The Empowered Wife Podcast: Marriage Help with Laura Doyle

Everybody has doubts about their relationship from time to time. It's painful when you feel like your values don't match, or your husband is engaging in behavior that you never would have condoned, or his parenting is not at all what you see your children needing to thrive. What if such doubts make you question your own judgment about having said "I do"? It's an exhausting and scary place to be. What if your marriage is a big mistake—then you should leave, right? But what if you devastate your husband and kids and end up breaking your own heart too? It's a terrible quandary not knowing what the right decision is. It's tempting to jump on the fence and stay there. But doubt is the devil. It eats away at the joy and connection you could otherwise be having if you could find your faith, and it pretends that you have no choice but to suffer or leave. On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we're talking about 3 tips to deal with relationship doubts. With no physical intimacy for two years, my guest Irena and her husband were both miserable. The marriage counselor told them they had no chance of survival and fired them as clients. But things got a lot better when Irena made a discovery and ran with it. Today she says her marriage is exactly where she wants it to be—and getting better every day. Plus, the Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to a T-shirt that a student was too embarrassed to take a picture of in front of her husband and kids. Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

A student named Gigi told me she wanted intimacy in her marriage but didn't really know what it looked like. "I've been married for over 20 years," she confessed, "and I feel like I just don't even know what intimacy is." I knew what she meant because I was similarly baffled early in my marriage. Was intimacy purely physical–just another way to say "sex"? What did emotional intimacy look like? Whatever it was, I knew I wanted it. And although I knew I had experienced it at times, I had no idea why or how to create more of it. I didn't realize I was unwittingly crushing the emotional and physical connection in my marriage. I didn't know that intimacy was a matter of expertise and that there were Six Intimacy Skills™ that would help me feel lovable and loved every single day. On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we're talking about the roadmap that will give you these Skills. My guest Charlie was angry and confronted her husband about his lack of help with their financial life and lack of activity in the bedroom. Then they separated. But Charlie had an epiphany about how to solve the problems in her marriage and today they are back together, the physical intimacy is frequent, and he compliments her all the time. She's going to tell us what she did so you can do it too. Plus, the Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to a bumper sticker about what to expect when you're married. But it's got it all wrong! Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

When your marriage is in trouble, you know it because you're worried. And you're scared something bad will happen to your family, like getting broken beyond repair. But how do you know whether your relationship is really in trouble or just going through a phase that everybody goes through? On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we're talking about three signs your marriage is in trouble. My guest Atesh and her husband fought constantly, even fighting about the fight, and she felt so unloved. They separated and it seemed hopeless. But then she took a completely different approach, and today her marriage is peaceful, light, safe and warm. She'll tell us how she did it so you can do it too. The Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to an unoriginal yet harmful suggestion about how to stop feeling dismissed and ignored. Wait until you hear this claptrap! Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

When you first say the words "I do," the idea that your marriage will last forever feels like a given. Of course it will! That's why you're committing for life in front of God and everybody! You met the right person, who miraculously felt all melty with you just like you did with him. Your marriage will definitely last forever and ever–the end. But then life kicks in, there's a misunderstanding, and you notice he has a strange way of doing things, or he hurts your feelings or gets very angry. Oooh! Maybe he has an anger problem and you notice that the "forever" part seems longer than it did during that "I do" session. It's a big accomplishment to stay married forever. I used to think it was just luck, but now I know that there are powerful habits that contribute to marriage longevity. On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we're talking about what makes a marriage last forever. My guest Dina felt like she was drowning because she had to do everything to take care of their small kids while her unsupportive husband was at his leisure. But she had an insight that changed how she looked at things, and today her husband spoils her, taking care of the kids so she has time for herself. She's going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too! Plus, the Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to an Instagram post from a coach–but definitely NOT one of our coaches–who gives examples of how you should talk to your partner that will definitely make you very, very resistible. Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

If you're anything like me, you love feeling desired. When the physical passion is missing or rare in your relationship, it makes you feel undesirable, which is an awful feeling. You wonder if the extra pounds or wrinkles are turning him off or if there's something wrong with him. Either way, it's lonely, painful and confusing. But it doesn't have to stay that way. On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I'll reveal 5 ways to fix a sexless marriage. My guest Sofia's husband said he wanted a divorce then moved out two days a week, and he was having an affair. Her marriage felt like a mess. But Sofia made some big changes, and today her husband is back home and they snuggle and are so close. She's going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too. The Worst Relationship Advice of the Week award goes to a pithy quote about what strong women do, but it's actually the opposite of what I see truly strong women doing every day. Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

