Talk To Me: The Debra Fileta Podcast

Q: Hey Debra! I have a pattern of dating the bad boys. How do I recognize the type of guy I should date, from the type of guy I shouldn’t date? When it comes to dating relationships, there is definitely such a thing as red flags in a relationship. The problem is, depending on our level of health and awareness – we can often either ignore the red flags or make excuses for them all together. The reasons so many people find themselves drawn to toxic relationships is complex, and one that I would encourage you to read about more in this article called “Why You Always Date Jerks“. But make no mistake about it – these bad boys can be recognized from a distance – and the healthier you are, the more quickly and easily you’ll be able to recognize a bad boy when he comes along. Dating The Bad Boys: What To Look For But in this episode – we’re not talking about the WHY….we’re talking about the WHAT. What are the traits that help us recognize when a guy is not good for us? In this episode of the LOVE + RELATIONSHIPS PODCAST, I’m talking you through a list of 10 guys that you need to avoid like the plague if you start noticing these qualities in your relationship. Because what you see in dating, you’ll see multiplied times 100 in marriage….the good, the bad, and the ugly. Tune in and subscribe by clicking below! And be sure to tune in next week when we talk about the 10 Girls You Shouldn’t Date! Want to be on the Love + Relationships Podcast?  Go to truelovedates.com/loveandrelationships/ to submit your question and learn more. SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Additional Ways To Listen: STITCHER or SPOTIFY Resources Mentioned on the Love + Relationships Podcast and Additional Show Notes: For another fun episode of the Love + Relationships Podcast check out the entire episode listing: LOVE + RELATIONSHIPS PODCAST Upcoming Events: 30’s Singles Mixers: TrueLoveDates.com is thrilled to announce that we’re offering another Single’s Mixer! On August 13, 2023 from 8pm-10pm EST for ages 30-40. This event will have the feel of “speed dating” but in a group setting and in the comfort of your own home thanks to online technology and Zoom!! During the night, you’ll get to hear from and interact with each person in the group using audio and video technology. Spot’s are limited to 20 singles (10 men / 10 women) so submit your application today! You can learn more about applying to this mixer HERE.  40’s Singles Night Out: You do not have to journey through singleness alone! On Friday, August 25th, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST, I will be hosting a 40’s Singles Night Out. Both of these events will be hosted on Zoom! These nights are going to be filled with fun, fellowship, giveaways, and encouragement. Click HERE to learn more! Books: Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does God want me to be single forever? How do I know whether or not I have the “gift” of singleness? How do I hold on to hope when the future seems so unknown and so unclear? So many people are struggling with these questions as they look ahead at an unknown future and wonder whether or not God has marriage in their horizon. Am I Going To Be Single Forever? There are so many things in life where we just don’t know what God has planned. But there are some truths and promises that can keep you grounded and hopeful while you wait. This episode of the Love + Relationships Podcast is an important one and one that is really close to my heart with all the waiting I have done in my life – and the waiting I continue to do in so many other areas of my life. I hope and pray that this episode will leave you encouraged as we collectively learn to trust God with the unknowns in life. Want to be on the Love + Relationships Podcast?  Go to truelovedates.com/loveandrelationships/ to submit your question and learn more. SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Additional Ways To Listen: STITCHER  Resources Mentioned on the Love + Relationships Podcast and Additional Show Notes: Ready to make some changes in your love life? Check out this 21 Day Course – 21 Days To Jump Start Your Love Life! Enjoyed this episode of the podcast? Check out the episode about Junk Food Relationships: Healthy Relationships Aren’t Convenient Or check out this mini episode and find out what I think about the concept of “Finding The One“. Upcoming Events: 30’s Singles Mixers: TrueLoveDates.com is thrilled to announce that we’re offering another Single’s Mixer! On August 13, 2023 from 8pm-10pm EST for ages 30-40. This event will have the feel of “speed dating” but in a group setting and in the comfort of your own home thanks to online technology and Zoom!! During the night, you’ll get to hear from and interact with each person in the group using audio and video technology. Spot’s are limited to 20 singles (10 men / 10 women) so submit your application today! You can learn more about applying to this mixer HERE.  40’s Singles Night Out: You do not have to journey through singleness alone! On Friday, August 25th, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST, I will be hosting a 40’s Singles Night Out. Both of these events will be hosted on Zoom! These nights are going to be filled with fun, fellowship, giveaways, and encouragement. Click HERE to learn more! Books: Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you feel like you’re struggling with singleness? I know that the struggle can be heightened during this season of life, especially with all that’s going on in the nation in light of Covid 19. Social distancing, quarantine, sheltering in place can make you feel even more lonely and disconnected than ever before.  