Stronger Marriage Connection

Utah Marriage Comission
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  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
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It's often said that marriage takes work. The Stronger Marriage Connection podcast wants to help because a happy marriage is worth the effort. USU Family Life Professor Dr. Dave Schramm and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Liz Hale talk with experts about the principles and practices that will enhance your commitment, compassion, and emotional connection.  More than ever before, marriages face obstacles, from the busyness of work and daily hassles to disagreements and digital distractions. It's no wonder couples sometimes drift apart, growing resentful, lonely, and isolated. The Utah Marriage Commission invites you to listen and discover new ways to strengthen and protect your marriage connection today!

  1. 2D AGO

    How Attachment Shapes Desire, Arousal, And Closeness In Marriage | Marc Cameron | #168

    We trace how childhood attachment styles shape sexual desire, arousal, and closeness in marriage, and why couples get stuck in the sex standoff. Mark Cameron shares practical steps to earn secure attachment and turn emotional safety into better intimacy. • Key gender differences in arousal and desire • The sex standoff and how it spirals • Quick primer on attachment theory and styles • Avoider patterns and nonrelational sex • Pleaser appeasing, boundaries, and anxiety • Vacillator intensity, protest, and withholding • Disorganized attachment, control, and adrenaline • What secure partners do differently • Comfort Circle for empathy and regulation • Neural pathways, practice, and earned security • Resources: book, quiz, workshops, radio show Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    54 min

  2. FEB 9

    Unpause Your Marriage To Go From Me to We | Lee Baucom | #167

    We sit down with Dr. Lee Baucom to unpack the “pause button marriage,” why most couples misdiagnose communication issues, and how small, steady habits and a team mindset rebuild connection. One partner can start the change with curiosity, empowerment, and self-management. • defining the pause button marriage and its slow costs • shifting from me and you to a true we • why connection, not communication, is the core issue • unpausing with small, repeatable habits of connection • using invitational pacing instead of chasing • curiosity as the path to empathy and safety • self-management to reduce reactivity and blame • hope’s three parts: where, how, and willingness • practical tools to rebuild trust and teamwork • resources, including the Unpause app and site Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    41 min

  3. FEB 2

    Is Ai the New Partner? Ai vs Real Romance | Wendy Wang | #166

    We sit down with researcher Wendy Wang to unpack how AI companionship, porn, and endless scrolling are reshaping dating, marriage, and mental health. We share data-backed risks and simple house rules that protect attention, intimacy, and commitment. • one in four young adults saying AI could replace romance • how frictionless AI partners create unrealistic expectations • links between screen time, lower satisfaction, and fewer date nights • scams targeting loneliness with AI-crafted personas • class and education divides in openness to AI partners • why online choice overload delays commitment • practical phone-free zones and bedroom boundaries • drawing an emotional line: no AI for comfort or venting • replacing 50-50 scorekeeping with patience and generosity • building rituals that strengthen connection and reduce technoference Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    37 min

  4. JAN 26

    Untangling Codependency in Relationships: How To Heal and Reconnect | Payton Holt | #165

    We unpack how codependency hides inside “helping,” why rescuing backfires, and how to build self-compassion, boundaries, and interdependence. Therapist Peyton Holt shares concrete tools for couples and parents to trade control for empathy and create safer, stronger bonds. • clear definition of codependency and why it’s common • five core symptoms from Pia Mellody’s framework • the fix-it cycle and why relief reinforces rescuing • parenting patterns, enabling, and natural consequences • shame spirals, taking feedback personally, eggshell walking • self-compassion as the foundation of change • rebuilding inside-out self-esteem and saying no • partner playbook for support and shared language • “the story I’m telling myself” for de-escalation • treatment timelines, workshops, and group support Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    48 min

  5. JAN 19

    Premarriage Prep That Actually Works | Les and Leslie Parrott | #164

    We welcome Les and Leslie Parrott to unpack how preparation, empathy, and practical tools create stronger marriages, from the origins of SYMBIS to the launch of the four-minute Heart Chart. We explore healthy conflict, invisible rule books, and thought patterns that quietly shape connection. • SYMBIS origin story and why premarriage prep matters • moving from traits to state for real-time insight • the invisible rule book and expectations • how to fight a good fight without harm • empathy as the core skill for repair • toxic thoughts like irrational guilt and entitlement • Heart Chart’s commitment and connection coordinates • simple presence habits that boost attunement • laughter, awareness, and small daily choices Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    31 min

