Making Love Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how Drea and Nate demonstrate the relationship skill of Commitment.  Healthy commitment in a relationship is about much more than just technically being together as a couple; it involves making conscientious choices on a daily basis to choose your partner and to choose to improve the relationship one day at a time. Unlocking the power of commitment involves focusing on the relationship process of improvement, rather than just the results. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.today Know a couple that you want to see featured on the podcast? Let us know at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com. 

Sometimes you need to leave home to find something that was close to you all along. Drea and Nate grew up in the same small town, and even were in the same grade in high school, but did not truly "find" each other until they went off to college. They overcame attending rival colleges and Drea's commitment phobia to eventually get married after a few bumps along the way. After marriage, while their commitment to each other is now not in doubt, it hasn't always been easy! They've overcome being dirt poor, career stresses, and more to finally find a place to settle down together close to their hometown. They are living proof that life does not always turn out as you plan! 

Anne and Patrick discuss how Earl and Meagan demonstrate the relationship skill of Translating Understanding and support.  All of us have collected useful tools over the years that we have been promised will help our relationship.  However, if we want to take these tools and turn them into relationship power tools we need to be able to understand enough about our partner's experiences, preferences, and personality in order to apply these tools at the right times and in the right ways.  Relationship Challenge of the Week: Take the time (at least a 15-minute block) for you and your partner just to get to know each other a little better. What you learn can be deep and personal, or just small and silly. It can be about childhood experiences, or just how their day went. The better we understand our partner the better we'll be able to support them at the appropriate times and in the appropriate ways. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.todayKnow a couple that you want to see featured on the podcast? Let us know at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com. 

In this bonus episode, we hear from Elaine and Abe, a real-life couple in a "commuter marriage" (one lives in Texas, the other California) who also co-host the relationship podcast, Love is in the Air. Elaine and Abe share some great insights into what it means to be in a long-distance relationship, as well as answer some relationship questions of their own.  Be sure to check out their podcast, Love is in the Air, available through most major podcast hosting sites. 

When Earl transferred law schools he wasn't necessarily expecting to find his future wife, but it didn't take long after meeting for Earl and Meagan to go from classmates to soulmates. Despite their immediate connection, the two of them came from very different worlds... well, at least from very distant states. With Meagan returning to California after graduation, and Earl taking a job in his hometown of Chicago, the two faced a relationship test perhaps more difficult than any of their law school exams. Separated by thousands of miles geographically, Earl and Meagan faced down how to make a long-distance relationship work. Perhaps even more challenging in some ways, when they finally did get married Meagan had to learn how to find her place in Chicago, where Earl already had a lifetime of experiences and connections. Listen in to hear about how they faced these challenges and more as they learn how to write their own relationship manual, one page at a time. 

Anne and Patrick discuss how Mike and Vauna demonstrate the relationship skill of Courage throughout their 38+ years of marriage. While many of us consider relationship courage only to really apply at the beginning of our relationship, it's actually a skill that needs to be applied all throughout the course of our relationship. It's important to show courage in the decisions we make, in allowing ourselves to open up to our partner, and in doing all the daily little things which draw us closer together as a couple. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Identify what things you would like to be courageous about. Think about how you have shown courage in the past, how you can be courageous today, and in what ways you'd like to be courageous in the future. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.today. Know a couple that you want to see featured on the podcast? Let us know at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com.

A chance meeting at a movie theater while at college has turned into going on four decades of marriage. Now married for 38 years, Mike and Vauna will readily admit that things were not always easy for the two of them. With Mike an extrovert, and Vauna an introvert the two of them have had to learn from the very beginning how to blend and mix their different communication styles. They've had to overcome such challenges as job instability and personality clashes, all while maintaining a loving relationship. Almost 40 years into marriage, have they "arrived" as a couple, or is there more left to uncover together?

