When Couples Therapy is Basically Useless…and When It Helps

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/-nl4dO3qCpk. In an era of political polarization, how can couples survive when they belong to different political tribes? Is it even possible? Well.. Judy and I talk about the possibilities and pitfalls. The GMA segment we refer to is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwo8--6n0XY. Our newly redesigned website is at https://ctin7.com. Let us know what you think! Information about the video course I mention in the episode is at https:// brucechalmer.com/courses. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. Judy’s book is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #couplestherapyinsevenwords #ctin7 #stability #intimacy #ThePassionParadox #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/6pp6GZAgptY. How can a couple cope when one partner wants sex more often than the other? Is this inevitable in long-term relationships? Does it have to involve conflict, pressure, rejection, and pain? Our guest in this episode, Laura Jurgens, is an expert on desire discrepancy in couples and how to work through it. Laura’s website is https://laurajurgens.com/libido. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. Bruce’s self-paced video course, The Passion Paradox: When You Feel Miles Apart and Still Love Each Other, is now available! Check out the free introductory lesson. And use the coupon code “ctin7” for 20% off! Information at https:// brucechalmer.com/the-passion-paradox-course. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #CouplesTherapyInSevenWords #ctin7 #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/JaYYg5luP_E. Why are people having less sex than they used to? What role does AI play in this tendency? Have we evolved to just want sex, or are we actually looking for the deep bond of love? Judy and I talk about these issues, and try to end on a hopeful note (you be the judge!). Our newly redesigned website is at https://ctin7.com. Let us know what you think! Information about the video course I mention in the episode is at https:// brucechalmer.com/courses. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. Judy’s book is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #couplestherapyinsevenwords #ctin7 #stability #intimacy #ThePassionParadox #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/iw0zfpvcwTU. How can a couple navigate difficult, often painful transitions at different stages of life, and emerge stronger than before? Our guests in this episode, Art and Tonya Blanchford, tell us how they’ve done it, and continue to do so. Art’s website is https://artblanchford.com. Tonya’s website for her soon to be open café is https://coastalteacafe.com. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. Bruce’s self-paced video course, The Passion Paradox: When You Feel Miles Apart and Still Love Each Other, is now available! Check out the free introductory lesson. And use the coupon code “ctin7” for 20% off! Information at https:// brucechalmer.com. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #CouplesTherapyInSevenWords #ctin7 #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/BdRj4uZJuys. Is couples therapy always a good idea? (Turns out, no!) When might it hurt, and when might it help? And how can you make the best use of couples therapy if you decide you want to do it? In this episode, Judy and I talk about those topics. The name of the person we mentioned who talked to us about compassionate divorce is Sarene Arias—check out our interview with her at our website, https://ctin7.com. Information about the video course I mention in the episode is at https://tppcourse.brucechalmer.com. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. And you can also sign up for Dr. Chalmer’s newsletter right from our homepage. Judy’s book is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #couplestherapyinsevenwords #ctin7 #stability #intimacy #ThePassionParadox #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/TmH4h0QPNB0. In this episode, Judy and I talk about Lauren Hall’s concept of Radical Moderation, and why I find the parallels between her ideas and my ideas about couples work so exciting. Our podcast interview with Lauren is at https://youtu.be/ftqRVeBptqs. Lauren Halls’ Substack, The Radical Moderate’s Guide to Life, is at https://substack.com/@radicalmoderatesguide. Information about the video course I mention in the episode is at https://tppcourse.brucechalmer.com. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. And you can also sign up for Dr. Chalmer’s newsletter right from our homepage. Judy’s book is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #couplestherapyinsevenwords #ctin7 #stability #intimacy #ThePassionParadox #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander #RadicalModeration #LaurenHall

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/-pQ0RKqexVQ. What is compassionate divorce? Our guest in this episode, Sarene Arias, works with couples to help them work together to create a healthy family for themselves and their children, even when they’ve decided to end their marriage. Sarene’s website is https://compassionate-divorce.com/. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. And you can also sign up for Dr. Chalmer’s newsletter right from our homepage. Bruce’s self-paced video course, The Passion Paradox: When You Feel Miles Apart and Still Love Each Other, is now available! Check out the free introductory lesson. And use the coupon code “ctin7” for 20% off! Information at https://tppcourse.brucechalmer.com. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #SareneArias #CompassionateDivorce #CouplesTherapyInSevenWords #ctin7 #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/9QHgncrcyCc. Our guest in this episode, Xanet Pailet, went from a 26-year sexless marriage to become an intimacy coach. We talk about how Xanet helps couples discover deep, passionate intimacy, both sexually and emotionally. Xanet’s website is https://howtoimprovemylovellife.com/. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. And you can also sign up for Dr. Chalmer’s newsletter right from our homepage. Bruce’s self-paced video course, The Passion Paradox: When You Feel Miles Apart and Still Love Each Other, is now available! Check out the free introductory lesson. And use the coupon code “ctin7” for 20% off! Information at https://brucechalmer.com. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com.   #Xanet Pailet #CouplesTherapyInSevenWords #ctin7 #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander #intimacy

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/HCPMLeURKJM. And now for something completely different… More and more people are developing relationships with chatbots—including client-therapist relationships. You might have heard some of the horror stories about chatbots leading people horribly astray, and also some of the positive stories about people finding chatbots can be helpful, supportive voices who are always available and never judgmental. At the suggestion of our son Seth Chalmer, we decided to interview a chatbot and see what she (sure sounded like a “she”) says about working with couples as a virtual therapist. You be the judge: would you like to use her as a therapist? Information about the video course that Bruce mentioned is at https://brucechalmer.com/tpp/ . Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. And you can also sign up for Dr. Chalmer’s newsletter right from our homepage. Judy’s book is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. #couplestherapyinsevenwords #ctin7 #stability #intimacy #ThePassionParadox #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander #ChatbotTherapist

For the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/eUR0twlYpd0. There’s a moment in my first sessions with couples that I’ve come to expect. I’ve explained to them a way of understanding what’s happening in many long-term relationships, and then ask them if that resonates with them. And that’s when it happens: that light-bulb moment. In this episode, Judy and I talk about that way of understanding relationships that leads to the light-bulb moment. Maybe it’ll have the same effect on you. More information about the course I mention in the episode is at https://brucechalmer.com/tpp. Do you have ideas for topics or guests for our podcast? Go to https://ctin7.com and send us a message. And you can also sign up for Dr. Chalmer’s newsletter right from our homepage. Judy’s book is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. #couplestherapyinsevenwords #ctin7 #stability #intimacy #ThePassionParadox #DrBruceChalmer #JudyAlexander