But struggling with singleness does not make you strange, or crazy, or lacking in faith. It makes you human.  I got a question from a listener asking for tips and advice on how to deal with loneliness and anxiety during this time, and I brought my good friend – the one and only Mandisa, to help me tackle this question! Mandisa is a an incredible woman of God on the journey of singleness…and I know that having her help me address and answer this question will bless you beyond belief! So tune in to today’s episode of the Love + Relationships Podcast and subscribe to the show by clicking on the button below! SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Additional Ways To Listen: STITCHER  Love + Relationships Podcast Notes: FROM TODAY’S EPISODE: ORDER DEBRA’S BOOK! For other great episodes of the Love + Relationships Podcast check out: Spring: Is Your Relationship Growing? Summer Is When Things Get Hot: On Intimacy Colors of Fall: Questions To Ask Your Partner NOT Assume Winter: The frost of Apathy and How To Deal With It FREE QUIZ: IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP HEALTHY Upcoming Events: 30’s Singles Mixers: TrueLoveDates.com is thrilled to announce that we’re offering another Single’s Mixer! On August 13, 2023 from 8pm-10pm EST for ages 30-40. This event will have the feel of “speed dating” but in a group setting and in the comfort of your own home thanks to online technology and Zoom!! During the night, you’ll get to hear from and interact with each person in the group using audio and video technology. Spot’s are limited to 20 singles (10 men / 10 women) so submit your application today! You can learn more about applying to this mixer HERE.  40’s Singles Night Out: You do not have to journey through singleness alone! On Friday, August 25th, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST, I will be hosting a 40’s Singles Night Out. Both of these events will be hosted on Zoom! These nights are going to be filled with fun, fellowship, giveaways, and encouragement. Click HERE to learn more! Books: Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a woman make the first move in a relationship?  This is a question that’s always on my radar, because I know it’s going to come in about every single Q&A session I have – and let’s be honest, it’s a rather controversial topic. Truth be told, the answer to this question has changed over the years with the changing of culture and opinions and norms. But it’s a topic that’s holding a lot of women back and it’s about time we had this conversation on the podcast. Who Should Make The First Move? For many years, the majority of people would have answered no to this question, saying that a woman shouldn’t make the first move in a relationship. Some people said it wasn’t their preference for a woman to initiate a relationship. Others said it wasn’t biblical. Still today, 35% of readers that I polled on the blog believe that it’s not okay for a woman to initiate a relationship. But I respectfully disagree.  There are four reasons why I think it’s totally okay for a woman to make the first move in a relationship, and today on this episode of the podcast, I’m going to break it down with why I think it’s perfectly okay for a woman to take initiative and make a move. With a few exceptions that I’m going to cover, as well as a few things to be on the lookout for that signify a healthy relationship. Whether you’re a male or female, you don’t want to miss Episode 018 of the Love + Relationships Podcast! SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Additional Ways To Listen: STITCHER or SPOTIFY Want to be on the Love + Relationships Podcast?  Go to truelovedates.com/loveandrelationships/ to submit your question and learn more. Click here to read an outline of the Top 10 Relationship Killers.  Resources Mentioned on the Love + Relationships Podcast and Additional Show Notes: Enjoyed this episode of the podcast? Check out the episode about Junk Food Relationships: Healthy Relationships Aren’t Convenient Or check out this mini episode and find out what I think about the concept of “Finding The One“. Upcoming Events: Singles Night Out: You do not have to journey through singleness alone! TONIGHT, (July 28th, 2023) at 8:00 pm EST, I am hosting a special 30’s Single’s Night Out, and on Friday, August 25th, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST, I will be hosting a 40’s Singles Night Out. Both of these events will be hosted on Zoom! These nights are going to be filled with fun, fellowship, giveaways, and encouragement. 30’s Singles Mixers: TrueLoveDates.com is thrilled to announce that we’re offering another single’s mixer! On August 13, 2023 from 8pm-10pm EST for ages 30-40. This event will have the feel of “speed dating” but in a group setting and in the comfort of your own home thanks to online technology and Zoom!! During the night, you’ll get to hear from and interact with each person in the group using audio and video technology. Spot’s are limited to 20 singles (10 men / 10 women) so submit your application today! You can learn more about applying to this mixer HERE.  