Anne and Patrick discuss how Brian and Farina use the relationship skill of Choosing Family to build their own family culture. All of us come from a different culture than our partner. While some relationship differences are more obvious than others, even small ones can lead to relationship conflict. It's important for us to recognize the culture that our partner came from and learn to use pieces from both family cultures to build a new unique culture all of your own. For a more in-depth explanation of this skill and more suggestions of how to incorporate it into your relationship check out makinglovetoday.com or our course on listenable.io. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Identify an action by your partner and try to understand why your partner did this. Give them the benefit of the doubt, believing that they had good reasons behind what they did, and try and figure out what that reason might have been. If you can't figure it out, go ahead and ask them in a non-confrontational way. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.today. Know a couple that you want to see featured on the podcast? Let us know at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com.

While Brian and Farina both grew up within 20 miles of each other in Maryland, in many ways they came from very different worlds. Brian, the grandson of a congressman, comes from a traditional suburban background. Farina, a Native American and member of the Navajo Nation grew up witnessing extreme poverty. Despite coming from such diverse backgrounds, the two of them have learned to appreciate and embrace each other's cultures and heritage. With Farina a university professor and Brian a stay-at-home dad they've learned to build a culture of their own which both embraces their pasts and provides them what they need as a couple.

Anne and Patrick discuss how Andres and Phillip use the relationship skill of deepening to increase their intimacy. Increased relationship intimacy is not something that just "happens," but is developed through a process that we need to conscientiously decide to move through. As we move through the (often messy) steps of conflict, vulnerability, and repair, we can gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of our partner and a more intimate and fulfilling relationship. For a more in-depth explanation of this skill and more suggestions of how to incorporate it into your relationship check out makinglovetoday.com.Relationship Challenge of the Week: Identify a positive or happy thing in your life and unpack a good thing. Go underneath the surface level feels and really unpack what makes this experience so fun, happy, peaceful, exciting, interesting, satisfying, etc.? Why is that underlying aspect important to you? How can you bring this same sort of underlying positive aspect to other areas of your life?Bonus: Bring awareness to the repackaging process. Take what you discovered and integrate it into the story of what it means to be you.Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.today. Know a couple that you want to see featured on the podcast? Let us know at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com.

As an interracial gay couple living in an extremely conservative state, Andres and Phillip don't exactly fit the stereotypical mold of most of the married couples that they see around them. But instead of spending too much time just trying to blend in, these two are learning to embrace what makes their relationship uniquely special and being comfortable with who they are. It's not always easy living in a world where the templates for how a relationship is "supposed" to work doesn't necessarily apply to you, but Andres and Phillip are working to build their own unique happiness. While both originally from Utah, Andres and Phillip first met through a dating app while both attending grad school in rural Oregon. What started as a seeming happy coincidence has grown into a happy marriage. Listen in as they discuss how their religious upbringing connects them, some of the often-overlooked challenges of being in a non-heterosexual relationship, as well as... Andres' Fuego? Biographical Info: -Phillip is a PR/Marketing Coordinator for a museum, and Andres is a Marriage and Family Therapist-They have been together for going on five years-Check out www.makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple as well as to read their statement on Pride Month, and what Pride means to them as a couple. Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.today.

All relationships require sacrifice. Blending two lives requires give and take by both people to decide where to live, what Netflix shows to watch together, etc. When children are added to the equation, those sacrifices multiply seemingly exponentially. So when Meagan and Nick, to well established young professionals, decided to get married and then have kids, something (or someone) had to give! Well, in truth, they both had to give, and still do! Meagan and Nick are a great example of how when both people sacrifice for the common good, a beautiful relationship can result! Meagan and Nick met on a blind date, set up by a mutual friend. Both being in their early 30s, neither were strangers to meeting new potential dating partners. With expectations set appropriately low, they were both pleasantly surprised that their friend was able to get things so right for both of them! Several years later with a child, they open up about the ups and downs of leaving behind your well-established life in the hopes of something better! They discuss merging households, making career sacrifices, the care of a child with health issues, and more!-Check out www.makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple. Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/rekindle.love.today. If you have a couple to recommend for the show, please contact us at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com.

