The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

Have you tried everything to fix your relationship, but nothing seems to work? Are you torn between staying and giving it one more try, or finally walking away? This week, Andrew talks with renowned couples therapist MICHELE WEINER-DAVIS about how to navigate one of the hardest decisions in a relationship: When is it time to stop trying? Michele is the creator of the “Divorce Busting” approach, which aims to empowers individual to make concrete, positive changes in their relationships—even when their partner isn’t on board. Her work is deeply hopeful, but she also understands that sometimes, despite our best efforts, it may be time to let go. Together, Andrew and Michele explore: Coping with different levels of sexual desire in your relationship Why one partner often wants change more than the other Common differences in how men and women communicate Working together in therapy to make the "final call".  Michele Weiner-Davis is an internationally renowned relationship expert, best-selling author, marriage therapist, and professional speaker who specializes in helping people change their lives and improve important relationships. She is the author of eight books including Healing from Infidelity: The Divorce Busting Guide to Rebuilding Your Marriage After an Affair, and The Sex-Starved Marriage: A Couple's Guide to Boosting Their Marriage Libido. Michele’s work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and on the BBC.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: How to Get Through to the Man You Love - Without Nagging.  Three Things Michele Weiner-Davis knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew's new men's retreat, Reconnect With Yourself, this autumn in the Brandenberg countryside near Berlin  Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Visit Michele Weiner Davis’s website: Divorce Busting Read some of Michele Weiner Davis’s books: Divorce Busting: A Revolutionary and Rapid Program for Staying Together  Healing from Infidelity: The Divorce Busting Guide to Rebuilding Your Marriage After an Affair The Sex-Starved Marriage: Boosting Your Marriage Libido  Follow Michele Weiner Davis on social media: Facebook: Michele Weiner-Davis X (formerly Twitter): @DivorceBusting Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Are you living a life you really believe in, or are you filling in time until your “real life” begins? Are you waiting on marriage, a better job, a new exercise regime or a beautiful house to create an authentic life?  Humans do need to have goals and plans, but it is also destructive to ignore those inner voices telling us what would bring us individual meaning.  In this classic episode, Andrew and PHILIP CARR-GOMM discuss how to start developing your authentic self right now, rather than endlessly kicking that important ball further down the road.  Philip Carr-Gomm is an expert in psychosynthesis, an  “awe-inspiring territory that has the power to transform us”. He believes that something magical happens when the worlds of modern psychology and ancient spiritual teachings are brought together. Philip has studied Druidry extensively and from 1988-2020 was the leader of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. He has a degree in Psychology and has trained in psychotherapy, play therapy, Montessori education, yoga nidra, mindfulness meditation and Sophrology. Philip recently created an online school, The Art of Living Well, to offer courses combining psychological and spiritual understanding. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: Three Things Philip Carr-Gomm knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Attend Andrew's new men's retreat, Reconnect With Yourself, this autumn in the Brandenberg countryside near Berlin https://andrewgmarshall.com/mens-retreat/  Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things https://andrewgmarshall.com/download/  Take a look at Philip Carr-Gomm’s website Find out more about the courses offered at Philip’s online school, The Art of Living Well Follow Philip on Instagram at @philipcarrgomm and on Facebook at @philip.carrgomm Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Carolyn Sharp, a seasoned marital therapist and author of 'Fire It Up,' shares profound insights on keeping the spark alive in long-term relationships. She discusses the importance of defining a marriage purpose and the need for open discussions about sex. Carolyn emphasizes healthier conflict resolution, happiness habits that create lasting joy, and the power of radical acceptance. With over 25 years of experience, she provides actionable tips for couples looking to reignite intimacy and deepen their emotional bonds.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation” (Henry Thoreau).  In this classic episode, Andrew interviews therapist SIMON ROE. Simon has based his life’s work on helping men live an authentic life. After himself going through a period of quiet desperation in his mid-thirties, he went on to help men break the silence, find “the song inside” and overcome their experiences of depression, violence and loneliness.  Simon has also worked extensively with boys and their fathers to create rites of passage that help boys claim a strong, authentic sense of their developing manhood. Simon Roe originally trained as a body psychotherapist, and is also a co-leader of the Mandorla Men’s Rites of Passage programme. He has worked extensively with perpetrators of domestic violence, and is a Respect approved trainer and supervisor. Simon is also trained in process oriented psychology.  Simon and Andrew also discuss the idea of answering “the call to adventure”, an idea powerfully captured in this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke: Sometimes A Man Stands Up During Supper Sometimes a man stands up during supper and walks outdoors, and keeps on walking, because of a church that stands somewhere in the East.   And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead.   And another man, who remains inside his own house, dies there, inside the dishes and in the glasses, so that his children have to go far out into the world toward that same church , which he forgot. Rainer Maria Rilke ( trans. Robert Bly)   If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: Three Things Simon Roe knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Attend Andrew's new men's retreat, Reconnect With Yourself, this autumn in the Brandenberg countryside near Berlin.  Visit Simon Roe’s website  Learn about the Kingfisher Project, a community dedicated to rites of passage for boys aged 13-16.  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Many women long to be in a happy relationship, in which they feel safe, heard and understood, but have given up after years of disappointment and heartbreak. This week dating coach EVAN MARC KATZ joins Andrew to discuss why it’s so hard for women to find a man who wants to commit and to build a genuine relationship. They cover: How to get psychologically prepared to date successfully.  Knowing which compromises to make in the service of love.  The difference between compromise and “settling”.  The importance of accepting men as they are, rather than viewing them as fixable works in progress.  Balancing chemistry and compatibility in your relationship decisions.  Evan’s personal experiences of dating frustration, and how they led him to write one of the first and most popular books about online dating.  Evan Marc Katz is an author, CEO, podcaster, dating coach and former screenwriter who works to support strong, successful women to find lasting relationships. He has been featured by Today, the New York Times, and CNN. A total of 13,000 women from 40 countries have graduated from Love U, his coaching course and community that helps women understand men and find love. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: Dealing with Unavailable Men. Three Things Evan Marc Katz knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Learn more about working with Evan Marc Katz on his website  Read Evan Marc Katz’s books Listen to Evan Marc Katz’s Love U podcast  Follow Evan Marc Katz on Facebook @EvanMarcKatzfan, on Instagram @realevanmarckatz and on Twitter/X and YouTube @evanmarckatz.  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

