A weekly podcast with Emerson Eggerichs, Ph.D.
Read about Marriage, Parenting and Christian Life
Short video questions and answers with Emerson
Curated content on a variety of topics
Browse all Love & Respect books, studies, and gifts
Couple and Small Group series for your home or church
Love & Respect and many more by Emerson Eggerichs, Ph.D.
A few things you might enjoy or gift to someone else
Learn a little about Love & Respect
In partnership with Matt Loehr and Dare to Be Different
Support us and impact others through your generous donation.
Reach out with any questions you have!
Browse through and read hundreds of articles on the topic of marriage
There are certain phrases we have been programmed to understand in a specific way whenever we hear them. For example, if someone says to us, “We need to talk,” we know there is bad news to come and we get in defensive mode.
Is your normally happy-go-lucky husband suddenly more sulky and moody? Has your typically fully engaged and intimate husband for some mysterious reason become more distant and even physically absent?
Do you have a specific sports team that you are outright fanatic about? Suppose you are a passionate Yankees fan whose white bedroom walls have navy blue pinstripes on them and your living room coasters have pictures of Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, and other Yankees greats on them.
A couple attended the Love and Respect Marriage Conference recently, and several weeks later the wife wrote to me to share some of the reasons why they had attended, along with her frustrations for the lack of changes she had seen in him since the conference.
I have spoken often about the need to understand and appreciate God’s pink and blue design of women and men, respectively, because our differences undoubtedly go well beyond the biological.
“Emerson, you say most men don’t want to talk but my wife and I are the opposite when an argument starts. She goes quiet. She won’t engage me in any type of dialogue. She withdraws from the conversation and puts up a barrier to any further discussion. What should I do?” I hear you. When married to someone who stonewalls, “withdrawals” are not worth it! Research reveals in intimate, committed relationships 85% of those who emotionally retreat and refuse to answer are men. That means 15% of the women also withdraw and stonewall.
Q: I recently found out my wife is involved in an emotional affair. She says she is in love with him, that she never loved me, and that she feels no passion in our marriage. I still love my wife and want this marriage to work. Is there any hope for us? We have three young children and I am devastated. Dr. E says: First of all, yes, there is hope. But you have entered a time of suffering and you will need Godly support and wise counsel to get through this as a man of honor. Thank you for reaching out. Your children are worth every effort!
We greatly appreciate the vulnerability and honesty of countless couples who write to us not only sharing their pain in marriage but also the victory in overcoming obstacles. One such couple is Bernhard and Vikki Langer. Bernhard Langer is a Professional Golfer and two time winner of the Masters, winner of the 2010 and 2014 Senior British Open and the 2010 Senior U.S. Open. He was known as one of the world’s best golfers throughout the 80s and 90s.Everything Changed
President Reagan joked, “I won't say their marriage is unhappy but the husband went down to the marriage license bureau to see if the license had expired.” ARE YOU UNHAPPY? Do you want out of your marriage? Do you want a divorce? Do not quit! - THE HAPPY NEWS ABOUT BEING UNHAPPY!
Articles, Podcasts, Ask Emerson on a concept or theme