Learn More About Singles Summer Books: Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don’t have to like being single. Yes, even you, Christian person. It’s okay to struggle with being single! It really is. I’m giving you – reading this post – permission to go ahead and feel those feelings. And in this episode, I’m going to tell you exactly why. On this episode of the Love + Relationships Podcast, I’m talking to a young woman who is struggling with singleness. She’s just not feeling content. How can you survive singleness in a world that seems to revolve around marriage? How can you keep from getting discouraged when you’re not in a relationship but want to be? What do you do when you find yourself living in a season of waiting…and waiting…and waiting? What do you do when it seems like the people who AREN’T doing it God’s way are being “blessed”, and you feel like you’re trying to follow God’s leading and you’re feeling like life just isn’t working out for you? What can you do while you’re waiting? Let’s have this conversation, friends. Being Single Doesn’t Have To Be Time To Kill After our chat, I’m going to talk you through some of the TOP 10 ways to use this time of singleness in your life as a time of preparation, rather than just a time you’re wishing away. Being single doesn’t have to ruin your life…in fact, it shouldn’t. So we’re going to discuss the things my married friends WISHED they would have done during their time of singleness, and I think it’s important to talk through some of this stuff. Because it’s so easy to look at what God is NOT doing, instead of what He IS doing (CLICK TO TWEET IT!). We’ve got to learn to adjust our perspective on being single. You don’t have to like being single – but you do have to learn how to NOT LET SINGLENESS hold you back!! Singleness might be a struggle for you, but don’t let it be a stronghold that paralyzes you from living! We’re talking through this delicate topic today, and I hope you’ll stick around and join us, because you’re going to love this candid conversation on today’s episode of the Love + Relationships Podcast. SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Additional Ways To Listen: STITCHER Want to be on the Love + Relationships Podcast?  Go to truelovedates.com/loveandrelationships/ to submit your question and learn more. Enjoyed this episode of the podcast? Check out this episode about Sex Drive and The Single Life: Controlling Your Desires Before They Control You Resources Mentioned on the Love + Relationships Podcast and Additional Show Notes: Check out these articles: 7 LIES THAT ARE KEEPING YOU SINGLE or 3 THINGS MARRIED PEOPLE SHOULD STOP SAYING TO SINGLES Upcoming Events: Singles Night Out: You do not have to journey through singleness alone! On Friday, July 28th, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST, I am hosting a special 30’s Single’s Night Out, and on Friday, August 25th, 2023 at 8:00 pm EST, I will be hosting a 40’s Singles Night Out. Both of these events will be hosted on Zoom! These nights are going to be filled with fun, fellowship, giveaways, and encouragement. 30’s Singles Mixers: TrueLoveDates.com is thrilled to announce that we’re offering another single’s mixer! On August 13, 2023 from 8pm-10pm EST for ages 30-40. This event will have the feel of “speed dating” but in a group setting and in the comfort of your own home thanks to online technology and Zoom!! During the night, you’ll get to hear from and interact with each person in the group using audio and video technology. Spot’s are limited to 20 singles (10 men / 10 women) so submit your application today! You can learn more about applying to this mixer HERE. Learn More About Singles Summer Books: Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking toxic relationships both in dating and in marriage. Q: When it comes to general relationships, how do you know when a relationship is worth working on, and how do you know when it’s time to walk away?  A: When it is time to walk away from an unhealthy relationship? That’s a question we’re diving in to today. Christians tend to really struggle with the idea of walking away from relationships, even when they get to a place where they’re harmful or even dangerous. I’m joined by my friend and bestselling author, Gary Thomas, to tag-team this question today because he just finished writing all about toxic relationships, and it’s a conversation we need to bring to the surface. Toxic Relationships In today’s episode we’re covering: Why is it actually biblical for us to walk away from toxic relationships? What are some key motivators to remember when it comes to making the choice to walk away from a toxic relationship? How do we recognize a relationship that’s hurting us? How to handle toxic relationships in dating as well as in marriage. And so much more! SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Debra Fileta Counselors Network: Book a session with one of our trained Christian counselors and get started on your healing journey from the inside-out TODAY! BOOK A SESSION Love + Relationships Podcast Extras: For other great episodes of the Love + Relationships Podcast check out: Top 10 Relationship Killers. Small Things That Cause Big Problems.  Is There Such A Thing As “The One”? And Why My Husband And I Disagree. MORE BOOKS BY DEBRA Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Q: We’re struggling through the reality check of marriage. It’s not always as easy as we imagined it to be. Do you have any tips or advice for us? I often talk about the differences between our expectations of marriage , vs. the reality of what marriage.  