If you're asking yourself what cheating is, that means you're already between a rock and a hard place trying to figure out what to do. Like, what if he's sending inappropriate flirty messages to his ex from high school but you know he hasn't seen her in person? Or he's texting a female colleague all the time and won't show you his phone but says nothing is going on? What if you overhear him saying he has feelings for someone else? Or you find out he's got an online dating profile? It sure feels icky to know he's having intimate conversations with a woman who isn't you. Of course you want him to stop before he crosses the line, which brings up some very tough questions: How should you react? Does this mean your husband can't be faithful? Does it mean he's going to leave you? Can you even repair things from here, or is your marriage doomed to be another divorce statistic? Should you give him an ultimatum that you'll divorce unless he stops? Or should you try to be understanding but insist on marriage counseling? On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we're talking about what cheating is in a relationship. To say my guest Brenda was disillusioned about marriage is an understatement. She was resentful about always having to be the responsible one and questioning whether she'd made a good decision to marry her husband in the first place. But then she tried an experiment and was amazed that it led to immediate closeness, connection and the realization that she has a good man. Today she says she has the true partnership she always wanted. She's going to tell us what she did so you can do it too. The Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to some familiar tripe meant to help a woman who's anguished about her husband not coming to bed at the same time as her. Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

Everybody knows there are some things you can't just forgive in marriage. Like abuse–physical, emotional or verbal. It's terrible. Two is being cheated on. Whether he's going to prostitutes or has another woman, it makes you feel like a doormat and a fool. It's awful. And three is being with an addict who abuses drugs or alcohol. That's so unpredictable you never know what might happen, which is a painful way to live. Logically speaking, you can't just forgive and carry on with the status quo in those situations. You can either choose endless suffering in your marriage, option A. Or you can give up on your dreams of a lasting, happy marriage and tear apart your family, option B. What if there's a third option? On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we're talking about what really works with the big, stubborn, scary problems in a marriage. My guest Sam was burned out in her marriage and her life. She was doing everything she could for her husband, but she really just wanted to run away. Her daughter even told her to just leave! Instead she started two new habits that turned out to be life changing, and today her marriage is peaceful, joyful, intimate and vulnerable. Her husband sends her long-stem roses at work. She's going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too! This week's Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to an article about how to get your husband's attention without begging for it, and it's a great way to make yourself seem desperate and insecure. Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

When your marriage is falling apart, it can be pretty hard to know exactly what to do next, except for going to marriage counseling. Everyone knows that's what you're supposed to do if your marriage is falling apart, only it didn't work for my husband and me–or for thousands of students on the Laura Doyle campus either. So what can you do to fix your marriage if it's gotten dull and you want it to be shiny again? Or if it's got serious problems that you feel overwhelmed about? On today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, you'll discover 7 resources for fixing your marriage. My guest Christina's marriage was filled with explosive rage, cold wars and fights about everything: parenting, money, time, housework, feeling alone and unloved. They were on the brink of divorce. But she learned a secret that seemed too good to be true, and today her marriage is filled with slow dances, companionable silence and peace. She feels cherished beyond what she ever could have imagined. She's going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too! And, the Worst Relationship Advice of the Week Award goes to a saying that's meant to be funny but hit too close to home for one student. And for me too! Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

We all want to feel seen, heard and understood. If you're not feeling understood, it's like you're missing a nutrient in your diet, and you start to feel malnourished. I remember feeling this way when I'd listen to my husband talk endlessly about something he was interested in and then as soon as I brought up something I was interested in, he'd interrupt me. Harrumph! If he just doesn't seem to get you or care about what you want, it hurts! In today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I'm revealing what to do when your husband doesn't understand you. My guest Charlotte says there was no trust or connection in her marriage. With nothing in common, she felt like she'd married the wrong person–and a liar too. But when she took a different approach, they became closer and closer. She says they have a bright future together and that she respects her husband now, not just because she's supposed to but because she feels it. Plus, the Worst Relationship Advice of the Week is about what I should have said years ago when my husband was avoiding me. It's not only ineffective, it's also insulting. Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap

One of the worst feelings is when you're not getting your husband's love and attention. And, to make things worse, he's giving it to other women. Like when his voice gets warm and happy when talking to the kids' teachers or a co-worker. So what should you do? How do you tell him that he's being inappropriate and to stop embarrassing you? Especially if you already told him and he's acting like it's no big deal even though it's hurting you? You don't deserve that. In today's episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I'm revealing 3 ways to respond when your husband is being nicer to other women than he is to you. My guest Jeanne's husband was the controlling one in their marriage. In fact, things were so bad between them that their son was scared they would divorce, and Jeanne herself thought her husband would leave. But she made a few changes to the way she showed up in her marriage. Today, Jeanne says she and her husband are happy, respectful, and they like to hang out together. They have a peaceful and loving home. She's going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too. Plus, as always, I reveal this week's worst relationship advice. It starts with a cute story…but is totally false! Download the FREE Adored Wife Roadmap now and start transforming your relationship today! Click here: lauradoyle.org/roadmap Here's what you'll get: 6 SIMPLE steps to bring back playfulness, passion, and connection to your marriage. The 3 COMMON mistakes wives make when trying to fix things (and how to avoid them!). A clear, actionable plan to create the joyful, loving marriage you deserve. Don't wait—your playful, passionate marriage is just one click away. Get started now: lauradoyle.org/roadmap