the heart. Here’s what gets me about this photo:…
Read More