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Even though the divorce rate has declined in recent years, nearly half of first marriages, and even more second marriages, end in divorce. Premarital education can reduce those numbers, research says. Couples who go through premarital counseling are 31% less likely to divorce than couples who did not receive counseling. With these changing realities, premarital education and the conversations that it catalyzes have never been more important, proponents say. That is especially true for those in the early throes of love, a time marked by a heightened cognitive and emotional experience called limerence, which tends to wear off after 12-18 months [...]

The LoveSmarts Teen Seminar held on 2/24/24 in Matamoras, PA was also livestreamed to groups in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, the Philippines and around the U.S. It was presented by Linda Doering, who has taught more than 50,000 youth in the U.S. and internationally about the benefits of delaying sexual involvement, setting and aiming for your chosen life goals and avoiding risky behaviors. Here are some of the comments by those attending in person. As a Mom, (it made me feel) proud of myself for being firm and pushing abstinence with my daughter! The presenter was amazing! I would love for this to [...]

Personal Perspective: Words of validation to help you love yourself. Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS, November 1, 2023  Women who were abandoned by a father often feel a strong sense of self-doubt and struggle to love themself They have a greater chance of entering relationships in which they are mistreated or not loved. Understanding that abandonment is not about them is crucial for healing, but it is not easy. ​I was climbing the side of a mountain. I had never had any training, yet there I was, stuck to the side of a large mound of rocks, miles in the sky, attempting [...]

While a significant number of millennials and Gen Zers view marriage as an “outdated tradition" and are opting for just living together instead, many still plan to marry someday, according to a recent survey. As a survey conducted by the Thriving Center of Psychology found earlier this summer, two in five millennials and Gen Zers (ages 18 to 42) view marriage as an “outdated tradition,” a mindset held by 41% of men and 52% of women.  Eighty-five percent said marriage is not necessary to have a fulfilled and committed relationship, while another 73% believe that getting married in the current economy is [...]

By JENNIFER ROBACK MORSE Thinking of moving in with your significant other, just to see if marriage is a good idea? Turns out living together isn't all it's cracked up to be. The Census reports a 72 percent increase in the number of cohabiting couples since 1990. Unfortunately, research shows that cohabitation is correlated with greater likelihood of unhappiness, and domestic violence in the relationship. Cohabiting couple report lower levels of satisfaction in the relationship than married couples. Women are more likely to be abused by a cohabiting boyfriend than a husband. Children are more likely to abused by [...]

by Harry Benson, MARCH 16, 2022 Highlights Marriage isn’t a guarantee of success. But in a world where all of us mess up, get in bad moods, behave badly sometimes, and treat others not very well, we need something that helps give us a chance.  Marriage has three ingredients that are more like options for cohabitation: it involves a decision, a plan, and the support of friends and family.  Friends and family support marriage by affirming the choice we’ve made and holding us to account for that choice.   It would be easy to think that marriage is on the way out. Indeed, [...]

Charlotte Hilton Andersen Feb. 17, 2022 TheHealthy.com Emotional manipulators use gaslighting and other shifty techniques to get what they want from you. Peruse these manipulation quotes so you can recognize this behavior quickly, and stop it in its tracks. If you’ve ever been emotionally manipulated—and really, who hasn’t at some point or another?—then it’s likely your experience left you searching for answers. In fact, psychoanalyst Robin Stern, PhD, co-founder and Associate Director for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, tells The Healthy that sheer confusion is one of the hallmark signs that someone’s just taken you for a ride. Adds Amelia Kelley, PhD, therapist, author, [...]

Many people don’t realize how much porn is affecting them until they quit watching it. Here are 50 good reasons to ditch it today. With the easy access to an unlimited, ever-increasing supply of porn these days, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that porn is having an effect on peoples’ lives. In fact, there is an ever-growing body of research showing that porn can have profoundly negative, long-term effects on people’s lives, relationships, and our society as a whole. Many people don’t even realize that porn is having an effect on them until they quit. So if you’re curious about how porn might [...]

By Amanda Gardner Jan. 06, 2022 Many psychology experts consider commitment the key to satisfying, lasting relationships. Learn how to spot signs someone is afraid to commit—and what it takes to get past the roadblocks. Do you know someone with a fear of commitment? Commitment may be the most critical component of successful long-term relationships. After all, says Lawrence Josephs, PhD, a professor at the Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York: The more committed you are, the more stable, successful relationship you’ll have. Commitment is a decision, Dr. Josephs says. It moves you and your partner beyond the initial [...]

1. Is the person your best friend or at least becoming so? It is easy to get excited about a new person. But if you cannot say that the person you are considering marrying has become or is becoming your best friend, you need to figure out why before you decide to marry. This is probably the single most overlooked question among couples, especially young ones. And for good reason. Many people cannot not answer this in the affirmative. But you have to answer it. Over time, friendship is the greatest bond between a couple. If the person you marry [...]