Dear Young Married Couple

What makes a good marriage - just hitting the 50-year mark, or actually thriving along the way? Listen to Adam and Karissa tackle a listener’s question: Is longevity the same as health?  They unpack the difference between quiet marriages that merely last and vibrant ones that continually grow, repair, and pursue purpose together. Are you and your spouse best friends, or just good roommates? Do you know how to argue well? And what shared mission keeps you united? Join us for Monthly Live Date Night THIS Friday, October 24th! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/monthlylivedatenight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

❤️‍🩹 Repairing after an argument often involves one or both parties owning up to the fact that they were wrong. This can be extremely difficult for some people for a variety of reasons. Hear Adam and Karissa unpack those reasons in today's episode as they answer a question from a listener. Want to submit your own anonymous question for Adam and Karissa? Hit the SPEAK Pipe link below. https://www.speakpipe.com/DearYoungMarriedCouple Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Ever wish you could peek behind the curtain of a marriage therapist’s own relationship? Listen to Adam and Karissa interview each other on their top 3 real-life communication hacks that have actually kept their marriage strong through 15 years of counseling others. These are the habits that make all the difference. 💬 Do you ever struggle to give your spouse your full attention? Or find yourself trying to “win” instead of connect? You’re not alone and this episode will show you what it looks like to truly guard your spouse’s heart in everyday moments. Resources: Counseling w/ Adam & Karissa https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/counseling Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🤱Is motherhood something you survive... or something that shapes you? Let’s hear Karissa sit down with Sarah—a mom of 5, a devoted wife, and a woman who’s chosen to homeschool, create, and live her calling from the center of her home. Together they explore what it looks like to: Stay creative when your kids are always around Honor your identity without needing to "escape" motherhood Build rhythms of peace and worship into everyday life Prioritize your marriage for the security of your children Redefine success in a world that pushes productivity over presenceWhether you’re working from home, homeschooling, or just trying to breathe through another loud day, this episode is a gentle reminder: You’re still allowed to be a whole person. Resources: MOMFIDENCE: Become Sexually Secure After Babies https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/Momfidence Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🫶 Have you ever wondered if adoption could be part of your story, but felt the weight of fear, finances, or uncertainty holding you back? Hunter and Brookelyn Haley have been there, and they opened up about how they moved from hesitation to wholehearted yes, and discovered unexpected joy along the way.  Their journey reminds us that what feels impossible might just be the sacred calling God is placing on your heart. Could your “yes” change everything for another human being, as well as yourself?  Resources: Both Hands Adoption Fundraiser https://bothhands.org/ Brookelyn’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/brookelynhaley?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Show Hope Adoption Support https://showhope.org/ Previous Episodes w/ Hunter & Brookelyn https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-young-married-couple/id1494555036?i=1000659373299 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-young-married-couple/id1494555036?i=1000513232884 Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

📚Children who are readers grow up to become leaders, thinkers, and socially aware adults—and the evidence proves it! In the age of lightning fast satisfaction, endless media entertainment, and ever-developing AI, it can certainly be a challenge to raise kids who are detached from a screen and lost in a book… but in this episode, Jordon Frye, Founder and CEO of Truth Book Co, speaks to how it is not only possible to raise (and become!) readers and thinkers, but it is critically important in 2025 and beyond.🧠 Resources:Truth Book Co Kids books Truth Book Co on Instagram: - Truth Book Co - Truth Book Co Kids The Voice of Sarah by Tamar Frankiel Self Authoring program by Jordan Peterson Penguin Classics books Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.comEmail: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

