Monica Hinderer joins Doug to discuss how growing up in a highly critical home can produce hyper critical children. They share the importance of teaching empathy in daily family life and understanding one another’s emotions. Doug and Monica also tackle listener emails and give advice on topics ranging from gender dysphoria to age gaps in relationships.

Listener questions and comments:

·         Alan – It is good to praise your children and gently criticize them followed with more praise.

·         Norma – My grandson is 21 months and he is doing a lot of hitting and it hurts. I tried being serious but he didn't really seem to understand.

Resources:

Person and Identity

https://personandidentity.com/

My Catholic Faith Delivered

https://mycatholicfaithdelivered.com/

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Catholic Therapists

https://www.catholictherapists.com/

Doug reads a letter by Alice Von Hildebrand from her book: By Love Refined. In this letter, Alice shares the importance of emotional safety and protecting your spouse in marriage. Doug unpacks 4 behaviors that erode trust and 3 behaviors that nurture trust in marriage.

Listener questions and comments:

·         How can I balance being positive about a situation when my husband doesn't want to see the flip side?

·         What’s the difference between detraction and getting family support or help?

·         In divorce court, they force you to reveal things that you might not want to or are trying to be charitable about so that they can better represent you and get a better deal.

·         Is it bad to share my husband’s mental health struggles with my son’s teacher?

·         My husband had an affair. He said they were just talking but I saw the texts. He told me he saw a priest but kept texting her anyway. He is pretending that nothing happened. What should I do?

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Catholic Therapists

https://www.catholictherapists.com/

By Love Refined: Letters to a Young Bride

https://sophiainstitute.com/product/by-love-refined/?srsltid=AfmBOorUgJaOCIHW8hoPqGRrxDbbFqkhbw_d24v5fEaakO8PoW5a_pcR

Doug shares instances ranging from premarital sex to marital infidelity and asks listeners to call in and share the advice they would give in these situations. Callers weigh in, and Doug gives his advice on how to better communicate in marriage and unpacks the power of forgiveness and regular confession.

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Catholic Therapists

https://www.catholictherapists.com/

Doug unpacks 3 common mistakes couples make when they are arguing: you think your spouse is the one who needs to change; you protest louder than your spouse; one person checks out and shuts down. Doug discusses ways to avoid these mistakes and what to do if you are victim to these mistakes.

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Rome sweet Home

https://stpaulcenter.com/product/rome-sweet-home-our-journey-to-catholicism/?srsltid=AfmBOoqYJxOeRI90CXmZbKXJ1siFvZYuqE502EV-Q3lRblKExFBS3pN-

Doug answers listener emails and discusses unconditional love and if it’s achievable, checked out husbands, dealing with grief, and how to get help when you need it. Plus, the Friday rant.

What is reverence and how does it apply to your marriage? Doug reads another letter from Alice Von Hildebrand where she discusses the need to have reverence for your spouse.

Greg Schutte joins Doug to continue their conversation on the Building a Eucharistic marriage course, a 7-part video series, which connects 7 areas for therapeutically strengthening your marriage with 7 areas of deepening your relationship with Christ through the Eucharist.

Doug and Greg discuss the importance of listening to the heart of your spouse and how this leads to better communication and better understanding the spouse’s perception of the relationship.

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Greg’s website

https://www.eucharisticmarriage.org/

Doug discusses 15 Clear signs your spouse loves you unconditionally. He speaks of the agape love in marriage and how it ties into how your spouse prioritizes your needs ahead of their needs. He shares that external pressures should not impact your bond in marriage and that forgiveness is the key to unconditional love in marriage.

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Want to improve your marriage this year? What are some good resolutions you can make? Doug discusses a set of resolutions to help grow your marriage as well as how to continue them further into the year.

Are you married to a selfish person and unsure what to do? Doug unpacks characteristics of selfishness which include: self-centered behavior, lack of empathy, and an unwillingness to compromise. Doug discusses the Christian perspective of selfishness and offers practical tips for those who are married to a selfish person.

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Catholic Therapists

https://www.catholictherapists.com/