James Hollis, a renowned Jungian analyst and author, discusses the essence of resilience and personal growth. He emphasizes that true strength comes from within, rather than superficial self-help fixes. Hollis shares insights on navigating life's challenges, advocating for authenticity and self-acceptance. He reflects on his transformative journey from academia to therapy, revealing how personal struggles can lead to deeper understanding. The conversation also touches on the significance of dreams and the importance of forging meaningful connections during tough times.

Is your relationship a refuge from stress in a turbulent and demanding world? Do you always have each other’s backs? OR has the stress you face at work or in the culture seeped into your home life and created a rift between you? Marital therapist ELIZABETH EARNSHAW, the author of Til Stress Do Us Part, works with couples to identify and address the life stress that is undermining their partnership. In this episode, Andrew and Elizabeth discuss: Setting effective boundaries Self-soothing when life gets rough Taking responsibility for what makes you happy Communicating with compassion rather than resentment Elizabeth Earnshaw is a marital therapist from Philadelphia in the US.  She owns the practice A Better Life Therapy, and over the past 15 years she has supported thousands of couples as they navigate the ups and downs of life. Elizabeth has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and other national and international publications. She is also the author of I Want This To Work, 'Til Stress Do Us Part, and a therapist's guide called The Couples Therapy Flipchart.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: How to Deal with Hot Button Topics Three Things Elizabeth Earnshaw knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Buy Elizabeth Earnshaw’s book, Til Stress Do Us Part: How to Heal the #1 Issue in our Relationships  Visit Elizabeth Earnshaw’s website  Follow Elizabeth Earnshaw on Instagram @lizlistens Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

When women and men argue, women can often be more comfortable in expressing their feelings of hurt and anger.  Men can feel distressed by this strength of feeling, and may pull away emotionally. They may feel a very strong urge to occupy the ground of rationality and objectivity, which in turn leads their partner to push harder, desperately seeking emotional connection. Dr Avrum Weiss is a US-based author and psychotherapist specialising in the internal lives of men. His writing and his work with couples help men and women understand each other more deeply and build a stronger connection. In this classic reissued episode, Andrew and Avrum discuss the emotion of anger and how our childhoods can influence our adult experiences of it. They share insights from Avrum’s book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships , and look at how men and women can better understand each other’s internal world. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: Three Things Avrum Weiss knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Buy Dr Avrum Weiss’ book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships  Find Dr Avrum Weiss’ other books via his website  Follow Dr Avrum Weiss on Facebook @AvrumWeissAuthor Read Andrew’s books on relationships and self-development  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Does something feel off about your intimate relationships? According to author and couples therapist Dené Logan, the answer to your problem may lie in the interplay of your masculine and feminine energies. Masculine and feminine polarities are present in every person and relationship. When we’re out of touch with the energetics within ourselves and those around us, it can create an internal struggle and sense of disharmony in our partnerships. In this episode, Andrew and Dené discuss: Understanding the polarities in your partnership Integrating masculine and feminine energies Moving away from a codependent, transactional view of your relationship Some of the historical and cultural reasons our relationships turn out the way they do. Dené Logan is an LA-based marriage and family therapist, who takes a depth psychology approach. She is also a group facilitator, public speaker, yoga and mindfulness instructor, and the co-host of the Cheaper than Therapy podcast. Dené is also a mentee to acclaimed couples therapist Esther Perel. Her book, Sovereign Love, was published in May 2024. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: How to heal the patriarchal mother wound.  Three Things Dené Logan knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Read Dené Logan’s book, Sovereign Love  Follow Dené Logan on Instagram @dene.logan and on TikTok @denelogan Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Life brings to all of us long periods where we feel lost or confused. We don't know how to get what we want, or even what it is that we want. The struggle to articulate the thing that might really make us “come alive” can be profound, even if we enter therapy. Charlotte Fox Weber is a psychotherapist, author and the founding head of The School of Life Psychotherapy. Her bestselling book, Tell Me What You Want, explores how to identify and navigate our deepest longings.  In this classic episode, Andrew and Charlotte discuss the idea that we have 12 fundamental desires: to love and be loved; understanding, power, attention, freedom; to create, to belong, to win, to connect, to control; and to want what we shouldn't.  Identifying how these desires play out in your life can be liberating and beautiful, even if you also realise that acting on them is impossible.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: Three Things Charlotte Fox Weber knows to be true.  AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Charlotte Fox Weber’s new book, Tell Me What You Want  Follow Charlotte Fox Weber on Instagram @charlottefoxweberpsychotherapy and on Facebook @charlottefoxweber Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall