Marriage and long-term commitment

Explicitly discussing and agreeing on how to take care of each other in a relationship helps balance nurturing behaviors and prevents feelings of imbalance.

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Romantic partners.

Sourced from the doctors, PhDs and clinicians behind Entrain. Updated

The strongest voice

“Explicitly discussing and agreeing on how to take care of each other in a relationship helps balance nurturing behaviors and prevents feelings of imbalance.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

In their own words

One faithful sentence per source, linked to the moment it was said; quiet chips mark where money is involved.

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Explicitly discussing and agreeing on how to take care of each other in a relationship helps balance nurturing behaviors and prevents feelings of imbalance.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“A 40-year happy marriage is sustained by a shared purpose, ongoing curiosity, and mutual interest in each other's lives rather than shared hobbies or dark secrets.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“The single life can be rich and meaningful and is a valid vocation; not everyone is meant to marry or have children, and that is not a moral flaw.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Marriage is a business arrangement around shared property, shared values, and building a family, designed to protect what you build together.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“The expert strongly agrees that in marriage, your spouse must become your primary family member and their needs should come before everyone else's to have a successful marriage.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Couples who last already have solid lives of their own before entering the relationship.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Long-term love is strengthened by partners moving in the same direction toward shared life goals rather than relying on chemistry alone.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“The purpose of marriage is to build stability and safety for both partners and their children.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist conditional
“Couples often do not build a functioning marriage before or during child-rearing, and children’s presence can conceal underlying problems by limiting time for communication, leading to relationship breakdown after children leave.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Intimacy is an energetic connection involving emotional and spiritual closeness that precedes and grounds physical intimacy, which can include non-sexual touch like hugs or a touch on the shoulder.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“A relationship is a decision to stick to the person whether things get hard or not, embodying long-term pair bonding commitment.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“A wife should be seen as one's other self, not merely a best friend, to honor the unique marital bond.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Couples can have a more passionate sex life decades into a relationship if they build emotional intimacy, safety, and deliberate bonding consistently.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist recommend
“Being fully known and still deeply desired by a partner, including all flaws and struggles, is one of the most profoundly moving and powerful forms of intimacy.”

an attachment coach and former licensed marriage and family therapist · Instagram

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license conditional
“Dr Phil emphasizes the seriousness of marriage covenants and the importance of doing everything possible to make the marriage work, acknowledging that some may not share his belief system.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · Instagram

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There recommend
“Marriages are more successful when partners share more commonalities than differences, especially in core values like the desire to have children.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

a licensed mental health counselor recommend
“Marriage is not a destination but a continuous journey involving growth, self-reflection, and hard work.”

a licensed mental health counselor · Instagram

a licensed mental health counselor against
“Having the goal of marriage as an endpoint without understanding the ongoing work involved is detrimental and leads to disillusionment.”

a licensed mental health counselor · Instagram

a certified relationship coach recommend
“Developing skills to sustain a relationship over the long term is necessary to prevent selfishness and resentment from undermining the partnership.”

a certified relationship coach · Instagram

a certified relationship coach recommend
“Even in long-term relationships, you have to let go over and over again because we are always evolving and changing.”

a certified relationship coach · Instagram

a certified relationship coach recommend
“People need skills to make relationships work long term and avoid selfishness that leads to resentment and resistance.”

a certified relationship coach · Instagram

a certified relationship coach recommend
“Developing skills to make a relationship work long term and focusing on giving rather than just receiving is essential to prevent resentment and relationship breakdown.”

a certified relationship coach · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Couples who make it for the long haul genuinely like each other and have friendship, even if they don't agree on everything or share all interests.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Being able to laugh together, be honest, and enjoy being on the same team are key factors in lasting relationships.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Having a daily conversation about each other's expectations for the evening prevents guessing, reacting, and frustration, enabling both partners to know what they are walking into and love each other well.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“A tool like the Together Marriage app can facilitate purposeful conversations before life gets loud, helping couples prepare for their time together.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“A healthy marriage requires intentional effort, including making time for each other before problems escalate, such as through getaways to reconnect and have healthy conversations.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Many couples just need help having honest conversations again, which is why the Together Marriage app was built to facilitate this process.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Trust in marriage is built by prioritizing your partner's feelings and saying 'You matter more than this friendship ever will' rather than dismissing their concerns.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“When you have little kids and feel exhausted, it can feel like rejection, but usually your spouse is just tired, so telling the truth about what you want with kindness and asking how to best love each other helps couples reconnect.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Real intimacy grows when two people feel safe, seen, chosen, and desired rather than feeling pressure or obligation.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Intimacy is healthier when it is based on desire (erotic energy) rather than need (maternal energy), which can make one partner feel like a parent rather than a spouse.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Healthy marriages require building connection intentionally through small daily moments of honesty, fun, and paying attention to each other.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“A marriage only works if you see, know, celebrate and challenge each other, which requires letting yourself be known and putting your fears out in the open.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Putting your fear out in the open, such as nervousness about disappointing your partner, is essential to being known and maintaining connection.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“It is important to recognize that your value and lovability are not dependent on sexual preferences or activities, and fears about not being enough are self-imposed rather than true.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“A healthy marriage should feel safe enough for you to have a voice, not scared to ask for help, tell the truth, or take up space.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Healthy marriages are one of the few places left where we can practice trust, commitment, forgiveness, and showing up for somebody else, making it one of the most powerful forces for good in the world.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“If you ask for permission and are denied, proceeding anyway will come with some cost, so you must decide if you want a ceremonial blessing or to respect the parent's stance.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“It is important for the parent to make a grown-up decision to either support or not support the marriage, ideally standing on their child's team even if they disagree.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

Worth discussing with your GP, especially if you take medication or are pregnant. Entrain describes what is publicly taught; it does not prescribe.

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