Anne and Patrick discuss how Melissa and Robert use the relationship skill of asking great questions in order to strengthen their relationship! Despite coming from extremely different backgrounds, Melissa and Robert's openness and honest curiosity have helped them to make their relationship thrive! For a more in-depth explanation of this skill and more suggestions on how to incorporate it into your relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: For one week, flag the great questions that you either ask or are asked as they happen. Verbally flag them by saying something like “that was a great question” or “thank you for asking that”, even if you're talking to yourself when you do so. Alternatively (or in addition), write the questions down as you notice them so they are easier to consider and come back to later. Want to take things a step further? Practice focusing on not just asking great questions but responding to the questions in an open and responsive way. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today Know a couple you'd like to have featured on the podcast or want to get in touch with us for any other reason? Let us know at podcast@rekindlelovetoday.com.

Melissa and Robert in many ways come from extreme opposite backgrounds. Melissa is white, Robert is Black. Melissa comes from an upper-middle-class upbringing in the suburbs, Robert comes from a poor upbringing in the city. Melissa's family members are Republican, Robert's family members are Democrats. When they first met, Melissa was an accountant with multiple college degrees, Robert was a high school graduate. Despite their differences, and often because of their differences, Melissa and Robert have built a beautiful and unified family together, with their two young children.Melissa and Robert first met at church in Colorado. Robert was smitten! Melissa was not. But despite a bumpy beginning, Melissa finally came around and the two of them have been inseparable ever since! In this episode, they discuss the challenges of creating a relationship out of such different backgrounds. They tackle such challenging issues as racial heritage, in-laws, and financial struggles. Biographical Info:-Melissa is an accountant and Robert is a stay at home dad-They have two children-Check out www.makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple. Follow us on Instagram @ rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

In this final episode of Love in the Time of Corona, Patrick and Anne discuss the relationship challenges that we're likely to face as things start to open up again post-lockdown. When will things return to normal? Will they ever return to normal? What sort of strain will this uncertain have on us and our relationships? They talk about this and more! While it's certainly exciting for the world to be starting to open back up again, there are still plenty of new and unique challenges to navigate! The good news is that we can take all of the relationship skills and techniques that have been taught in this bonus series and apply them to the new difficulties and uncertainties in life. Things might still be a bit scary, and the pandemic is far from over, but by using the relationship advice shared to us by the many therapists through this mini-series, we can find ways to make our relationship an anchor and source of calm in the storm!

"Say thank you!" It's a phrase all parents tell their children countless times. It's been ingrained in all of us that saying thank you is a necessary part of being a good person. However, if our outward displays of gratitude never extend beyond repeating two culturally ingrained words, is it actually doing us any good? Does it matter if I'm actually grateful when I say I am, or is it fine if I'm just good at faking it? Who really ends up being benefited most from genuine acts of gratitude: the giver or the receiver? Shouldn't my partner just know that I'm grateful? Why do I actually have to say that I am?In this episode, Anne and fellow therapist Rebecka Parker tackle these questions and more as they discuss how we unleash the power of gratitude in enhancing both our relationships, but also our own individual wellbeing. It turns out that the benefits of gratitude go far beyond what you might expect. It can influence our mental, emotional, and physical health as well as improving just about every aspect of our relationship. Perhaps more than just about anything else, gratitude properly applied has the power to change lives for the better, starting with your own.

Introducing, The Man's Space: a new recurring bonus series specifically geared toward what it means to be a man in a modern relationship. Society in general, and pop culture in particular, does not look kindly on the relationship skills of most men. For every positive husband and father figure depicted on TV for in movies, there are at least a dozen Homer Simpsons and Fred Flintstones. Is that how most men really are in relationships? Oafish and clumsy at best, and emotionally detached and uncaring at worst? In this series we hear from Dr. Matt Brown, a marriage and family therapist who specializes in helping men understand their critical role in relationships and allowing them to live emotionally open and healthy lives. In this episode Matt and Anne take a close look at modern masculinity and how it's changed over time, and what women often don't understand about their male partners!

Society has perpetuated this romantic notion that our partner needs to be our everything and our sole source of support and happiness. In practice, we all need a broad support network of friends and family to truly get the mental and emotional help that all of us need. With social distancing and stay-in-place orders widespread, many of us are finding our typical robust support networks reduced down to a single person: our partner. In this episode, Anne and fellow marriage and family therapist Andres Brown discuss what level of support from, and to our partner is healthy. They give practical tips and advice on how to find the balance between finding much-needed support from our partner and also growing our own inner strength and resilience. They outline what we all can do to lift ourselves up when our partner isn't able to (and probably shouldn't) give us the support that we think that we need.

