Healthy marriages don’t just happen. They are built from equal

parts: emotional and life skills, great friendship, solid communication and

commitment.

Healthy Marriage: It’s Up to Us

Ariel ScullyChelsea JuddDelight Clark

Marsha Smith

Table of Contents

Background on Marriage………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2

Divorce……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………..3

Point #1: Healthy marriages need partners who have good emotional and life skills……………….4

Point #2: Healthy marriages consist of partners who cultivate their friendship and romance with one another.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Point #3: Healthy marriages are built with partners who learn to communicate effectively with one another.………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………7

Point #4: Healthy marriages are created by two people who are committed to one another….10

7 Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage……………………………………………………………………………………..12

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………...17

Organizations/Websites……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………20

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Background on Marriage

The institution of marriage predates recorded history. But rather than “marrying for love” like most of us do in the United States today, marriage was more about building a strategic alliance or keeping things all in the family. It was not uncommon for marriages between partners to be arranged by parents or for cousins to marry one another.

Today, marriage is a choice that many still desire and participate in, but “Marriage has been continually evolving through the centuries, and it's still doing so,” says William Doherty, director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Thriving marriages in 2015 are based on love, mutual sexual attraction, equality and a flexible division of labor according to Stephanie Coontz, the author of "Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage," (Penguin Books, 2006). And marriage today also has positive economic outcomes with Americans enjoying larger economic returns from marriage than ever before (Singletary 1).

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W. Bradford Wilcox, the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, argues that the retreat from marriage is bad for society because it means less security for children. “It’s troubling because those kids are much more likely to be exposed to instability, complex family relations and poverty,” he said (TAVERNISE).

Divorce

However, maintaining intimate relationships can be very difficult. Despite the almost uniform happiness and optimism of newlyweds, most first marriages will end in divorce or permanent separation (Bramlett & Mosher, 2002).

All evidence points to the fact that marital success is less likely in subsequent marriages (Banschick).

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“Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds”.

Point #1: Healthy marriages need partners who have good emotional and life skills.

Although love is the foundation of marriage, love is not enough for a healthy marriage. Marriages are a test of our emotional and life skills (Grossman 1). Partners in a healthy marriage need to be aware of the interrelated emotional and life skills that are necessary for a well-functioning marriage.

Here is a sample of questions partners need to consider in order to assess which skills they are already proficient in and which skills they need help improving or developing:

Am I able to know and name my emotions at any given time? Am I able to communicate my emotions verbally and directly? Am I able to manage the full range of my emotions without acting out destructively

towards myself or others? Am I able to be emotionally present for a loved one even when I am unable to do

anything to fix his or her pain or suffering? Am I aware of my physical needs and have a willingness to make choices that

optimize my physical health? Am I able to apologize and take responsibility for the way my actions affect others?

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Am I able to identify what I need or want from others and communicate it verbally and directly?

Am I able to tolerate feeling disappointed by others without acting out destructively toward others or myself?

Am I able to tolerate sometimes feeling misunderstood or inaccurately perceived by others?

Am I able to show a basic competency in navigating the world professionally, socially and practically?

Am I able to seek and explore new ways to grow, expand, and change? Am I able to agree to disagree, make compromises and create solutions to conflict? Am I able to set limits and boundaries with others to take care of my own

emotional, mental and physical health?

There’s no need to panic if you aren’t good at some of these skills. Marriage provides the foundation to work on these emotional and life skills if both partners are committed to their relationship and realize that intentional effort to improve competency is in order. To truly have a healthy marriage we need to evaluate, take responsibility and get support for learning skills to make our marriages thrive.

According to Tyler Maxon, Clinical Family Therapist, couples need to assume they really don’t know much about marriage. “My wife and I made a commitment to one another to read and listen to everything we could on marriage. It is good to assume that you don’t know much about marriage. Unfortunately, I think many of … youth think getting married is the finish line instead of the starting line. We do a poor job preparing them for marriage after that point.”

Point #2: Healthy marriages consist of partners who cultivate their friendship and romance with one another.

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In reality, a healthy marriage is more about companionship than romance. “Happy marriages are based on deep friendship” (Chatterjee).

Sometimes people get too caught up in the activities of life and their spouses get put on the backburner. “Happy marriages are based on deep friendship.” You need a mutual respect for each other. Your spouse needs to come first.

