What Marriage Challenges Are 'Normal' and What’s Not Okay: Episode 403
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Release Date: 07/01/2025
What Marriage Challenges Are 'Normal' and What’s Not Okay: Episode 403
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Just because something is common in marriage doesn’t mean it’s healthy. We’ve heard countless couples ask: “Is this just a hard season… or is something actually wrong?” “Are we still okay, even though this feels hard?” In this episode, we unpack those questions using anonymous submissions from real couples. You’ll hear what challenges are normal in long-term relationships—and what behavior or dynamics cross the line into unhealthy territory. We cover emotional disconnection, mismatched intimacy, recurring conflict, parenting stress, and more. Plus, we share clear next steps...
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Your Brain’s Default Settings Could Be Sabotaging Your Marriage (How Neuroscience Reveals Your Blocks) with John Assaraf: Episode 402
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Why is it so hard to change the way we show up in marriage, even when we know what we want to do differently? In this special episode, we sit down with John Assaraf, a renowned global leader in success and performance coaching, decades-long behavioral neuroscience researcher, and CEO of MyNeuroGym.com. He’s authored 4 bestselling books (including 2 New York Times bestsellers) and has been featured in 11 films. Together, we explore the science behind why we get stuck in patterns like defensiveness, withdrawal, or reactivity and how to finally break free. Whether you’re trying to communicate...
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Double Standards in Marriage: When It Feels Like the Rules Are Different for You: Episode 401
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Few things create more frustration in a marriage than the feeling of a double standard—when it seems like the rules are different for you than for your partner. Whether it’s around emotional regulation, how long you’re “allowed” to feel upset, or what tone is acceptable from whom, these invisible imbalances quietly erode trust and connection over time. In this episode, we unpack the real-life double standards men and women often feel in marriage—and how those dynamics are deeply tied to core fears like unfairness, rejection, or not being heard. We’re not here to point...
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Types of Boundaries You Must Establish to Protect Your Marriage: Episode 400
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
You want your marriage to feel like a place of joy, momentum, and shared purpose—not just survival mode. Just like in any great sport, the most fulfilling performance only happens inside clear, agreed-upon boundaries. In this episode, we explore the invisible lines that protect your connection, prevent slow erosion, and allow your relationship to thrive through both play and pressure. Whether it’s how you handle conflict, manage emotional energy, or protect your marriage from outside influences, these boundaries are non-negotiables for couples who want to go the distance. You’ll walk...
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What is Co-Regulation and How to Do It Effectively (So You Don’t Dysregulate Each Other): Episode 399
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Your emotional state doesn’t just affect you—it affects your partner, too. In fact, if you don’t learn how to co-regulate, you’ll unintentionally become each other’s stressor instead of each other’s support system. This episode goes beyond managing your own emotions and explores how to stay grounded together, especially in high-stress moments. We’ll break down what co-regulation really means in marriage, how your nervous systems influence each other in subtle but powerful ways, and how to stop spiraling into fights about the fight. You’ll learn 5 practical steps to co-regulate...
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Navigating Stressful Situations Without Turning on Each Other: Episode 398
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Stressful situations are inevitable, but how you handle them together can either strengthen or strain your relationship. In this episode, we talk about the kind of external stress that sneaks up on you: sick kids, surprise job changes, financial curveballs, or even your dog throwing up after eating crayons. But the real breakdown doesn’t come from the stress itself, it comes from when that stress turns into tension between you. Suddenly, you're no longer teammates, you're opponents. That’s when decisions get harder, emotions run hotter, and connection takes a hit. We share...
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How to Become a Supercommunicator in Your Marriage and Deepen Connection with Charles Duhigg: Episode 397
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...
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Codependence vs Interdependence: What’s a Healthy Balance of Connection & Boundaries? Episode 396
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
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...
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5 Daily Habits That Make You a Happier Couple: Episode 395
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
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...
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What Women Want in Marriage, Especially Mothers: Episode 394
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
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....
info_outlineJust because something is common in marriage doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
We’ve heard countless couples ask:
“Is this just a hard season… or is something actually wrong?”
“Are we still okay, even though this feels hard?”
In this episode, we unpack those questions using anonymous submissions from real couples. You’ll hear what challenges are normal in long-term relationships—and what behavior or dynamics cross the line into unhealthy territory.
We cover emotional disconnection, mismatched intimacy, recurring conflict, parenting stress, and more. Plus, we share clear next steps for how to handle each one.
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or just want clarity, this conversation will leave you feeling validated, informed, and ready to make meaningful change.
🎧 What You’ll Learn:
- What’s normal vs what’s not okay in conflict, intimacy, and parenting
- What’s normal vs what’s not okay in conflict, intimacy, and parenting
- Real examples from couples like you (and how we’d respond)
- One mindset shift that helps you stop tolerating what’s not working
🛠️ Resources Mentioned in the Episode
THIS SUMMER ONLY 3 MARRIAGE CHANGING GUIDES FOR THE PRICE OF TWO 🎉
→ Making Up & Moving Forward Guide
→ De-Escalating Conflicts Guide
→ Family Meeting Guide
Get the bundle here: https://thecouplesexperience.com/3guidesbundle
Surprise Bonus for Committed Couples
If this episode was a wake-up call or gut check, you're not alone. Many couples drift because they normalize disconnection, resentment, or the roommate phase… until it’s too late.
That’s why we created the Best of Us 30-Day Couples Challenge to help you reignite emotional and physical intimacy in just a few intentional minutes a day.
This limited edition is only available a few times per year. And right now? We’ve got a surprise for you waiting here: https://thecouplesexperience.com/surprise
Episode Time Stamps:
01:00 – Is this a normal marriage challenge… or not okay?
01:38 – One key mindset shift: “If it hurts your partner and you won’t change, it’s an issue”
03:03 – Are you playing the same game—or using totally different marriage rulebooks?
05:29 – Conflict: What’s normal vs. what’s actually damaging
07:13 – Are you really repairing—or just resetting the same fight cycle?
08:43 – Is it okay to not talk for days after an argument?
11:27 – Want to shorten your conflict recovery time? Here’s how
13:05 – The truth about intimacy: What’s normal… and what hurts the relationship
16:00 – Intimacy shouldn’t only satisfy one person
18:48 – What to do if desire is low (emotionally, physically, or hormonally)
20:44 – The role of emotional and physical check-ins
22:57 – Are you in a “roommate rut”? You need this challenge
24:35 – The emotional load & mental load: What’s normal, what’s not okay
28:15 – “If you’re not playing by the same rules, no wonder it feels off”
32:11 – Parenting struggles: How common are they and what’s truly not okay
36:55 – You don’t just need consistency… you need adaptability
38:44 – Stop parenting by default—here’s what to do instead
42:30 – What happens when personal struggles or boundaries go unaddressed
44:15 – The boundary breakdown: “If you're not playing by the same rules, you're losing”
47:55 – Final takeaways + How to get resources for your marriage