EmPowered Couples with The Freemans

What if the key to a deeper, more connected marriage wasn’t just about communicating more, but communicating in the right way? In this episode I sit down with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg, whose newest book Supercommunicators breaks open the science of how real connection happens. We explore how couples often end up having two totally different types of conversations — practical, emotional, or social — without even realizing it, and how that mismatch can quietly erode understanding and intimacy. Charles also shares how vulnerability and mirroring build emotional closeness, but how quickly that connection can be disrupted by subtle patterns of judgment or control. These hidden dynamics don’t always show up as shouting or criticism. Sometimes they sneak in through trying to fix, correct, or redefine how your partner sees themselves. Whether you're navigating everyday stress or deeper conflict, this episode reveals how to shift from disconnect to understanding, and how to communicate in ways that sync both your brains and your hearts.   Relationship Resources ⬇️ Start the 30-Day Prioritizing Us Couples Challenge to grow your connection, improve communication, and feel like a team again, especially for those that are parents. It starts on June 1st, 2025. You can add your partner for free. www.mycoupleschallenge.com

With all the conflicting relationship advice floating around, like “you shouldn’t need your partner” versus “you should be able to lean on them emotionally”, it’s no wonder couples feel confused about what a healthy marriage really looks like. In this episode we unpack the real difference between codependence, hyper independence, and interdependence and why understanding where you and your partner fall on this spectrum could change everything. We also share our own journey through these patterns and explore how they show up in daily life, especially in conflict, under stress, and when you’re trying to get your needs met. If you've ever felt too needy, too shut down, or just unsure how to stay connected without losing yourself, this episode is for you. We’ll walk you through the signs, the shifts, and the steps to build a partnership that feels secure and sustainable without giving everything away here.   Relationship Resources Grab our 3 Guides Bundle for deeper connection and conflict repair Includes: • The Family Meeting Guide • The De-Escalating Conflicts Guide • The Making Up and Moving Forward Guide These tools will help you communicate clearly, reconnect after conflict, and stay united through life’s toughest moments.

What if being a happier couple had less to do with big changes—and everything to do with small, intentional daily habits? In this episode, we’re breaking down five simple but powerful actions that bring more connection, lightness, and emotional closeness into your marriage. These aren’t just “nice to do” ideas—these are the habits that shift the atmosphere in your relationship and help you feel like true teammates again. We’ll explore the daily patterns that shape how connected or distant you feel, and why certain overlooked moments carry more weight than you realize. Whether you're in a good place or trying to find your way back to each other, these five habits are practical, doable, and surprisingly impactful. Listen in and see which one your relationship might need most right now.   Relationship Resources: 💛 Want us to send you the daily actions that create these kinds of habits? Join the “Prioritizing Us” 30-Day Couples Challenge, it’s designed to help you reconnect in small but meaningful ways and fill your love accounts each day, especially during busy seasons.  

Women’s needs in marriage evolve—and if you're not paying attention to those changes, disconnection can creep in even when there’s love. This is especially true in the seasons of motherhood, when emotional, physical, and mental demands are at their highest. In this week’s podcast episode, we break down the 5 key categories of needs most women have in marriage right now—especially mothers in the thick of parenting. Whether you’re navigating newborn life, toddler chaos, or school-age schedules, this conversation helps both partners understand what matters most for staying connected. Relationship Resources ⏬ 1) If you're ready to reconnect in small but meaningful ways, join the Prioritizing Us 30-Day Couples Challenge. It’s full of daily connection builders that fit into real life—especially in busy seasons like parenting. 2) To make sure that your partner has the best Mothers Day possible, we also have a FREE Mother's Day Prep Guide that you can access (and then use) for this weekend!  3) Also come see us in person at The Couples Workshop in Arizona on Oct.5th, 2025. This will be a half-day of learning and practicing communication and conflict resolution tools that will create real momentum in your marriage NOW! 

It’s easy to assume that love alone should keep you feeling connected, but day-to-day life has a way of pulling couples apart without them even realizing it. In this episode, we break down why feeling loved and being committed are two different experiences — and what really determines whether you feel close or distant from your partner. You'll learn the surprising factor that affects how you interpret everyday moments, why good intentions sometimes miss the mark, and what shifts help couples rebuild emotional closeness over time. If you want to feel more connected, seen, and understood, this conversation will give you the roadmap for the steps to take in your own marriage today.   Relationship Resources: Join the  "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge starting May 1st, 2025 - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and raise their love accounts with daily actions! You get the Family Meeting Guide as a bonus, or get it on it's own here.   

Suppose that  something is bothering you about your partner. The two options are to express it or to suppress it. Likely you have had moments where you have chosen both options. At times when you have expressed it your partner received it well, other times it caused tension or even conflict.  Over time maybe you have started to hold things in instead for the sake of keeping the peace. But then down the line you end up reacting to another situation and you bring up your unhappiness and frustration with all you have been holding in. So when is the right time to bring things up?  This is the question you will get answers to in this episode. It does take a balance and some awareness about how and when to bring up an issue. During this episode you will hear 3 situations where you should express and another 3 situations where it would be best to ‘temporarily’ suppress. With this awareness you should be able to navigate emotional situations for the best outcome for both of you. After all, expressing needs and being understood is a key part of your marital satisfaction.   Relationship Resources 👇 If you want a consistent way to bring things up before they build up… The Family Meeting Guide is for you. It helps you check in weekly—so small frustrations can be shared as seeds, not weeds. Use it on its own, or get it FREE as a bonus when you join the Prioritizing Us Challenge starting May 1st, 2025. 👉 Grab the Family Meeting Guide here 👉 Start the Prioritizing Us Challenge (and get the guide)

Marriage isn’t static; it evolves, and to thrive in it, you have to evolve too. Often, it’s the resistance to this truth, not just the circumstances you face, that makes marriage feel more difficult. Satisfaction goes down, frustration goes up. That’s why personal growth and self-awareness are non-negotiables in a long-term marriage. In this episode, we unpack what “personal growth and development” actually looks like in a relationship. You’ll hear six key areas to reflect on and bring more awareness to within yourself, before turning to what you want your partner to change. Growth starts with awareness, but we’ll also share specific ideas and actions you can take in each area. This is the path both partners must walk individually so the marriage can continue to evolve in a connected, fulfilling way.   Relationship Resources ⏬ If you’ve felt stuck in patterns lately, don’t miss this. We’ve temporarily re-opened the replay of our Marriage WebClass that 8,000 couples joined last month. Go to OnlineCouplesWorkshops.com to watch it, and right after registering, you’ll get access to a rare bundle deal of our most powerful marriage guides.

“Throughout the course of your life, you will be married 2–3 times. For some, this will be to the same person.”This sentiment is becoming more widely recognized, and it means you need to be ready for your marriage to evolve. Those who aren’t ready (or who don’t accept this) often go through harder seasons and are more likely to split from their partners. We will all face difficult chapters in the lifespan of a marriage, but those who accept the evolution are the ones who can re-make their marriage with the same partner. Today’s episode is about the importance of being able to rebuild a marriage when a couple arrives at this crossroad. You’ll hear the 7 steps couples go through to repair and rebuild their marriage for the next season ahead. This is one of the hardest things to do, so it’s not expected that you’ll take all these steps now, or even on your own. But knowing this is the path to rebuilding can give you clarity and hope that you can turn your marriage into what you want it to be. This episode is meant to help you understand the process and then use one of these resources to guide you through practical steps in this difficult (but ultimately rewarding) phase of marriage. 👇 Start the 30-Day “Rebuilding Us Couples Challenge", to get daily prompts straight to your inbox that give you the steps to have these rebuilding conversations.  Use the “Steps to Rebuild a Marriage Guide” to see and follow the tangible steps of the conversations in each of the 7 steps discussed in this episode. Both resources can be found here: MeetTheFreemans.com/rebuild

You can love your spouse and still feel overwhelmed by the unspoken responsibilities constantly running through your mind. The mental load is the invisible to-do list in your head—and when roles and responsibilities feel imbalanced, it can quietly erode connection, create resentment, and impact intimacy. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Morgan Cutlip— author of the upcoming book A Better Share: How Couples Can Tackle the Mental Load—for one of the most important conversations couples need to have. Together we explore: • How to bring up the mental load in a way that unites you, not divides you • A simple but powerful question your spouse can ask instead of getting defensive • What unspoken resentment actually sounds like in day-to-day marriage • The surprising link between mental overload and decreased intimacy • And how to reset your roles and reconnect as a team Whether you’re the one carrying the weight or you’re not even sure what the “mental load” really is—this episode will open your eyes and strengthen your marriage. 📚And make sure you order her amazing book right here!  Here’s Dr Morgan’s IG, too!

This is the logical followup from last week’s episode about emotional intimacy differences, which is about maintaining physical intimacy with your partner the longer you are together. It might seem obvious to say that men and women are different in this area yet in this episode you will hear a breakdown of some of the modern challenges that lead to a decline in physical intimacy for men and women. Many of these things are the predictable, daily life tasks and stressors that all couples will have.  The main takeaways from listening to this episode will be 6 different things you can take action on now to increase and maintain your satisfaction in your physical intimacy. These are not going to be the mechanics of intimacy however, but the things every couple needs to do and communicate about to be on the same page and better understand what intimacy means to each partner for the season you are currently in as a couple.   Relationship Resources: 1) The LIMITED EDITION Best of Us 30-Day Couples Challenge, is starting again April 1st, 2025. Over 4000 couples completed this challenge to start this year, many of which felt a real shift even after the first 5 days. We got so many requests for the challenge again, that we are bringing it back for April. But won't be available for another 5-6 months. So do not miss this opportunity to bring back that SPARK 💥 2) After this challenge window closes, take a look at the next available challenges of Prioritize Us or Rebuilding Us. ❣️