The Empowered Wife Podcast: Marriage Help with Laura Doyle

Everybody has feelings, but as women, we have emotional brilliance. Maybe your feelings are overwhelming or you think that you’re too emotional or too sensitive and you want to figure out a way to not be so easily hurt. But I don’t know of a way to not feel what you feel. Even if I did, I wouldn’t recommend it. I see being sensitive as a gift. Now that I know how to connect with my feelings, they’re not a burden. They are the key ingredient for so many tender and connecting moments in my relationships. They tell me when I’m enjoying myself, when I want to make a change, and how to care for myself. And yes, when I’m hurt, disappointed or lonely. I know what I want because I connect with my feelings. I know myself because I tune into how I feel. And that helps me make myself happy, even if I start out miserable. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about three ways to connect with your feelings.

Plus, my guest Theresia’s marriage felt lonely whenever she got her husband’s silent treatment, which sometimes lasted for weeks! He seemed to be getting angrier and angrier. Then she had some insights on how to talk to him. Now, she feels close and playful with her husband, who doesn’t seem so angry anymore. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too!

Normally, I’m allergic to focusing on what is wrong, but today we’re making an exception. We’ll focus on whether something is wrong because that may be where you are right now, if you’re anything like I was. It’s a nagging, anxious feeling. Is something wrong? You’ve tried asking what’s up, but if he doesn’t offer any explanation or just says he’s stressed or tired, your mind could wander down a dark alley. Maybe your heart is telling you there’s more to marriage than just being roommates, just getting by without laughter, passion and plans for the future. You’re right—there is definitely more to marriage than just existing, without feeling loved, which is depressing and demoralizing. That’s not okay. So on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about how to figure out whether something is wrong with your marriage. I’ll share 3 ways to know and what to do about it. 

Plus, my guest Heidi’s husband had shut down and moved out. But then she said something that made him soften, which felt like a miracle. Now he tells her he loves her every day and their relationship is better than ever. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

It’s annoying when your husband complains. It sucks the fun out of everything, makes you feel unappreciated, and can definitely lead to resentment (if you’re a mere mortal woman like me). What I’m going to share with you is going to sound counterintuitive. What I’ll invite you to try when your husband complains too much is not a regular power that most women have. No. These are superpowers that some wives have developed for strengthening their families. You can too. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about what to do when your husband complains too much. I'll share 2 ways to change that.

Also, my guest Mary felt very alone and scared that her husband would leave or cheat on her, especially when he brought up divorce during a fight! She decided to experiment with the 6 Intimacy Skills, but her husband was skeptical and sometimes it backfired completely. Then he started flirting and seeking her out more, and now the passion has skyrocketed. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

If you’re thinking that your husband doesn’t care about your desires and that’s why he doesn’t get inspired when he hears them, that’s so hurtful and unloving. It's also very lonely, like you’re invisible. That's how I felt when I thought that John didn’t care what I wanted. That’s what a lot of students thought too. But we were wrong. It turns out, we just weren’t expressing desires. We thought we were, but we weren’t. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about four reasons your desires aren't inspiring and how to fix that in a hurry.

Plus, my guest Marian couldn’t stop raging at her husband, who told her he wasn’t happy anymore. She discovered this podcast and started implementing the Intimacy Skills, and today he tells her he loves her all the time. She’s going to tell us how she went from depressed and anxious to content and calm so you can do it too!

The bigger question may be: How do you respect your husband when he doesn’t seem to deserve it? That was a tough one for me! Knowing I SHOULD be respectful has never been that motivating to me. I don’t wanna! What if he’s messing up? Shouldn’t I let him know that? That is one option. But being disrespectful feels dirty and hairy. It leaves me with an emotional hangover after I’ve interrupted or dismissed him or run over him like a steamroller. Blech! I don’t like it. I married John because I respected him so much. I can decide to remember why I felt that way. When I do, he responds to me the way he did when he wooed me, tender and romantic, sweet and chivalrous. So on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, we’re talking about 3 proven ways to respect your husband.

Plus, my guest Valerie was tired of feeling like roommates. But when she started using the Intimacy Skills, her man responded with more smiles, hugs and kisses. Today they enjoy lots of togetherness. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too!

It’s so idyllic and nostalgic to think about the past, when marriages lasted. The idea of stay-at-home mothers getting dolled up and making things from scratch is so pretty. I follow a woman on TikTok who bakes bread from scratch and lives in the French countryside with two adorable little boys, which seems so nourishing and wholesome. Fortunately, what made my marriage better was not becoming more domestic, as I seem to have very little domestic inclination. When I was doing the most domestic stuff, my marriage was struggling, so that wasn’t the answer. What is? On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about whether trad wives have better marriages and a few things that will strengthen yours.

Plus, my guest Sarah was devastated when her defiant, disrespectful teenage daughter moved out and wanted nothing to do with her. Sarah knew about the 6 Intimacy Skills™ from a Laura Doyle coach friend. When she vulnerably reached out to the coach for help, it wasn’t to save her marriage, which had ended already. It was to save her connection to her daughter. Today she’s thankful they have the relationship she always dreamed of. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

I still remember feeling “What a mistake. He’s such a Loser McLosey Pants. What was I thinking?! I could have done so much better. If only I hadn’t done that, I’d be so much happier.” I was suffering. Why try to save your marriage when you don’t even like the guy? It’s very demotivating. You may have good reasons for not liking him. Maybe he’s abusive or neglectful or has abandoned you. He’s caused you a lot of pain. I’m in no position to tell you to just suck it up and start liking him again because I couldn’t do it either. But what I can speak to is how to avoid the embarrassment of divorce and how most of the things I didn’t like about my husband that were causing me to suffer were of my own doing. On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about what to do when you don't like your husband and three surprising solutions that will actually make him a lot more appealing.

Plus, my guest Kim and her husband were getting divorced. It was decided and she didn’t see that changing. But Kim then her husband called off the divorce and said she is the love of his life. They barely even argue. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too. 

It's depressing when you long to hear your man tell you how beautiful you are and how crazy he is about you and he just…doesn’t. It’s frustrating if you just want him to fix the screen door, move the patio furniture or put the crib in the attic and he just…won’t. Or if you really love snuggling and want to feel physically desired but that’s not happening, it hurts! So what can you do if he’s just not the type of guy to give you that, and never has been? Tigers don’t change their stripes, right? Or do they? On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about what to do when your husband doesn’t speak your love language—and two ways to change that.

Plus, my guest Kristi was heartbroken after her husband’s infidelity and him telling her he didn’t love her anymore. Her marriage felt dead! But today they have a deeper connection than ever, and he is always doing things to make her happy. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

When I got married, no one had taught me that there are five gifts of femininity that I get to enjoy as my birthright and that my relationship depends on for success. If no one ever taught you either, here they are. I’ll share how you can start enjoying your superpowers of being a woman! On today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about the five gifts of femininity, your birthright as a woman. 

Plus, my guest Annie and her husband were fighting a lot, and she felt so disrespected. But from the first time she experimented with the 6 Intimacy Skills™, she got a better response. While they still have their ups and downs, now her husband apologizes to her and her marriage is so rewarding. She’s going to tell us how she did it so you can do it too.

It’s so discouraging when your husband is diagnosed with something like ADD, OCD, narcissism, Borderline Personality Disorder, anxiety, depression, PTSD, or Dissociative Disorder. Having hitched your wagon to someone with a disorder or deficit can feel like a life sentence of misery. It’s very distressing. Even if you don’t have a formal diagnosis, maybe you’ve done some reading about what you observe in him and you have strong suspicions. While it’s hard to find this out after you’re married, it’s also intriguing because having a diagnosis holds out the promise that he could improve with some kind of treatment, like medicine or therapy. At least that’s how I felt when my husband got his diagnosis, but it all went wrong from there. So on today’s episode of The Empowered Wife Podcast, I’m talking about what to do instead when your husband’s disorder is ruining your marriage.

Plus, my guest Katherine’s husband waited until the kids were teens when he said he wanted to separate, which left her feeling abandoned and scared. But that was then. Today he seeks her out, says she’s beautiful and that he is so lucky to have her as his wife. How did Katherine make such a dramatic change in her marriage? She’s going to tell us so you can do it too.