In the article “Lessons from the Marriage Lab,” Managhan (Monaghan) states that

John Gottman found relationships “require far more acts of positive reinforcement than of negative interaction,” suggesting a ratio of 5 to 1.

Interests, humor, and affection are important aspects to have. Managhan also explains that:

It is important to have “an intimate knowledge of each other’s quirks likes and dislikes.”

“Frequent fighting is not a sign of a bad marriage (unless, of course, it becomes physical abuse).”

“Amicable partners are less combative during shouting matches than spouses who don’t understand each other. And couples who don’t respect or have little connection with one another engage in ‘negative sentiment override’—they interpret statements more pessimistically and take comments more personally than other pairs, leading to dissatisfaction.”

When couples are friends, they know what to do to make repair attempts and attempt to repair the relationship more often.

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5:1Positive Reinforcement needs to outweigh negative interaction for

relationships to thrive!

You don’t have to worship the ground your spouse walks on. Couples who are able to acknowledge their partner’s faults while maintaining positive views of their marriage overall have more stable satisfaction over time. Think back to the time you spent investing in your relationship before you married. Marriages do take time, energy and intentional focus if they are to grow. Maintaining relationships takes energy, which often is in short supply.

Making allowances for a spouse’s inevitable shortcomings is difficult because marriages and other intimate relationships do not take place in a vacuum. People need to feel that they belong, and if they are constantly making up for their partner’s lack of ability within the home, the spouse will feel abused and withdraw from the relationship.

The way that spouses think about and respond to each other is a product of broader forces (finances, jobs, religion, in-laws, etc.) that affect marriages and intimate relationships.

Partners have a hard time recognizing that other perspectives are possible or valid.

Responding to disappointment effectively is a needed skill in marriage.

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Couples fair better when they are able to care about their loved ones more than care about

their own selfish needs.

Point #3: Healthy marriages are built with partners who learn to communicate effectively with one another.

Poor communication is the most common issue that leads to divorce. Communication struggles are part of marriage, but they don’t have to be a permanent, negative part. The trick is to handle disagreements in healthy ways and learn how to communicate more effectively.

Communication with your spouse is completely controllable. We are the ones that decide how we are going to communicate with others; it’s up to us.

“Gottman, a marriage psychologist, suggests active listening prescribed by therapists may be too confrontational since it expects people to be empathetic in the face of criticism from their partners. This ‘emotional gymnastics’ may be too much to ask. A better approach might be to recommend “gentle de-escalation to effectively soothe him.”

Anger and bickering are not necessarily unhealthy. It is the negative responses to those

behaviors. “In stable relationships, bickering that is unaccompanied by

sarcasm, contempt, or other negative responses may simply be a form of mutual problem solving.”

Communication allows us to share feelings, interests, concerns, and support for each other, and gives us the chance to work together.

If you have a disagreement with your spouse, explain how you feel

in a non-accusatory manner.

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DON’T:Ever sleep separately due to a conflictUse the silent treatmentCriticize or belittle your partnerCall your partner namesForget to laugh hard and oftenAssume your partner knows your needsAvoid open honest communicationLet frustration keep you from

DO:Share positive things you like about your spouse with themGive your spouse your full attention when they are speakingWork on issues when they come upTell one another the truthBe affectionate with your partnerMake time to enjoy activities together

One of the best ways to foster healthy communication is to build a strong connection to our spouses. People communicate better when they are emotionally connected. Most people communicate more with their coworkers and friends than they do with their spouses. Make it a priority to have meaningful conversation every day.

Body movement and facial expressions are the most obvious methods of communication, even if it’s unintentional. Decide before you have a conversation that no matter what stance your spouse takes you’ll still value him/her regardless. Try to become interested in your spouse and how they feel so you can see things from their perspective.

In moments of conflict take a

deep breath and calm down.

Speak and listen non-defensively.Marriages thrive

on this skill.It has been found that lasting couples aren’t saints who never fight: instead, they excel at recognizing when there is a problem and trying to ‘fix it.’Gottman has been

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DON’T:Ever sleep separately due to a conflictUse the silent treatmentCriticize or belittle your partnerCall your partner namesForget to laugh hard and oftenAssume your partner knows your needsAvoid open honest communicationLet frustration keep you from

DO:Share positive things you like about your spouse with themGive your spouse your full attention when they are speakingWork on issues when they come upTell one another the truthBe affectionate with your partnerMake time to enjoy activities together

Four Horsemen of Apocalypse:

Complaint/CriticismContempt

Defensiveness/Denial of Responsibility

through tough relationships before. There is hope for those who have to learn how to be a great spouse.