💭What does it look like to have the “mind of Christ” (Phillipians 2:5) in your marriage? Humility, Hope, Peaceful Thinking… These are trademark characteristics of Jesus; and while we all strive to exemplify them in our interactions with others, we can struggle to uphold them in our own homes and marriages. In this episode, we explore this idea of thinking like Jesus with Garrett and Allison Robertson, student leaders and licensed ministers. Resources: EROS: The DYMC Marriage Weekend in Nashville, TN is THIS WEEKEND! To grab your last minute tickets, simply visit https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros. See you there! Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.comEmail: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🤰Labor may seem like a solo sport, but ideally, it’s very much a team effort! Husbands, there are a few things that your wife wishes you knew about labor and birth, so go ahead and get your pen and paper out… In this episode, we talk with Kim Mathis, MS, NP about all aspects of giving birth and ways that you as the spouse can offer effective support both in preparation and in the birthing room! Her expertise ranges from what to say and do while your wife is in pain, to what you can expect from start to finish, to things to pack in the hospital bag that you may not have on your list yet. Resources: If you don’t have your tickets yet for EROS: The DYMC Marriage Weekend in Nashville, TN, it’s not too late! Simply visit https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros snag your tickets, and we’ll see you there! Get access to all the resources and information we discuss in this episode in one convenient place: Download our free DYMC LABOR AND BIRTH CHEAT SHEET Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.comEmail: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/DYMC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🫂❤️When walking with people through pain or tragic circumstances, inside or outside your home, it can be tempting to feel the need to have something profound to say or an answer to provide, but what if it’s a lot simpler than that? In this episode, Rev. Kristen Ellis, an FBI Chaplain, shares what it looks like to have a “Ministry of Presence”. We discuss the idea of operating from a place of permission, being invited in to someone’s vulnerable moments, and how simply showing up with empathy and a willing ear can change everything… And coming out of those heavy or chaotic moments, how do we preserve our home from that same heaviness? Resources: If you don’t have your tickets yet for EROS: The DYMC Marriage Weekend in Nashville, TN, it’s not too late! Simply visit https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros snag your tickets, and we’ll see you there! Learn more about Kevin Leman’s books on parenting:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kevin-Leman/author/B001ITX34W?pd_rd_w=hGmyp&content-id=amzn1.sym.78f2affb-7cb9-4034-a202-130468a5a689%3Aamzn1.sym.78f2affb-7cb9-4034-a202-130468a5a689&pd_rd_wg=9SkYq&pd_rd_r=d6b26df6-08d1-48cf-8663-ab8a3c96d915&qid=1755899422&cv_ct_cx=kevin+leman&ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=9236919c-1f96-4d18-8348-3b003e47b3e2 Learn more about Dr. Henry Cloud’s books on mental health: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Henry-Cloud/author/B00455V2M6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1755899384&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4904437e-c45b-4514-808c-51fa638cd83f Learn more about John Maxwell’s books on leadership: https://www.amazon.com/stores/John-C.-Maxwell/author/B001H6NROC?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1755899304&sr=8-3&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=23d9eb8e-4d94-4b23-8e80-145d15b3dabb Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🌈🌩️ Not every love story is “Sunshine and Rainbows”,  and that’s exactly what makes it beautiful. This week, we brought the studio all the way to Canada to sit down with our dear friends Elenee and Jeremiah for a raw, hilarious, and heartfelt conversation on what friendship inside and outside the marriage really looks like when life gets real.  Do you know how to recognize real friendship? Are you willing to invest in couple friendships that go the distance? This episode might just challenge you to level up. Resources: 🎟️ Want to meet all four of us (and hear Elenee perform unreleased songs)? Join us in Nashville for EROS: The DYMC Marriage Weekend! Use code ELENEE for $30 off. https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros 🎵 Listen to “Sunshine and Rainbows” by Elenee wherever you stream music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sunshine-rainbows-single/1818920873 https://open.spotify.com/track/7i3vSK46Q3rNWs1qiaikAY?si=4a03810e13854200 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

👩‍❤️‍👨 This live Q&A episode from our recent EROS Marriage Weekend in Columbus is everything you didn’t know you needed. What do you do when you’re shutting down in conflict? How can couples in ministry keep their marriage from running dry? And what if one of you just can’t seem to be vulnerable?  These aren’t just topics. We’re diving into actual couples' questions, live and unscripted. You’ll likely hear your own story in someone else’s words.  Resources: 🎟️ Want to be part of the final EROS Marriage Weekend ever? Join us in Nashville, TN on September 12–13. It’s your last chance for live teaching, raw Q&A, and tools that actually work. Register now: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🤷🏻‍♂️ Ever felt a little off during a big win in life? Like getting married, having a baby, moving to a new city, or even switching careers/churches? You tell yourself you’re crazy & ungrateful, when really, you’re likely grieving. And that’s okay! Let’s crack open a powerful, often overlooked truth: joy and grief often walk hand-in-hand through life’s biggest transitions.  If you've ever thought, "Why am I sad about something good?" or "Shouldn’t I be over this by now?" this is for you. Learn how to spot hidden grief, understand what it’s doing to your relationships (especially your marriage), and discover how to walk through it well instead of just pushing through it. Resources: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! Get in at our EARLY BIRD RATE before 8/11! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

⏱️ Ready to stop letting your day run you and start showing up with PURPOSE? Join A+K as they pull back the curtain on their own morning and evening routines to help you reclaim control of your mindset, your marriage, and your mood. ☕🛌  What if your sleep, hydration, and even the light in your room are shaping your attitude more than you think? Are you living by design or default? Resources: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! Get in at our EARLY BIRD RATE before 8/11! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Light Therapy Lamp https://amzn.to/3INZwMy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

😵‍💫 Ever wonder why your marriage just feels… off?  Maybe the spark is fading, or one of you is crushing it at work but totally disconnecting at home. Let’s hear Adam Lane Smith drop the real reason behind emotional burnout, sexual disconnection, and the silent divide that so many high-achieving couples face. Spoiler: we’re not just gonna tell you to communicate better. This is about brain chemistry. You’ll walk away understanding the two bonding hormones that build true intimacy, why vasopressin might be your missing link, and how to actually rebuild trust and connection. Are you leading together or just living parallel lives? Resources: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros 15% off Adam Smith’s course, How to Build a Secure Marriage with code DYMC15 https://adamlanesmith.com/product/how-to-build-a-secure-marriage/? utm_source=dymc&utm_medium=affiliate Exhausted Wives, Bewildered Husbands by Adam Lane Smith https://a.co/d/hz4SFzV Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at  www.monarchmoney.com/DYMC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🤔 What exactly is your role in marriage, and how do you know if you're doing it well? This episode gets real about the quiet pressure so many women feel to “figure it out” while men often inherit a direct mission from the start.  Let’s unpack why the lack of a job description for wives isn’t a curse, but a calling. Are you just getting by, or are you multiplying love, preserving goodness, and discerning strength? What does success in your role even look like? This isn’t your average gender roles convo.  This one’s for the wives asking, “Am I doing a good job?” and the husbands who want to lead with more than just provision. Resources: 🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🫠 Ever feel like your fuse is shorter than your toddler’s attention span? You’re not alone. In this episode, we’re digging into the moments when parenting feels more like surviving, and we’re giving you a 4-step framework to parent with clarity, compassion, and actual peace (even when you’re exhausted).  What if your response to your toddler’s tantrum was an opportunity for connection? If you've ever yelled, snapped, or shut down, this episode is your grace-filled reset. Resources: 🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Previous episode on Parenting the Strong-Willed Child https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-young-married-couple/id1494555036?i=1000585482149 Join Monthly Live Date Night on 7/11 Here! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/monthlylivedatenight Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

💬 Could your words be quietly undoing the very prayers you're praying over your marriage? In this raw and deeply practical episode, Adam sits down with Dave and Ann Wilson, chaplains, church leaders, authors, and real-life marriage mentors, to unpack how criticism, even when well-intended, can crush connection.  What happens when a wife realizes her “helpful feedback” feels more like booing from the stands? And what shifts when her husband finally admits, “I don't feel liked”?  If you’ve ever wondered why your encouragement seems to fall flat or how to reignite intimacy without compromising honesty, this conversation will open your eyes and your heart. Are you building your spouse up… or slowly tearing them down? Do you believe your words carry the power to transform your home? Resources: 🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Dave & Ann’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/daveannwilson?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== How to SPEAK LIFE to your Husband by Ann & Dave Wilson https://amzn.to/4k6cUIQ Vertical Marriage by Ann & Dave Wilson https://amzn.to/46aRirl Family Life Today Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/familylife-today/id212174303 Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

💬 What if counseling wasn’t a sign of weak faith… but of holy courage? In this powerful episode, Adam and Karissa share a deeply personal story that sparked a much-needed conversation: Can Christians trust Jesus and go to therapy? Is medicine unbiblical—or could it be part of the miracle? They unpack the dangerous theology that tells believers to "just pray harder" and reveal the truth about how therapy, when done well, can actually mirror the compassion of Christ. 💛 You’ll walk away challenged and comforted. Could your view of mental health be shaped more by fear than by faith? What if God’s healing isn’t just instant—but intentional, slow, and sacred? Resources: 🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever feel like you're the only one wrestling with hard questions in marriage? 😥 You’re not. In this raw and unfiltered Q&A from our most recent EROS Marriage Weekend in Columbus, we dive into the stuff that usually stays in the shadows—awkward sex talks with teens, grief masked as irritability, emotional shutdowns, and why initiating intimacy can feel impossible after trauma.  What if naming the hard stuff is the first step toward healing it? Could learning a new emotional language change the way you connect? Tune in for real questions from real couples—and honest answers we all need to hear. Resources: 🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to join us at the FINAL EROS ever—happening Sept 12–13 in Nashville! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros 10% OFF Evree Massage Cream with code KING https://evreesensation.com/ Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎯 What if the greatest threat to your marriage wasn’t another person… but a habit hidden in plain sight? Hear Adam pull back the curtain on a devastating epidemic affecting 7 out of 10 Christian men—pornography. It’s not just a “struggle,” it’s a brain-altering, soul-crushing addiction that thrives in secrecy.  So why can’t good men with strong willpower just stop? And how do they actually start to heal? This episode dives into the real reasons men get stuck—and how they can finally get free. Curious about the science behind porn addiction? Wondering what true healing looks like? Don’t miss the conversation—and don’t go it alone. If you (or someone you love) are one of the men currently fighting this battle, we have a life-altering opportunity for you: Adam is leading a 6-week Porn Recovery Group starting June 18th, meeting Wednesdays from 11am–12:30pm PST (through July 23rd). This focus group of 6-10 men is designed to give you practical tools that will help you not only find recovery—but stay in recovery. Heal the past. Win the present. Build a future that addiction can’t survive in. Resources: We have just one more EROS Marriage Weekend left this year! Register now for Nashville, September 12-13! ♥️ https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/eros See Men’s Recovery Group Testimonials Here! https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/porn-recovery-focus-group Sign up for Adam's Recovery Group here!  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaLVE0paOYzwcOfQtzOvM3Vl6NK3Uycd3or3gcNwBxtvhVXA/viewform Stay in Conversation with Us  IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple  Website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Email: hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices