Effective Communication in your Marriage may Require a Change of Venue

By Burrow Hill The location for effective couple communication cannot be in the family home or family car. It is not where the children are around, or the in-laws, or friends or even the dog. In effective couple communication—that is communication within your marriage, each person’s undivided attention should be on the other person. Where should in-depth marriage communication take place? It should be on neutral ground, not the home or office. You could rent a condo or borrow your friend’s beach house or meet at any other place where neither party has an emotional tie. You can borrow a conference room or rent one at Fed-Ex Kinko’s. Once you get used to this new technique, a Starbucks or outdoor café or picnic table at a nearby park can work wonders! By removing yourself from the family home, you are subconsciously telling yourself… • This is a serious conversationrn• I need to bring my “A” gamern• I need to stay continually attentive to my partner’s every wordrn• This is my opportunity to air my views on issues affecting our lives. All this loosely translates to giving yourself the opportunity to “concentrate” on your partner. Don’t shortchange the one you love by treating your marriage issues as if they were bothersome gnats. Don’t just swat away at marriage issues. Concentrate on them and on your partner’s thoughts and feelings about them and your marriage will be more successful and emotionally satisfying.