While couples will never be fully free of marital problems, there are steps that they can take to stop the behaviors that tear their marriages down rather than build them up. Family Institute at Northwestern University postdoctoral fellow and therapist in the Institute’s couples therapy program, Shiahna Chavis, PhD, is available to comment on the specific habits couples should quit for the sake of their marriage. “Complete freedom from marital problems is only possible when you have two perfect people in a relationship,” says Dr. Chavis. “In order to improve your relationship you must be so tired of your marital problems that you are ready to quit those behaviors that work against your marriage, regardless of what your spouse is or is not doing.”
Individuals who want to improve their marriages should look at what behaviors they can quit in order for the benefit of their relationships. “Changing what you do will create a different pattern of interaction and elicit a different response from your spouse,” says Dr. Chavis. “Quitting behaviors like taking your spouse for granted, being negative and expecting your spouse to just know your wants and desires can greatly improve the state of your relationship.”
Dr. Chavis received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in working with couples and utilizing interventions that promote intimacy and increase marital satisfaction, and is receiving advanced training in couples therapy through her fellowship at The Family Institute. To speak to Dr. Chavis about the habits couples should quit to better their marriage in the new year, or to learn more about The Family Institute, please contact Colleen O’Connor, Content & Grant Manager, at coconnor@family-institute or 312-609-5300 ext. 485.
ABOUT THE FAMILY INSTITUTE AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY – For 45 years, The Family Institute at Northwestern University (www.family-institute.org) has been committed to strengthening and healing families from all walks of life through clinical service, education and research. An affiliate of Northwestern University, The Family Institute is a unique, innovative not-for-profit organization, governed by its own independent Board of Directors and responsible for its own funding. The Institute offers a wide range of high quality mental health counseling through our staff practice and our sliding-fee scale Bette D. Harris Family and Child Clinic, where we are committed to serving at-risk, under-resourced communities. The Family Institute also operates two nationally-renowned graduate programs in marriage and family therapy and counseling psychology in affiliation with Northwestern University, and conducts cutting edge research projects that lead to a better understanding and treatment of mental health issues.
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