Wonderful, healthy and fun relationships can seem magical. But the truth is that awesome relationships don't happen "magically." Not at all. Long-term couples who love their relationships are simply reaping the rewards of the intentional effort they've put in to their partnerships.

Sounds easy, right?

In theory, it is. But here's the issue: No one teaches you how to have a fantastic relationship. So even though many people would love to have a stronger, more satisfying connection with their partner and would be very happy to do the working of making their good relationship great... they literally do not know what, exactly, to do differently.

The intention is there, but the knowledge is not.

To fill this knowledge gap, award-winning documentary film director Roger Nygard spent over seven years sitting down with the thought leaders in the fields of marriage counseling and couples therapy to get ALL THE ANSWERS. 

The result is his film, The Truth About Marriage. And he's here on the podcast with me today to share all his insights and discoveries with YOU.

For love, 

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com

Let's face it: Couples and money is a hot-button issue for many relationships. Sooner or later, all successful long-term couples need to work together to figure out how to communicate productively about money so that they can get on the same page and create a shared financial future. This is not always easy under the best of circumstances. 

Now, many couples are facing financial uncertainty or even a financial crisis (thanks coronavirus). It's more important than ever to be working as a united team around finances so that your relationship stays strong and healthy... even if your bank account takes a hit.

To help you have constructive, drama free conversations about money with your partner, I've invited my colleague Meagan Terry to give us the scoop on exactly what to do (and what NOT to do) in order to have loving, respectful, and effective conversations about finances that create unity and connection. 

Meagan is a highly experienced marriage counselor who has helped countless couples stop financial conflict and get on the same page around money. Now she's here for YOU. Listen, and get  her actionable tips you can start using today!

With love, 

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com

If you want to create a fantastic relationship, there's one irreplaceable ingredient that you must have: Emotional safety.

If you have emotional safety everything from communication to intimacy feels so much easier. But without it, everything feels like a battle.

Today, on the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast, I'm going to share the secrets behind how to create emotional safety in your relationship. We'll be discussing:

• What emotional safety is, and why it's important
• How to determine if your relationship is emotionally safe or not
• How to begin increasing the emotional safety in your relationship
• Understanding what behaviors will damage emotional safety
• How to use the principles of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy to improve your relationship

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

www.GrowingSelf.com

PS: If you want to take the free "How Healthy is Your Relationship" assessment I mention in this episode, text RELQUIZ to 345345 to get the link.

How would you describe your relationship... with money? Secure? Anxious? Toxic? Neglected? Or... Easy?

We all carry subconscious thoughts, feelings and values around money that impact our way of relating to it. Financial therapy helps you uncover these powerful inner forces, so that you can create a healthy money mindset so that you can feel empowered and in control of your finances. Financial therapy for couples helps you stop the "money fights" and get on the same page with your partner around money.

Today's guest, financial therapist Jennifer Dunkle, is here to explain how YOU can develop a healthy money mindset — both individually, and as a couple — so that you can achieve your financial goals. 

Let's face it: We all have moments. Moments when we feel (justifiably!) angry or frustrated with other people, and moments when we lose our cool.

While everyone is in agreement that there is a time and place for healthy anger, sometimes the lines can get blurred around when you're setting appropriate limits.... and when you're probably being unnecessarily aggressive about making your feelings known.

How do we find that balance? The balance between not being a pushover and having a right to your feelings, but also having compassion for other people? Especially (here's the hard part) other people who may not be behaving well themselves. It's challenging for all of us. (#lifegoals!)

The easy thing to do in the face of conflict is to lash out in anger, push people away,  or freeze people out. It's much harder to stay in the ring and find a path of mutual understanding and repair.

On the latest episode of the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast, I had the great pleasure of speaking with NYC-based psychoanalyst Dr. Mark Borg about this subject, and his insights into how to lead a more compassionate life. Dr. Borg is the author of the book, "Don't Be a Dick: Change Yourself, Change Your World" and he shared thoughtful strategies for how to:

• Gain the authentic self-awareness necessary to catch yourself when you're slipping into unnecessary "dickishness"
• How to handle challenging interpersonal situations with grace and tact
• The mindset that will help you stay compassionate with people who are not behaving well
• Strategies to handle extremely triggering situations with your family around the holidays (without getting sucked into conflict)
• How to use the power of empathy for yourself, and others, in order to make the world a better place

I hope this perspective and advice helps you and the people you love.

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

www.GrowingSelf.com

Do you have relationship questions, dating questions, breakup questions, communication questions, therapy questions, or need to know how to handle a totally awkward family situation? 

Today on the podcast we're talking about all of it: The entire show is devoted to you. Your life, your relationships, and your questions. 

Specifically, we discussed:

• What if you're having an argument with your partner and need to take a break to calm down, but they keep pursuing you?
• How to handle it when you're married and have a crush on someone else? What if you have a crush on an EMPLOYEE?
• Are you dating and hearing, "I like you but just as friends" a lot? We're talking about what that might mean!
• What are some tips to handle a hard breakup or divorce when you coparent with your Ex and have to see your Ex?
• What should you do if your family members are fighting with each other and you keep getting dragged into it?
• Can you do couples therapy by video if you're in a long-distance relationship? Why might that be a good idea?
• How should you approach your partner if you think they would really benefit from individual therapy or couples counseling, but they won't go?
• And so. Much. More.

Tune in!

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com

Holidays: NOT The Happiest Time Of Year For Heartbreak

Divorces and breakups are difficult any time of year, but most people find that the period between Thanksgiving and Valentine's day adds an extra layer of angst and anxiety to the recovery process.

On this edition of the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast I'm going to be giving you actionable advice to cope with a breakup or divorce during the holiday season. You'll learn how to take care of yourself, ways to manage your feelings, and most importantly -- how to use this time to heal, grow, and move on to a brighter future.

xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

Ps. Don't forget to download your free "action plan" for how to stop obsessing about your Ex: www.growingself.com/holiday-breakups