What Can Straight Couples Learn from LGBT Couples? An Interview with Laurel Roberts-Meese

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/therapist-is-a-quack/. Is your therapist a quack? We’ve talked about how to know if you should leave a relationship—what about a relationship with a therapist? What are the signs that you should dump them? As you’ll hear in this episode, thinking about that led us to talk about when diagnoses, such as ADHD or narcissism or Borderline Personality Disorder, can be damaging, even though they are also often useful. Feel free to argue with me! 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/angelo-santiago/. How can men be better husbands and partners? Our guest in this episode is Angelo Santiago, a Marriage and Relationship Coach with a specialization in helping men become better husbands. Angelo had me (Bruce) on his podcast, “Better Husband,” and we were delighted to return the favor. Angelo’s website is https://www.angelosantiago.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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/quits-in-40-year-marriage/. A listener question prompted this episode: “Fred” wrote to us asking how to know when to end a 40-year marriage. Judy and I talk about this dilemma from several angles. How do couples get to that point after so many years of relative stability? What’s the role of intimacy in a couple? Are there ethical issues to consider? Let us know what you think. 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/jonathon-aslay/. Our guest in this episode, Jonathon Aslay, is a relationship coach who works especially with people (most often women, but some men) in mid-life. We talk about the particular issues that arise for people at that stage of life, and how Jonathon helps them navigate them. It’s a lively discussion—we had fun! Jonathon’s website is https://www.jonathonaslay.com/. His YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/@JonathonAslay. 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/brian-hite/. Our guest in this episode, Brian Hite, has quite the blend of experiences to offer: he’s a Hollywood stuntman with over 100 credits, a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, and a sports performance coach. In his speeches and trainings, Brian challenges some conventional assumptions about pressure, motivation, and performance. And his energy is contagious—check out this episode and see if your own level of motivation kicks up a notch! Brian’s website is https://www.brianhiteglobal.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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/jenn-kennedy/. What are some of the issues that come up for older adults in sex therapy? Our guest in this episode, Dr. Jenn Kennedy, tells us how  she helps older couples navigate the changes and challenges of maintaining and improving their sexual connection. Dr. Kennedy’s website is https://pleasureproject.us/. 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/. For the audio-only version of this podcast, visit https://ctin7.com.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/kelly-ghweinem/. Many therapists who work with couples are uncomfortable talking about sex with their clients—and therefore miss the opportunity to help them deal with those issues. Our guest in this episode, Kelly Ghweinem, tells us about how she helps couples with sexual issues, and how she and her colleague train therapists to equip them with the skills they need to help their clients more effectively with sexual issues. Kelly’s website is https://www.eroticacademy.net/. 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/laurel-roberts-meese/. LGBT couples and straight couples share many of the same issues, but there are also some characteristic differences. And our guest in this episode, Laurel Roberts-Meese, tells us not only about those differences, but about ways straight couples (and their therapists) can learn from LGBT couples. Laurel’s website is https://www.laureltherapy.net/. 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/mr-jay/. Why is recovering from betrayal so difficult? Our guest in this episode, Mr. Jay, talks about what betrayal trauma is, why it’s different from other kinds of trauma, and how he helps couples recover from it. Mr. Jay’s website is https://mrjayrelationshipcoach.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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.

For the video of this episode, go to https://brucechalmer.com/no-good-cheating-jerk/. We’ve been getting a lot of reaction to my book Betrayal and Forgiveness. One of the common ones has been people expressing a combination of doubt and horror at the idea that someone who betrayed you was, in some way, doing the best they could. So we talk about that and related ideas. Along the way, Judy and I talk about what happened to our son Eli, who was seriously injured in a freak climbing accident. We weren’t planning on talking about it, but it came up in the context of forgiving God when betrayals happen. How can we forgive God for that? What does that have to do with faith? Let us know your thoughts. 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. Our sponsor is The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible by Laria Zylber. Find out more at https://lariazylber.com. Bruce’s latest book, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and Learn to Trust Again is now available! More information at https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/.