Many marital problems fall in to predictable, solvable categories. Being aware of some of the pitfalls can give partners in a marriage strong options when it comes to solving some problems or typical stresses marriages endure. We need to nurture fondness and admiration in our marriages. We need to create shared meaning in our marriages. Listening is just as important as talking. Communication is more than just exchanging information; it’s trying to understand the intentions behind the information. Take time to get your feelings under control before engaging in a conversation.

Point #4: Healthy marriages are created by two people who are committed to one another.

Good communication starts when you acknowledge your partner’s presence such as in the morning or after you get home

Learn to be open with your spouse about

your problems; relationships are stronger when couples feel they can turn to each other

Most happy couples realize that disagreements are part of life and don’t dwell on the unsolvable problems; unhappy couples seem to focus on issues that can’t be solved

Don’t accept hurtful behavior from your spouse; let them know that you have hopeful expectations for your relationship

Avoid being critical or having contempt, or emotionally shutting down during a conversation

Mathew Boggs and Jason Miller (7 secrets to a long-and happy marriage) set out to find couples with long lasting marriages and ask them what helped them. Here is what the “Marriage Masters” taught them:

Commitment- Divorce is not an option. “Marriage Masters simplify this into one word: Commitment. And they’re quick to point out that commitment is the virtue sorely missing from today’s marriages. That said, there are deal breakers that very few of our interviewed couples

advocated working through. These are known as the three A’s — addiction, adultery, and

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Four Horsemen of Apocalypse:

Complaint/CriticismContempt

Defensiveness/Denial of Responsibility

abuse. A marriage overwhelmed by any of these three issues is unhealthy, plain and simple, and the Marriage Masters suggest that if you find yourself overwhelmed with any of the three A’s, take care of yourself (and your safety) first, and the marriage second” (7 secrets to a long-and happy marriage).

7 Secrets to a Long and

Happy Marriage

”People ask us our secret to marriage,” said John, married 48 years. “I tell them it’s the boxing gloves. We aren’t afraid to say what’s on our minds.”

Unexpressed frustrations in a marriage can pile up and weigh us down like an

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“Where your attention goes, energy flows”

overloaded gunnysack. These accumulated frustrations can quickly turn into resentments. “Holding resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die,” said Sally, married 50 years. “Resentment will eat away at your marriage. The Marriage Masters encourage us to unpack the ‘gunnysacks’ by opening the communication lines as frequently as possible.”“Never stop dating… It has been said that it’s the quality of time, not the quantity of time that matters. But now we know, thanks to the Marriage Masters, that it’s the quantity of quality time spent together that leads to a wonderful marriage.”

Give more than you take- “Marriage Masters have a high degree of selflessness. I’ll never forget what my mentor told my wife and me before we got married 42 years ago,” said a Marriage Master named Walter. “He looked at us and said, ‘Most people think marriage is 50/50.  It’s not. It’s 60/40. You give 60.  You take 40. And that goes for both of you.’”

Respect- “You can have respect without love,” said Tom, married 42 years, “but you can’t have love without respect.”

Appreciate the time you have together in life because it goes way too fast. “The Marriage Masters are here to remind us that this adventure we call life goes by in the blink of an eye; relish your sweetheart’s presence while he or she is still here.”

Treat each other with respect. “You can have respect without love,” said Tom, married 42 years, “but you can’t have love without respect.”

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Appendix

Hello! My name is Ariel Scully and I am a native Californian. I am a hard working mom to a rambunctious 3 year old. I enjoy taking time for skiing, paddle boarding, and binge watching Netflix shows when the baby is sleeping!

We selected this issue to address marriage and how wonderful it is, or can be, when proper communication and love is had. There have been many moments in life when you feel loved by someone, but to stay with the same partner for upwards of 50 years – well that takes a little bit of work with all that love. We decided it’d be a great idea to compose an issue book on this subject.

