Preparing for Love: How Singles Can Build Relationship Readiness
Will Goodwin , M.A
Many believe relationship skills only develop within relationships, but the truth is, single life offers a powerful opportunity to prepare for long-term commitment. Healthy, lasting partnerships require emotional awareness, communication tools, and resilience—skills that can be nurtured in a...
Wanting and Willing: Why Both Matter in Healthy Relationships
Will Goodwin , M.A
In every long-term relationship, there’s a subtle but important difference between wanting to do something for your partner and being willing to do it. Both play a crucial role in building trust, connection, and resilience over time. Wanting To...
Building “We-ness”: Fostering Partnership in Your Relationship
Will Goodwin , M.A
One of the strongest indicators of relationship satisfaction and resilience is what researchers call we-ness — a sense of shared identity, partnership, and emotional connection. Couples who cultivate this sense of togetherness tend to weather life’s inevitable challenges with...
Acceptance and Compliance: Navigating Relationship Differences
Will Goodwin , M.A
Every relationship encounters moments where one partner’s preferences, habits, or traits don’t perfectly align with the other’s. In these moments, partners often face a choice: Should I foster acceptance for this characteristic, or should I comply with their desire...
Turning Toward: How Stressed Couples Can Support Each Other
Will Goodwin , M.A
In a world where stress is often a common household guest, managing our reactions and maintaining positive connections with our spouses can be challenging. However, learning to turn towards rather than away from each other during stressful times can...
Building Stronger Bonds with Your Partner: An Overview of the Gottman Method
Will Goodwin , M.A
The Gottman Method Couples Therapy is a scientifically-backed approach designed to improve the quality and longevity of relationships. Developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, this method is based on extensive research involving thousands of couples, offering tools and...
Trust and Commitment: The Cornerstones of a Satisfying Long-Term Relationship
Will Goodwin , M.A
In any long-term romantic relationship, trust and commitment are vital elements that contribute significantly to its success and satisfaction. These components create a stable and supportive environment where love can flourish. So, what makes these qualities so essential and...
Transform Your Relationship with the Gentle Start-Up
Will Goodwin , M.A
In any relationship, especially in a marriage, how we start a conversation can significantly impact its outcome. The Gentle Start-Up is a communication tool designed to help couples address issues without escalating conflict. Rooted in the research of Dr....
5 Meaningful Moments to Show Up For Our Spouses
Will Goodwin , M.A
In most weddings that we attend there is a portion of the ceremony when those getting married exchange their vows. And for many of these exchanges, each person declares their commitment to the other across a variety of fortunes...
20 Creative Date Night Ideas
Will Goodwin , M.A
While I was growing up, I discovered that the parents of a close friend of mine went on a weekly date-night. At the time I simply thought that this was a wonderful practice and felt confused by the fact...
4 Tips for Nurturing a Friendship With Your Spouse
Will Goodwin , M.A
How good of friends are you with your spouse? Good friends? Best friends? For some of you this question may even seem a bit unusual, because you think of your spouse simply as, well, your spouse. For others, your...
Who’s Ready for Marriage?
Will Goodwin , M.A
Marriage. The earliest evidence of which dates back as far as 2350 BC in Mesopotamia. The tradition and practice seem almost as timeless as human relationships themselves. And yet in recent decades the notion of marriage being a good...
Myths of Marriage
Will Goodwin , M.A
The music swells as the couple finds each other on the street. The credits roll with the lovers in one another’s arms, vowing to never be apart again. The camera zooms out and the audience is left to imagine...
5 Ways to Revitalize Your Relationship Routine
Will Goodwin , M.A
With the beginning of a new year well underway and the somewhat cliché mantra of “New year, new you!” still ringing in the air, many of us are starting to look around and wonder what has really changed. The...
Building Habits of Connection into Your Marriage
Will Goodwin , M.A
All throughout our lives we are coached on the subject of establishing good and healthy habits for ourselves like: making our bed, brushing our teeth, eating well. But even with all that coaching and effort, keeping up with a...
Supportive Friends and Empowering Therapists
Will Goodwin , M.A
The scene is common. Usually, a group of men or women gathered around one distressed individual, plying them with tissues, words to bolster one’s masculinity, ice cream, and occasionally a nip of an adult beverage. For centuries, women and...