  6. JAN 12

    How Emotional Safety Transforms Your Marriage | Shane Birkel | #163

    We explore how emotional safety fuels connection and why consent, validation, and nervous system awareness transform tough talks. Shane Burkle shares RLT’s “truth with love,” a six-hour intensive model, and a simple exercise couples can use today. • connection seekers vs safety seekers and the push-pull loop • what emotional safety looks like in practice • validating language, curiosity, and accountability • consent in conversations and setting parameters • timeouts, check-ins, and nervous system regulation • RLT’s truth with love and compassionate confrontation • inner child work that reframes defensiveness • therapist grounding, client vision, and clear goals • full respect living and everyday repair • where to find Shane’s exercise and resources Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    49 min

  7. JAN 5

    Why Relationships Feel Hard And How To Make Them Safe | Dr. Stan Tatkin | #162

    We explore how to design a fair, secure-functioning relationship that protects both partners, repairs fast, and prevents repeated harm. Dr. Stan Tatkin explains why instinct fights intimacy and how governance, PEPPER, and daily presence keep love strong under stress. • human nature as difficult and self-protective  • difference between difficult and too difficult  • clean repair and real apology without excuses  • attachment biology, pair bonding and threat memory  • the ick as a distancing threat response  • limits of labels and misuse on social media  • why “never again” fails and the value of yielding to reminders  • PEPPER prevention model and post-mortem revise  • social contracts, shared leadership and putting the couple first  • daily micro-connection and ongoing courting  • stop repetition of injuries with systems and agreements Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    44 min

  8. 12/29/2025

    Growing Our Unity: Practical Science For Stronger Marriages | Susanne Alexander | #161

    We sit down with Susanne Alexander to explore unity as a daily practice and walk through research-based tools that help couples merge hearts and minds. Small habits, virtue-based praise, and playful rituals turn conflict into clarity and make friendship the backbone of marriage. Susanne M. Alexander is a relationship and marriage educator, coach, author, and publisher with her company Marriage Transformation®, www.marriagetransformation.com. She meets with clients globally via the internet for relationship and marriage preparation and marriage strengthening. Susanne is certified to offer couples assessments and coaching through Prepare-Enrich® and for individuals with the Character Foundations Assessment™. She has completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Susanne has written or co-written over 30 books. Her most recent is “Growing Our Unity: 19 Vital Practices for a Thriving Relationship”, coauthored with Grant Peirce. Susanne is co-lead on Accordia Way, a project to assist couples with excellent communication and decision-making skills, https://accordiaway.substack.com/subscribe. She is passionate about helping individuals and couples make good relationship and marriage choices through knowledge and skill-building and thereby prevent divorces. Susanne has been single, dating, engaged, married, divorced, and widowed. She is a child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, and grandparent. All of this has given Susanne a diversity of experience to share. She is originally from Canada and is married to a wonderful man named Phil Donihe in Tennessee, in the United States. They live on a lake and love to do romantic boat trips together that include nature photography. • how lived experience shapes Susanne’s approach • unity as a shared daily language • 22 virtues that support connection • Unifier 10 choosing to merge in a distracted world • micro practices celebrations greetings and check ins • bids for connection and sunset moments • a commute tweak that transformed evenings • rethinking conflict with the bowl method • appreciation using virtue language to affirm identity • laughter dates and rediscovering fun • service balance and community ties • friendship as the foundation for lasting closeness • learning in action as a lifelong mindset Everything Is Energy with Cathy HellerChange your energy, change your life.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit our site for FREE relationship resources and regular giveaways: Strongermarriage.org Podcast.stongermarriage.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrongerMarriageLife TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strongermarriagelife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongermarriagelife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongermarriage/ Facebook Marriage Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/770019130329579 Dr. Dave Schramm: http://drdaveschramm.com http://drdavespeaks.com Dr. Liz Hale: http://www.drlizhale.com/

    46 min
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4.9
out of 5
52 Ratings

About

It's often said that marriage takes work. The Stronger Marriage Connection podcast wants to help because a happy marriage is worth the effort. USU Family Life Professor Dr. Dave Schramm and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Liz Hale talk with experts about the principles and practices that will enhance your commitment, compassion, and emotional connection.  More than ever before, marriages face obstacles, from the busyness of work and daily hassles to disagreements and digital distractions. It's no wonder couples sometimes drift apart, growing resentful, lonely, and isolated. The Utah Marriage Commission invites you to listen and discover new ways to strengthen and protect your marriage connection today!

Information

  • Creator
    Utah Marriage Comission
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    169
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Stronger Marriage Connection
  • Show Website
    Stronger Marriage Connection

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