But today, I’m excited to tag team this question about the reality check of marriage with my friends Jeremy and Addie Camp. Jeremy Camp and Addie are so real and raw about their own marriage, the struggles they’ve been through, and the victories they’ve had. In this episode we talk about the reality check of marriage in their own lives, as well as practical things they do to keep their connection strong and nurture their relationship. It’s packed with encouragement and practical advice, and I know it will encourage you whether you’re married or one day hoping to be. SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Debra Fileta Counselors Network: Book a session with one of our trained Christian counselors and get started on your healing journey from the inside-out TODAY! BOOK A SESSION Love + Relationships Podcast Notes: Check out Jeremy and Adrienne’s book: In Unison For other great episodes of the Love + Relationships Podcast check out: Spring: Is Your Relationship Growing? Summer Is When Things Get Hot: On Intimacy Colors of Fall: Questions To Ask Your Partner NOT Assume Winter: The frost of Apathy and How To Deal With It FREE QUIZ: IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP HEALTHY MORE BOOKS BY DEBRA Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Love In Every Season: The Four Stages of Every Healthy Relationship, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me or True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever been through a hard time in your life where you thought to yourself, “This is not what I wanted my life to look like. This is NOT what I expected.”  What happens when life doesn’t turn out how you planned? How do you navigate those hard times of hopelessness and discouragement, when you feel stuck in a life that you never expected.  Maybe your hard time is that you just went through the heartbreaking loss of a failed or broken relationship.  Maybe you’re single, and your hard time is that you thought FOR SURE you’d be married by now, but find that instead, you’re struggling with loneliness and discouragement.  Maybe your hard time right now is walking through grief, or loss, or illness…and you find yourself asking why.  Today’s guests went through their own difficult journey of asking why. After the tragic untimely deaths of their respective spouses, Brittany Price and Daniel Brooker each found themselves as a young widow/widower – dealing with their own individual journey’s of grief, and pain, and heartache, and loss…a loss that ultimately brought them together in remarriage. This is an incredible story of two broken hearts, who never let go of Hope. Their story encouraged me during one of my darkest times and I know it will encourage you. When Life Doesn’t Turn Out How You Planned In this special episode we cover: The details of their journey of grief and loss and the heartbreaking experience of losing their first loves. (I about lost it, hearing their stories you guys!) Their honest and candid truths about the hardest part of remarriage and blending families. Their best advice for anyone who is considering remarriage. Some incredible encouragement for ANYONE who is dealing with a hard time in life. How the past can be paralyzing, and the importance of taking steps to move forward in healing. Learning to shift your perspective from WHY to WHAT as a way to deal with grief and loss. The importance of gratitude in the midst of suffering. Why mentorship is a critical part of the healthy life. Learning to trust God and cling to His Word in the midst of hard times. Remembering God’s faithfulness and goodness through it all – and how he can redeem every story and every situation. Single, dating, or married this show has something for you. Bring the tissues. Grab your notebook, and get ready to write down the nuggets of truth from this inspiring and challenging episode. SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Additional Ways To Listen: STITCHER Want to be on the Love + Relationships Podcast?  Go to truelovedates.com/loveandrelationships/ to learn more. Resources Mentioned on the Love + Relationships Podcast and Additional Show Notes: Connect with Brittany and Daniel on Instagram @BrittanyPriceBrooker and @DanielOBrooker. Brittany was so sweet to give a shout out to my book, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me. I’m so grateful to hear how it’s encouraged her on this journey of marriage, and I pray it will encourage your heart as well as you learn to give out of your overflow. Pick up a copy for you or someone you know who needs some perspective and encouragement on what it looks like to choose marriage on a daily basis, and why it’s worth it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Q: “Hey Debra, I’d love to hear your thoughts about if and how birth order impacts a relationship”.  A: Are you the oldest child, middle child, or the baby of your family? Believe it or not, how you answer that question will actually have a significant impact on the type of person you turn out to be – as well as how you do relationships. Your birth order can have a significant impact on your love life, so it’s important to understand the dynamics that are at play.  