I am the editor for this topic. I have been assigned to compose the material of my group mates into an appealing and logical report. My research was to divide out the information that was provided from my team and have it all come into a large body of work.

I learned so much about marriage and families from just my part of the project! I really am proud of my group and the work we found. I learned that I need to be more of a listener. I need to actively hear what my significant other is saying, and make sure that I am speaking to be heard as well. We learned about how people, when they have a set idea of how something should be, they make it a goal to not have their views changed. Marriage is about compromise and acceptance, not about getting the deal or ‘winning’. I learned that it needed is joint effort to make any type of progress happen for the better.

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When we talk to one another, we need to talk to them, not at them. The quotes from this assignment show that we have the strength to make changes happen in a bad situation. We can start now to help the future relationship from being misunderstood or toxic even. There is a lot about self-worth and self-identity that relates to me within this issue book. As a single mom from a broken home there is a lot that I never learned in regards to how to treat and be treated within a relationship. I know that most homes are just fine and people learn from their parent how to be a proper spouse, but for me it took a lot more research to understand how to accept my role as a daughter in Zion and a wife to my equal. When that day comes, I know I will be ready to make the everlasting commitment to he who respects me and my family.

My name is Marsha Smith. I am a mother of four children and one grandbaby on the way. I came from a home where I felt that my mother loved my father, but he didn’t love her. They hardly ever got along and the only tender moments they shared were sex. Growing up I always knew they would get a divorced. They divorced when I was an adolescent. I feel that having a happy marriage is vitally important for society and families. I understand well that it is important not only for parents to stay together, but to develop a healthy and happy marriage. This is important for children when they are young and when they are

grown.Selection of issue: I was drawn to this topic because I have always had a big dream of having a wonderful marriage that stays wonderful forever. I see what a big difference it makes in people’s lives when they have parents who truly love, respect, and cherish each other. I see the differences failed marriages are having on society. Strategic research:I have read things written by and about John Gottman. When I was looking for resources I came across the “Marriage Masters” article (7 secrets to a long-and happy marriage). Things I learned doing thisI have been learning as much as possible since my divorce in 2012, but I learned even more doing this assignment. I learned that when there is an issue we need to explain how we feel in a non-accusatory manner. I learned that exercise is healthy for your marriage. I learned that “Couples who are able to acknowledge their partner’s faults while maintaining positive views of their marriage overall have more stable satisfaction over time.” I

learned that when we are in disagreement with our spouse we need to be careful about our tone of voice and nonverbal body language. I learned that it is okay and even reasonable to have deal breakers in marriage. I have really struggled with this throughout my 14 year marriage. I wanted to do the right thing, but also saw that I was not getting anywhere with the infidelity. It has been hard to find information on this. It is disheartening when you go from counselor to counselor and bishops that tell you to just forgive and forget, yet your husband keeps going back to the thing very few years

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that he was supposed to have repented of. Issues don’t just go away and females need to talk about things and know that their husband understands how they feel and that he really cares and is

truly repentant. Trust takes time and effort to gain back. It is difficult to find good resources that help people with these kinds of struggles. In the future I hope to provide easily accessible resources to help people improve their families and to help people determine what is a healthy response to unhealthy spouses. I hope to make information on characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships so that people can know what to avoid before they get married and what to work on in themselves. I hope to persuade the people to teach marriage skills in high school so that we can help people develop healthier families.  ReferencesChatterjee, Camille, “The Science Of A Good Marriage.” Psychology Today 32.5 (1999): 13. Web. 23 June 2015.Elmore, Ronn. “Five Minutes That Can Save Your Marriage” Ebony. 66.9 (2011): 64. Web. 23 June 2015.Monaghan, Peter. “Lessons from the ‘Marriage Lab’.” Chronicles of higher Education. 45, 25, A9, (1999). June 23, 2015“7 secrets to a long — and happy marriage.” Today Health. 2013. Web. 23 June 2015.

I’m Delight Clark, a middle aged wife and mother of five sons, three daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. Our group topic of Healthy Marriages piqued my interest as I have participated in my own marriage for several decades and have carefully watched the success and failure of many others. Having parents and grandparents who divorced, stopping the pattern of divorce in my family has been one of the highest priorities for me. Participation in happy marriage is something that the majority of the

population desires for themselves, yet it can be very difficult to achieve. Many don’t recognize or realize why participation in a happy marriage eludes them. Some pitfalls are obvious like how destructive extra-marital affairs can be to a marriage and how addiction and dependency can abort healthy

marriages. However, there are many other very small things that partners in a marriage can do to ensure its longevity and happiness.