Has the emotional distress of living through a pandemic turned you and those around you into emotional porcupines? Do you find yourself unintentionally lashing out at your partner in ways that you don't normally do and vice versa? Has everyone in your household put up their emotional defenses while working through the stresses of social distancing? If so, you just might be a porcupine! It's natural and normal in times of stress and uncertainties for us put up our emotional defenses, similar to the quills of a porcupine. However, in order to not get hurt, we often end up unintentionally harming those we want to be the closest to right now. In this episode, Anne and Patrick discuss five practical ways we're able to address our porcupineness and find a comfortable and healthy way of emotionally connecting with others during difficult times.

Is your spouse, partner, or another loved one on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you live with a medical professional, police officer, grocery store worker, or other essential worker who is putting themselves (and potentially you and your family) at risk of infection on a daily basis? If so, you bear a special sort of stress and worry that may feel like it isolates you from society even more than typical social distancing guidelines. Also, if so, you are not alone. In this episode Anne speaks with social worker, therapist, and military wife Stephanie Black about the challenges that come along with being a front line spouse or partner. Stephanie speaks from both her professional experience as a therapist, and her personal experience of a husband who has served tours of duty in warzones. This is a must-hear episode for anyone who is either in a front line relationship, or who is wanting to support someone else who may be in that situation!

Anne and fellow therapist Shannon Tappana discuss how adaption and creativity can help us overcome our moments of fear, sadness, or just feeling "stuck." Especially now with our world sometimes feeling like it is falling down around us, our primitive fight or flight instincts can kick in and make us feel like we only have a very limited number of options. Anne and Shannon discuss how taking a deep breath and looking for a third (or fourth or fifth) option can both mentally and physiologically give us the lifeline that we need to survive during chaotic times.

In this episode of the mini-series Love in the Time of Corona, Anne and Patrick discuss how the grief cycle is currently impacting all of us. No matter who we are or what our circumstances, we have all experienced some form of loss as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Those feelings of anxiety, sadness, denial, and even joy and happiness are all part of the process of adjusting to something strange and often scary that is currently happening to all of us. Anne discusses some of the tools we can use to help us ride the waves of our emotions through this tumultuous time. 

Anne talks with fellow therapist Dr. Michael Whitehead about how families and couples can effectively manage the added anxiety that comes along with living in a pandemic.

Anne and Patrick introduce a new Making Love Today mini-series, Love in the Time of Corona. They discuss how the current pandemic is affecting relationships, and how Making Love Today plans to take a break from its regularly scheduled couple interviews to delve deep into what we can do to safeguard our relationships in difficult times. The mini-series will include conversations with Anne and Patrick, interviews with therapists, and bringing on couples to talk about their current experience with romance in quarantine. If you have any suggestions for topics for this mini-series, please leave us a note at makinglovetoday.com, or on Facebook at Rekindle Love Today, or Instagram at rekindle.love.today. 

Anne and Patrick discuss how Josh and Whitney demonstrate the relationship skills of self-transcendence and emotional expression/engagement. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions on how to incorporate them into your own relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: For one week keep an emotion journal. Pay attention to what you are feeling (both positively and negatively). Record what your emotions are, how strong they are, and then try and identify where those emotions are coming from. If you feel comfortable with it, share what you write with your partner, especially the positive emotions. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

In a society that is absolutely dominated by strict cultural gender norms and expectations, it is typically easiest just to conform to those expectations and live life accordingly. Josh and Whitney, however, are not ones to just go with the flow! With Whitney working as a high powered attorney and Josh owning the title of "Mr. Mom," these two don't hold back on giving real insights into the realities of life with reverse gender roles. Josh and Whitney first met as Whitney was getting ready to head off to law school. Knowing that he didn't have much time to spare, Josh jumped on in with both feet! After only a quick dating period, the two of them were married and off to begin their new life together halfway across the country in law school. They discuss adding children that weren't necessarily planned, going against cultural norms, and being Mr. Mom! Biographical Info: -Whitney is an attorney and Josh is a stay at home dad-They have been together for eight years-They have two children, Annie (6) and Tess (3)-Check out www.makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple. Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how Maren and Mark demonstrate the relationship skills of acceptance and flexibility. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions on how to incorporate them into your own relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: When you catch yourself vilifying your partner, or complaining, or wishing things were different. Take those feelings of frustration and validate them, then set them aside for a minute. Think about what personality quirk or core belief might be behind that behavior. Now try and figure out how that quirk or belief might be a strength in another situation. Bonus: see if you can leverage that quirk or belief for the benefit of the relationship. How can that aspect of their personality be a strength rather than a weakness or an annoyance for your relationship? Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Being in a relationship where one partner is required to work long hours can be challenging. Living far away from your support network while raising three kids can also be challenging. Doing both of those first two things while also navigating the complexities of extremely differing personality types? Maren and Mark say bring it on! It's not always easy, but this couple makes the most of what can sometimes be an extremely trying situation to find the solutions that work for them. These two are a great example that sometimes being flexible and having a strong commitment to one another can go a really long way!Maren and Mark first met in college. She was younger than she'd like to admit, but he had a hard time taking no for an answer. Several years later, with three young children and living several states away from family, they have learned how to balance their relationship with Mark's demanding job as a corporate attorney. They discuss the challenges of building a relationship when the job often comes first, adjusting to life in Houston, Texas without a built-in support system, and whether or not going to bed angry is actually a bad thing. Biographical Info: -Mark is a corporate attorney and Maren is a stay at home mom-They have been together for ten years-They have three children, India (5), Calvin (2.5), Ava (9 months)-Check out www.makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple. Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how Chad and Sunnie demonstrate the relationship skill of perspective-taking. Anne discusses how important it is to be able to see situations, both things that are difficult or exciting, from the point of view of your partner. This helps to avoid misunderstandings, get both partners on the same team as one another, as well as fosters mutual respect. For a more in-depth explanation of this shill and more suggestions on how to incorporate it into your own relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Think of something that is causing your partner grief. Think about how you would respond in your partner’s place. Now do some perspective-taking and try to understand how your partner is thinking about what is happening and how they are feeling. If you’re stumped, it’s okay to ask. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Some couples make life look like it's a walk in the park. Chad and Sunnie are definitely NOT one of those couples. Having faced custody battles, nine miscarriages, and the general difficulties of life together, these two have not let challenges push them apart. In fact, they are about as good of an example as you'll ever find of a couple who has grown closer through adversity. Chad and Sunnie first met while they were both married to other people, but it wasn't until they were both divorced that they realized how much they had in common. With one child each from their first marriages, and now two children with each other, they have not let life's challenges prevent them from building a happy and loving family. In this episode, they open up about overcoming their challenges, and also developing hobbies together and even a bit about what it's like to have a "monogamish" relationship. Biographical Info:-Chad is an event manager and Sunnie is a nurse by training, but currently spends her time as a stay-at-home mom, PTO president, and on their HOA board -They have been married for 8 years-They live in Salt Lake City, Utah-They have four children, Dylan (12), Cora (11), Chad Jr. (5) and Leora (2)Check out www.makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple. Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how Josh and Megan demonstrate the relationship skill of enjoying and engaging in non-sexual physical touch. Anne discusses how what many people refer to as simply being "touchy-feely" is actually a relationship strength. She breaks down why this strength is important and how we can develop this skill in our own relationships, even if it's something we are currently not comfortable with. For a more in-depth explanation of this skill and more suggestions on how to incorporate it into your own relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Next time your partner comes close for a calming or comforting touch, pay attention to how you feel and whether you are open to being calmed or comforted. When you approach your partner to give comfort or connect in a calm, peaceful (non-romantic) way, try to be in touch with how they are feeling. If this is an area of challenge, start by thinking about how comfortable you are receiving touch and how comfortable you would like to be. If this is a strength already, think of a new way of a new way to introduce non-sexual touch into your relationship. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Who would have thought that anything good could come out of working in a call center? What Josh and Megan initially thought was just a college job to pay for books turned into much more as it laid the framework for their future life together. Going on near two decades together as a couple, their time together has not all been... well, together. Apart for two years with very limited communication early on, these two were somehow able to make their relationship flourish and thrive, building a foundation that carries them to this day. Maybe it's true what they say that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Listen in to hear Josh and Megan talk about long-distance relationships, integrating different upbringings, navigating personality differences, and the difficulties of adding kids to the family! Biographical Info: -Josh is a sales manager working in the field of organizational behavior change and Megan is a homemaker-They have been together for 17 years-They live in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area-They have three kids, Savannah (11), Charlotte (8), and James (5)Check out makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple! Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how James and Liza demonstrate the relationship skills of developing shared family rituals and building and reinforcing shared values. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions on how to incorporate them into your own relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Identify your own family or personal rituals, whether they be daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Think about how your shared values enter into those rituals. Do your rituals reinforce your shared values? If so, great! Continue to use those rituals as ways to enhance your values. If not, why not? Do an honest inventory of what rituals you have that don't reinforce your shared values, and figure out what changes you need to make to bring the focus back to where it should be. Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