In this episode of the LOVE + RELATIONSHIPS PODCAST, I’m joined by two of my friends and leading marriage voices in the country, Dave and Ashley Willis from Marriage Today. Together, Dave, Ashley and I talk through what we know about birth order – why it’s an actual thing, and how we’ve seen it impact relationships. In this episode, we talk through: Birth Order Episode: We cover the characteristics of a first born child (or only child), including strengths and weaknesses. The three of us talk through characteristics of a middle child, including strengths and weaknesses. We discuss characteristics of a the baby of the family, including strengths and weaknesses. What it’s like to be a first born married to a first born (Interesting to note, everyone on this episode is a first born!) A hilarious story of how the Willis’ totally played into the middle child stereotype with their middle child. Some interesting look at an informal survey I took revealing the birth order we tend to be attracted to in relationships. How to deal with opposite characteristics of birth order in relationships, because this is an issue that often comes up. The caveats that need to be addressed when discussing birth order. Tune in today for a super fun and informative episode, so I hope you’ll take the time to tune in to our conversation and find out the strengths and weaknesses of YOUR specific birth order – and how it might be impacting your closest relationships. Want to be on the Love + Relationships Podcast?  Go to truelovedates.com/loveandrelationships/ to submit your question and learn more. SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE Resources Mentioned on the Love + Relationships Podcast and Additional Show Notes: Dave and Ashley Willis have become some of America’s most trusted teachers on marriage. Their books, blogs, videos and speaking events reach millions of couples worldwide. They are part of the team at XO Marriage and MarriageToday, which is the largest marriage-focused ministry in the USA. Dave and Ashley have four young sons and live near Dallas, Texas. For another incredible resource check out Dr. Lehman’s book: The Birth Order Book, and get an in-depth look at the intricacies of birth order. For another fun episode of the Love + Relationships Podcast check out: Oversharing in Relationships – 10 Things Not To Talk About Too Soon BOOKS BY DEBRA– Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me, True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life, or Love In Every Season. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about communication in marriage, what comes to mind? When I was gathering data for my book, Choosing Marriage, I asked singles to tell me how much time they thought married couples spend in quality communication each week. Then, I surveyed married couples asking them how much time they spend in quality communication each week…and the different answers that came in were almost laughable (I tell you all about the stats it in this episode and why married couples aren’t actually talking!) There was such a drastic difference between what singles thought communication in marriage looked like, vs. what married people actually reported communication in marriage to be.  But there are so many things that get in the way of communication in marriage. Life. Jobs. Kids. If we’re not constantly trying to move together in marriage, we’ll find ourselves moving apart. MARRIAGE COUNSELORS TALKING ABOUT REAL COMMUNICATION IN MARRIAGE In today’s episode, I’m joined by my dear friend and marriage counselor, Dr. Kim Kimberling. We cover some of these issues that can come up with communication and connection in marriage. We talk about our own respective marriages, some of the challenges and successes we face when it comes to communication in marriage. We talk about child-centric homes, why they’re dangerous to marriage, and what to do about it. How to set some boundaries with your kids so you can enrich your marriage. We talk about some steps you can take to build your marriage or restore it when you’re feeling off-track. Why most married couples aren’t spending enough time together, and how to make it happen. We talk about the importance of the first 10-minutes of contact with your spouse. We talk about who should initiate communication and why it matters. We also share some ways we stay connected to our spouses and some practices that you can apply to your marriage to stay connected….and so much more! This episode is so full of amazing conversation and insight. You’re going to love it! Whether you’re single, or married, or somewhere in between – take the time to tune into today’s episode. Resources Mentioned on the Podcast and Additional Show Notes: Be sure to connect with today’s guest, Dr. Kim Kimberling and all his encouraging marriage resources at AwesomeMarriage.com. And be sure to check out his new book, 14 Keys To Lasting Love: How To Have The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted Learn more about communication by checking out this article: You Have Walls, And They’re Keeping People Out. The Truth About Communication in Marriage. BOOKS BY DEBRA– Get busy learning what you need to know about healthy singleness, dating, and marriage. Check out Choosing Marriage: Why It Has To Start With We > Me, True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life, or Love In Every Season. DEBRA FILETA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, national speaker, bestselling author, relationship expert, and founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She’s written six books including Choosing Marriage,True Love Dates, Love In Every Season,Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, and RESET. She’s also the host of the hotline style Love + Relationships Podcast answering listener questions about love, relationships, and mental and emotional health. Her popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, reaches millions of people with the message of healthy relationships. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or book an online session with her or someone from her team today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices