All Posts By

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

Jun 11
Love0
How-to-Make-Daily-Devotionals-With-Your-Spouse-A-Habit-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

How to Make Daily Devotionals With Your Spouse A Habit

By Scripture One Comment

Daily devotionals are a beautiful way to connect with your spouse on a spiritual level. But in our experience working with couples, they’re surprisingly hard to do as a married couple. For some couples, praying and studying together feel easy during the dating years. Once you cross the proverbial threshold of marriage, everyday obligations take over. Suddenly, daily devotionals don’t feel quite as endearing as they used to. They have a different energy. With so many daily demands, it can be difficult to set the time aside like you once did. Avoid Attaching Guilt to Devotional Time Don’t add a…

Read More
Jun 04
Love0
Weve-Been-Dating-For-Years-But-I-Want-To-Get-Married-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

We’ve Been Dating For Years, But I Want To Get Married. Help!

By Engagement One Comment

So you want to get married, but your significant other is reluctant. Engagement seems a long way off, if it happens at all. What do you do? If you’ve been in a relationship for a long time—maybe even years—you’re likely thinking of the future. But how can you get to the future if the person you’re dating is ambivalent about engagement? You’re ready to take that step toward making the ultimate commitment. How do you get them on board? How Much Longer Should You Wait? Is it worth waiting for your significant other to be ready? Should you keep dating…

Read More
May 28
Love0
How-Can-I-Help-My-Spouse-If-They-Won’t-Open-Up-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

How Can I Help My Spouse If They Won’t Open Up?

By Communication No Comments

Does your spouse withdraw when you’re going through a tough time? Seasons of grief, loss, and waiting are difficult for everyone. But we each survive those seasons in different ways. Maybe your spouse self-isolates during times like this, but you crave deep connection. How can you persuade them to open up to you? You want to join with your spouse’s spirit and get through this together. You’re eager to walk alongside them and share their grief, but they’re so private about their feelings, and it’s confusing and hurtful. Why won’t they just talk to you about how they’re feeling and…

Read More
May 21
Love0
My-Spouse-Tells-Everyone-My-Secrets-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

My Spouse Tells Everyone My Secrets. What Can I Do?

By Communication, Intimacy 2 Comments

Does your spouse spill your secrets? It’s upsetting when someone tells your secrets to friends and family. And when your spouse does the telling, that hurts even more. We want to be able to trust the person we marry with our vulnerabilities, fears, and deepest secrets. So what can you do when your spouse breaks confidence? Is there any way to rebuild trust in your marriage? Let’s talk about it. Spilled Secrets Feel Like Betrayal Let’s say you opened up to your spouse about a sensitive subject—one you’ve been reluctant to discuss. You finally worked up the courage to bring…

Read More
May 14
Love0
I-Hide-Hard-Feelings-From-My-Spouse-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

I Hide Hard Feelings From My Spouse. Can I Avoid Conflict Forever?

By Conflict No Comments

Do you hide hard feelings from your spouse? Many of us prefer to ignore conflict, or have none at all. It’s understandable that you want to keep the peace. Staying silent feels like the safer option when you don’t want to fight with your spouse. The thing is, conflict has its place. When you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye on an issue, it’s going to lead to friction. Avoiding friction completely won’t make it go away. Instead, hiding your hard feelings can create an undercurrent of compounding issues. Avoiding Conflict Makes Problems Worse You might not think…

Read More
May 07
Love0
My-Spouse-Guilts-Me-In-Front-of-Friends-and-Family-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

My Spouse Guilts Me In Front of Friends and Family. Is That Fair?

By Conflict No Comments

Does your spouse guilt you in front of friends and family? It’s great to have a shared friend group, or to be close with family. There’s comfort and intimacy in close relationships. But sometimes, spouses bring up grievances against each other in these settings. Your spouse might do this in a way that seems lighthearted or well-intentioned to others. To you, though, it feels like an embarrassing guilt trip. Guilt trips can be masked as concern, jokes, or prayer requests. Sometimes they’re an indirect way to air out hard feelings, and are often intended to inspire some kind of change…

Read More
Apr 30
Love0
ow-Much-Alone-Time-Is-Healthy-In-Our-Marriage-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

How Much Alone Time Is Healthy In Our Marriage?

By Intimacy, Time No Comments

How much alone time is healthy in a marriage? Is it possible to spend too much time alone? If so, what does that mean for your relationship? Being alone, as well as together, can be healthy for your individual wellbeing. When we’re healthy individuals, we bring that wellness into our marriage. Yet there’s often a misconception that spending time alone is unhealthy. That’s not always true. Every marriage experiences different seasons, ebbs, and flows. Spending time alone doesn’t necessarily mean your marriage is unhealthy. Rather, it’s up to you and your spouse to agree on how much alone time works…

Read More
Apr 23
Love0
Should-I-Lose-Weight-For-My-Spouse-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

Should I Lose Weight For My Spouse?

By Recreation One Comment

Has your spouse asked you to lose weight? Maybe they haven’t asked, but have hinted and left clues along the way. You might be feeling self-conscious. If your spouse wants you to lose weight, should you do it for them? Most likely, if your spouse has brought up concerns about your weight, they are interested in your overall health. Ultimately, any actions you take for your wellbeing should be for yourself. When we’re healthy, our relationships benefit—including our marriages. Weight is an emotional topic for many people, and it’s a sensitive topic for couples. There are many very real markers…

Read More
Apr 16
Love0
My-Spouse-Is-Terminally-Ill,-and-I’m-Overwhelmed-By-Guilt--Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

Help! My Spouse Is Terminally Ill, and I’m Overwhelmed By Guilt

By Marriage, Scripture No Comments

If your spouse has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, the emotional toll can feel overwhelming. The prospect of losing the love of your life is unimaginable. This is an incredibly painful situation to be in. It’s common for caregivers to feel a broad range of emotions throughout their partner’s illness, including guilt. Guilt can play a significant part when your spouse is seriously ill, and you continue to be healthy. You may be processing all the future experiences your spouse won’t be able to share. Or, you might be struggling with the caregiving responsibilities that come with terminal illness….

Read More
Apr 09
Love0
He-Wants-Sex-More-Often-Than-I-Do-Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme

He Wants Sex More Often Than I Do. Whose Needs Matter Most?

By Intimacy 2 Comments

If your spouse wants sex more often than you do, whose needs matter the most? Desire for intimacy varies from person to person, and it’s not unusual for spouses to have different sex drives. Still, many couples find it challenging to agree on how often to be intimate. Life is demanding, and making time for intimacy often falls to the bottom of the to-do list. As a couple, you might be wondering how to decide on sex from one day to the next. Maybe you want to make yourself more available to your spouse. Perhaps your spouse wants to honor…

Read More