When you and your partner you both have challenging careers and live several hours apart from one another, how do you make a concerted effort to maintain and build a close connection? For James and Liza, the answer is to be deliberate about everything that you do and focus on personal growth over relationship growth. This couple doesn’t take anything for granted, especially their relationship with one another, and so they work every day to be the best version of themselves, for the other person. Both children of immigrants from Asia, James and Liza grew up learning the importance of working hard. Both living in California, they’re doing their best to make their own marks on the world while also growing their bond with one another. Their guiding principle throughout all of this is to always remember what their “why” is.Biographical Info: -James is an educational business owner and Liza is a civil rights lobbyist-They have been together for going on 4 years-They currently split time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Check out makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple. Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how Joe and Stephanie demonstrate the relationship skills of asking for support and supporting personal growth. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions on how to incorporate them into your own relationship check out makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Use the Gottman method of asking as outlined in the episode. First, identify a specific need that you have. State that need to your partner in a neutral way. Then, ask your partner to do something specific in order to help you meet that personal need. All this should be done in a non-offensive, non-confrontational manner. Do this at least three times this week. https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/joe-and-stephanie-strengths-asking-for-support-and-supporting-growthFollow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Just entering the teenage years of parenting, Joe and Stephanie share relationship wisdom that comes from nearly two decades together, while still being in the thick of parenting themselves and discovering new things about each other along the way. Listen in as these two describe how they've overcome initial challenges such as conflict resolution styles and overall methods of viewing the world, to facing current obstacles of Stephanie going back to school and the additional burden that places on the rest of the family. Adding in a discussion of why two of their kids were born at home, this is not an interview you will want to miss!Biographical Info: -Joe works in public relations and Stephanie is a lactation consultant -They have been married for 17 years-They have four kids, ages 14, 13, 10, and 8https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/joe-and-stephanie-differing-conflict-stylesCheck out makinglovetoday.com to learn more about this couple or by visiting us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne and Patrick discuss how Camron and Christa exemplified the relationship skills of overcoming together and being separate while connected. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions on how to incorporate them into your own relationship check out our blog at makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Think of a challenge you and your partner face. Just one to start with. Consciously choose to approach it as something to overcome together. If you are currently blissfully without challenges, set a moderately difficult goal. Before every discussion, before making any plans, before getting to work, physically turn toward each other and talk about your shared values and goals that relate to this challenge. Put yourselves on the same team. If you find yourselves disagreeing or working at cross-purposes, stop and set the actual problem aside for a minute and talk about what you do agree on and the fact that you are in this together. Repeat this conversation often. https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/camron-and-christa-strengths-overcoming-together-and-being-separate-while-connectedFollow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne discusses how Jamie and Mikey demonstrated the relationship skills of being resilient and receiving influence. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions on how to incorporate them into your own relationship check out our blog at makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: Write down 5 things that you can do to become more emotionally self-sufficient. These should be completely independent of your partner. After you write them down, pick one and do it.https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/jamie-and-mikey-strengths-resilience-and-receiving-influenceFollow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Anne breaks down the relationship strengths of being considerate and putting an ongoing effort into the relationship. She explains how Erica and Spencer demonstrate both of these skills, and how we can apply them in our own lives. For a more in-depth explanation of these skills and more suggestions of how to incorporate them into your relationship check out our blog at makinglovetoday.com. Relationship Challenge of the Week: At some point during this next week, take a moment, stop, and ask yourself, "what does my partner need, right now?" Once you figure out what that is, go and do it! Record your experience with it on our blog or Facebook page. rekindlelovetoday.com/post/erica-and-spencer-recap-being-considerate-and-ongoing-investmentFollow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

How do you go from being on the path to divorce to not being able to imagine life without one another? Well for Camron and Christa, their surprising answer was to have a baby! While they admit that’s not the best advice for everyone, it worked for them but maybe not for the reasons you’d think. These two show how a rough start to a relationship can eventually serve as a rock-solid foundation for later success. While the saying might go that opposites attract, it was Camron and Christa’s similarities that brought them together. Biographical Info: -Camron is a financial advisor and Christa is a stay at home mom -They have been together for 11 years-They currently live in the greater Salt Lake City area in Utah -They have four kids, Jack (8), Graham, (6), Maggie (3) and Norah (1)Check out https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/camron-and-christa-growing-closer-through-challenges to learn more about this couple and ask them questions! Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

If you’ve been together (almost) continuously since high school how much does your relationship really change over time? If you’re Jamie and Mikey, quite a bit it turns out. In this episode, these two high school sweethearts discuss how their relationship has grown and changed from one stage of life to the next. While both natives of California, that’s about where the similarities of their backgrounds end. Mikey comes from a large, loud, welcoming Argentinian family while Jamie comes from a quiet, reserved, and more formal upbringing. What started out as mutual attraction as high schoolers has since grown into much more. Jamie and Mikey open up about how they supported each other in high school, college, unemployment in a new city, and settling into adult life. Tune in to hear how these two make love in their lives!Biographical Info: -Mikey works in IT, and Jamie is a landscape designer-They have known each other for over a decade and have been married for four years- They both grew up in and now live in Southern California -They currently have two pugs named Lani and Bear. Check out https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/jamie-and-mikey-high-school-sweethearts-just-don-t-tell-jamie-i-called-them-that to learn more about this couple and ask them questions! Follow us on Instagram at rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today

Eleven kids eleven and under, all under one roof! In this episode, Erica and Spencer discuss finding love after loss, how to be considerate of your partner, and the logistics of maintaining and growing a loving relationship while raising close to a dozen kids together. After both having lost their first spouses, Erica and Spencer met on an online support group for widows and widowers. What started out as providing mutual support through tragedy eventually turned into love. Having now been married for only around a year, they are learning how married life is both similar and different the second time around. One major difference? Newlywed life this time involves raising Erica’s seven kids, and Spencer’s four. Tune in to hear how these two make love in their lives! Biographical Info: -Spencer is a general contractor, Erica is a stay at home mom -They have known each other for 20 months and have been married for around a year-When they met, Spencer lived in Virginia, and Erica lived in Utah. They now all live in Utah. -Their children are Landon (11), Brayden (11), Emma (10), Lily (8), Harper (7), Sophie (7), Tanner (5), Avery (5), Amelia (3), Bexley (3), Caleb (2)Check out https://www.rekindlelovetoday.com/post/erica-and-spencer-life-with-11-kids to learn more about this couple and ask them questions! Follow us on Instagram @rekindle.love.today or on Facebook at fb.me/Rekindle.Love.Today.

Let's talk about making love! We know that building the fulfilling and deeply meaningful long-lasting relationship that you crave involves a lot more than just what happens in the bedroom. On Making Love Today we talk with real couples about their relationship journeys and hear about the strengths and skills that they have developed to help their relationship grow stronger. Additionally, marriage therapist Anne Brown shares her insights on how we can apply the lessons learned from our guest couples in our own relationships. Our podcast's mission is simple: help all of our listeners learn the skills that they need to go out and make love in their lives!We will officially launch our first three episodes the week of Valentine's Day, so stay tuned!