Build a healthy marriage beyond ‘I do’

What makes a relationship healthy vs. unhealthy? How do you know if you’re truly compatible with the person you’re hoping to share your life with? How do you know when it’s the right time to get married? Does couples counseling really help?

These questions can feel hard to answer and leave you struggling to know when to take the next step in your relationship or if you even should. Pop culture and cultural expectations often make it seem like getting married is the ‘goal’ of any relationship, but when you’re looking to build a healthy marriage long past your wedding day, it’s essential to not just know your partner, but also to know yourself.

“When you’re dating, there are things that don’t pop up until you’re married,” said Dr. Clark. “There may be differences you didn’t even know about before, like if you spend money differently than your partner, or if you have kids, you may have political or religious differences that weren’t so big when you were dating, but when you live in the same household, it can become a point of conflict.”

Dr. Clark noted her own challenge after becoming parents and how it changed the communication between she and her husband, and how they became much more intentional in how they communicated what they needed.

One of her biggest tips?

Don’t take your partner for granted.

You can find other tips for how to build a healthy marriage beyond ‘I do’, as well as answers to your most common questions about relationships, in this video podcast, or ‘vodcast’.