Laura's Strengthening Marriage Blog

Many couples have lost that lovin’ feeling when it comes to kissing and making out!

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When was the last time you and your spouse made out?! Many couples have lost that lovin’ feeling when it comes to kissing and having fun making out.

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Now that I am pretty heavy into counseling and therapy in my practice I am finding it difficult to find enough time to help everyone that is requesting my services. In addition, there are some who may not be able to afford counseling or who have spouses that won’t talk to anyone about it…at least at this point.

So, the purpose of this post is to provide some first steps for individuals or couples while they are waiting for additional help (particularly those on my current waiting list) or for those who are on their own in trying to improve their intimate relationship.

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It’s Friday night. Do you have some plans for date night with your spouse?! It need not be expensive, just something to give you a chance to reconnect after a long week. It’s also great for emotional foreplay for both husband and wife! : )

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 eBook — And They Were Not Ashamed –
just $4.99 til Jan 10th, 2012! 

We have eBooks! We’re thrilled to finally have our book And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment available in eBook format for all you eBookers out there!

Click here for our eBook if you have the Amazon Kindle and click here for our Nook Book if you have a Nook from Barnes & Noble.

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In honor of 20 years of marriage to my sweetheart, Kevin, I’ve gathered some of our couple/anniversary photos throughout the years (2011 – 1991) to share with you. You’ll also find a link to some fun marriage tradition ideas to help you celebrate your years together and make them continually better and better!

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Happy 50th Anniversary! — Morris and Elaine Bastian

It isn’t everyday that a couple reaches that fabulous milestone of 50 years of marriage. My good friends, Morris and Elaine Bastian, have successfully done just that!

Morris and Elaine Bastian have been great supporters of my efforts through the years to help strengthen marriages. In fact, Morris Bastian was one of the editors of my book And They Were Not Ashamed — Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment.

The following is a little bit about the Bastians, and some of their suggestions for building a strong and happy marriage to last throughout the years.????? Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to our new “Open Forum 3” discussion page!

We continue to create new Open Forum pages for you to post your questions and comments, and for us all to discuss important marriage and intimacy issues. Please post your new comments/questions to this Open Forum 3 post below.

For additional insights, you can review previous discussions by clicking on the links below:

• Open Forum 3 (to post NEW questions and comments)
• Open Forum 2 (posts from Jun 30, 2009 — Apr 3, 2011)
• Open Forum 1 (posts from Aug 14, 2007 – Jun 29, 2009)
• Laura’s Straight Talk Q&A (for other questions and answers from Laura)

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One affectionate couple found themselves being shoved into the kitchen pantry by their grossed-out children who didn’t want to see their parents kissing! (That’s a separate issue to tackle, if your children have a negative response to your PDA!)

This was the beginning of this couple’s regular romantic rendevous in their “Kissing Closet.” (Click here for their story.)

What a fabulously fun idea for couples!

Do You Have a Kissing Closet?

The kissing closet is a great idea for any couple to add a bit of fun and flirtatiousness (is that a word?) to their relationship. Do you have a “kissing closet?” Read the rest of this entry »

We are thrilled to announce that The Anniversary Inn is now offering our StrengtheningMarriage.com fans a fabulous discount at all their Anniversary Inn locations in Salt Lake City, Utah, Logan, Utah and Boise, Idaho!

You can now enjoy a 25% off discount on any romantic, luxurious Anniversary Inn suite (any night, any location, Sappire level suites excluded)! Check out all fun themed suites by Clicking Here! Read the rest of this entry »

by Mark Chamberlain, Ph.D.

Psychologist and clinical director of the Addiction Resource Center for Healing (ARCH), author of the book Love You, Hate the Porn, and blog of the same name.

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The amazing thing about pornography is how it can keep arousal fresh when it would otherwise stagnate; keep excitement electric when it would neutralize; keep us awake when we’d otherwise sleep.

Marnia Robinson and Gary Wilson probe porn’s secret recipe for keeping the high going. Key ingredient: the convincing illusion of so many willing participants eager to have sex with little old “moi”—the viewer. (This is where the the brain’s illogical, gullible, pleasure-driven Responder screams, “This is real!”)

A Real-life One-and-Only

What could be better than that dreamy vision; that fantastic mirage?

How about a real life “one-and-only”?

Last Valentine’s day, I was quite attuned to my wife of twenty-two years. Jenny and I went to grab lunch together, which consisted mostly of me waiting in the car with our two little chatterbugs while she ran into Target to grab heart-shaped treats for our fourth grader’s class.

Why did my heart skip a beat when I saw that it really was her in the blue sweats walking out the door of the store? Why did we have so much fun shoveling down twenty bucks worth of Thai food in under ten minutes? Why did I feel just a little giddy when I asked her to be my valentine and she smiled? Read the rest of this entry »