As Writer #1 I have contributed the history and background of marriage as well as one of our main points, being emotionally prepared and having the life skills necessary to participate in a successful marriage.

The strategic research carried out shows there are lots of things people can do to participate in healthy marriages. These things are not beyond the average person’s grasp. Successful marriages are an accumulation of lots of

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small habits and behaviors that lead to a positive result, done again and again and again.

I know of what I write. About twenty years ago my own marriage hung by a thread. On the verge of divorce, my mother offered to pay for professional counseling stating, “Counseling is a lot less expensive than divorce.” My husband and I took her up on her generous offer and were able to bring together a marriage that surely looked bound for the trash. Since then we’ve had to retool and reassess the things in our marriage that work or don’t work but now feel that we have the skills to work through challenging marital ups and downs. The current happiness we share by enjoying our children and grandchildren is proof that hard work in marriage can really pay off. This booklet holds many of the keys for anyone to participate in a healthy marriage.

My name is Chelsea Judd, and I am a 21-year-old wife, married for almost 2 years. I have a passion for studying marriage and families, and am currently pursuing a degree in Marriage and Family Studies. My hope is to educate the public about various topics revolving around marriage and family by teaching classes and workshops. Although I have not been married for very

long, I have gained immense insight already into what it takes to make a marriage successful: both spouses have to be equally committed to each other and must be willing to do whatever it takes to love and care for the other. I am hoping that I can use the information I have learned in this field of study to help my own family progress towards ultimate happiness. Selection of the Issue:All members of our group share a common interest in the topic of marriage and finding out what makes it successful or not. Personally, I have always wanted to have a healthy marriage of my own. My parents had a successful

marriage and were always supportive of one another. I’ve strived to emulate that example in my relationship with my husband. However, there are difficult times that come up in each marriage, and I recognize that figuring out how to make it through those times is the key to finding happiness. Doing so requires patience, sacrifice, and effort on behalf of both spouses. I personally feel that people today have become too complacent in their marital relationships. Many give up on their marriage at the first sign of trouble. Others are dishonest in their communication and about their

personal lives. Most importantly, more and more couples seem to lack the ability to take ownership for their mistakes and apologize when necessary. I believe couples need to be aware of ways they can increase their marital satisfaction and be the best spouses they can be.Team Member Tasks:

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My main task was to focus on communication in marriage. It was my job to learn more about why spouses struggle to communicate with one another, and to come up with ways that couples can strive to increase positive communication. I outlined each of these in our issue book by providing solutions to match the issues. I found that overall, marriages struggle the most when there is poor communication. It is the issue that tends to lead to the most divorces in our country. My task included informing our audience of ways to identity communication issues in their marriages, and providing them with ways they can eliminate these problems.

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“7 secrets to a long — and happy marriage.” Today Health. 2013. http://www.today.com/id/19031744/ns/today-today_health/t/secrets-long-happy-#.VYoTAEaq3q4. Web. 23 June 2015.“20 Ways To Save (Or Improve) A Marriage: Ebony 54. (1999): 172. http://search.ebscohost.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct-true&db=aph&AN=2315551&site=ehost-live. Web 23 June 2015.

Baer, Drake. “Psychologists Say Couples Have to Make it Through This Stressful Phase to Have a Healthy Marriage.” Business Insider. 14 Jan 2015. Print.

Bilotta Larry. “Do Marriage Counselors Do More HARM Than Good?” Marriage Success Secrets. 2004. http://www.magicstream.org/06marriagecounseling.html Web. 24 June 2015.

Banschick, Mark. The High Failure Rate of Second and Third Marriages. 6 Feb 2012. 11 July 2015.

Bramlett, M. D., & Mosher, W. D. (2002). Cohabitation, marriage, divorce, and remarriage in the United States (Vital and Health Statistics No. Series 23, Number 22). Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics.

Coontz, Stephanie. “Marriage, a History : How Love Conquered Marriage.” New York:  Penguin Non-Classics. 2006. Print. 

Chatterjee, Camille, “The Science Of A Good Marriage.” Psychology Today 32.5 (1999): 13. Chatterjee, Camille, “The Science Of A Good Marriage.” Psychology Today 32.5 (1999): 13. http://search.ebscohost.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/longin.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=2227964&lite=ehost-live. Web. 23 June 2015.

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Duvauchelle, Joshua . “Love and Communication: 11 expert tips for a better marriage.” Focus on the Family, 2011. Web. 23 June 2015. (url http://www.focusonthefamily.ca/privacy)

Elmore, Ronn. “Five Minutes That Can Save Your Marriage” Ebony. 66.9 (2011): 64. http://web.b.ebscohost.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=141df88e-3e5e-4ae3-86e4-a87d4aed2b1a%40sessionmgr111&vid=3&hid=106. Web. 23 June 2015.

Gottman, John, and Silver, Nan. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. New York: Crown Publishers, 1999. Print book.

Grossman, Danielle. “Love is Not Enough for a Healthy Marriage.” World of Psychology. 16 Mar 2013.  Blog. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/17/love-is-not-enough-for-a-healthy-marriage/  

Hawkins, Alan, and VanDenBerg, Betsy. “Facilitating Forever: A Report for the National Marriage Project.” University of Virginia. 14 Feb 2014. 22 pages. Periodical.

Karney, Benjamin R. “Keeping Marriages Healthy, and Why It’s So Difficult.” American Psychological Association, Science Briefs. Feb 2010. Print.

Krull, Erika. “Marriage communication: 3 common mistakes and how to fix them.” PsychCentral, 2013. Web. 23 June 2015.

(http://psychcentral.com/lib/marriage-communication-3-common-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them/)

Miller, Claire Cain. "The Divorce Surge Is Over, but the Myth Lives On." New York Times. 02 Dec. 2014: A.3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Jun. 2015.

Monaghan, Peter. “Lessons from the ‘Marriage Lab’.” Chronicles of higher Education. 45, 25, A9, (1999). http://search.ebscohost.com.byui.idm.oclc.or/login.aspx?direct=true&db-aph&AN-1565913&site-ehost-live web. June 23, 2015

Singletary, Michelle. "The Marriage Premium: Wedded Bliss Lifts Economic Outlook..." Washington Post. 29 Oct. 2014: A.14. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Jun. 2015.

Sorgen, Carol. “7 solutions that can save a relationship.” WebMD, 2015. Web. 23 June 2015. (http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/7-relationship-problems-how-solve-them)

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Stosny, Steven. “Marriage Problems: How Communication techniques can make them worse.” Psychology Today, 2010. Web. 23 June 2015. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anger-in-the-age-entitlement/201002/marriage-problems-how-communication-techniques-can-make)

Talignani, Marcella. “How To Create The Perfect Marriage and Avoid Divorce.” Expert Beacon. 2014. http://expertbeacon.com/how-create-perfect-marriage-and-avoid-divorce/#.VYnrFEaq3zh. Web. 23 June 015.Wagner, Cynthia G. “Predicting Successful Marriages.” Futurist. 33, 6, 20, (1999).

TAVERNISE, S. Married Couples Are No Longer a Majority, Census Finds. 26 May 2011. 11 July 2015. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=9b39e6e78fb0413b9bfd4f3ce17fc180%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=1881270 . Web. 23 June 2015

Organizations/Websites

Healthy Marriage & Responsible Fatherhoodwww.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/programs/healthy-marriage

IAV: Thinking Together about Civil Societywww.americanvalues.org 

American Psychological Association: Family and Relationships http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/family/index.aspx

Better Health: Relationships and Communicationhttp://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Relationships_and_communication?open

The Crosswalkhttp://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/relationships/

Effective Communication: Improving Communication Skills in Your Work and Personal Relationships http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/effective-communication.htm

Poor Communication Is The #1 Reason Couples Split Up: Surveyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/divorce-causes-_n_4304466.html

Eternal Marriage Student Manual

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https://www.lds.org/manual/eternal-marriage-student-manual?lang=eng

Have You Lost Hope in Your Marriage?http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/

National Organization for Marriagehttps://www.nationformarriage.org/

Importance of Communication http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/relationships/importance-communication

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