Description
Marriages thrive when heartfelt apologies are given and received, conversations continue until
both spouses feel understood, and words of high value are spoken over one another daily. The
bond of relational, emotional, spiritual, and physical intimacy strengthens when both spouses
feel safe, heard, and valued. Whenever anger takes up residence in a marriage, intimacy moves
out. Unresolved anger drains a marriage of kindness, care, gentleness, and honor. Anger can be
triggered by rejection, judgment, failure, control or lack of control, neglect, loneliness or
inferiority. If a spouse feels abandoned or left out, cheated or mistreated, overlooked or
misunderstood, the result is often anger. When left unresolved, anger leads to strife and
contention. You?۪ve heard it said, ???Unresolved anger is like drinking poison expecting your
spouse to get sick.? Some sip the poison, while others drink it by the gallon each day. This
poison threatens your relationships at work, home, church, and in the community because you
never bury anger dead. If you do not resolve anger toward your family of origin, past
relationships or a previous marriage, it will resurface and your spouse usually gets the brunt of
it. This workshop explores factors and skills necessary to experience high levels of marital
satisfaction and deep levels of intimacy. It will benefit struggling and crisis couples, as well as
prevent thriving marriages from drinking the poison.
Presented by: Ted Cunningham, MACE
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- List six effects of anger: blaming your spouse, questioning your compatibility, closing your heart, isolating from others, doubting your future, and exploring other options
- Explore the six levels of communication that take couples deeper in conversation and understanding
- Analyze effective and ineffective apologies
