Solving Marriage Problems
in Retirement
Solving marriage problems caused by retirement
is hard without the right help. If you want a truly happy and passionate retirement as a couple,
read on!
Right now Baby Boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 people per day! You may have planned financially for your retirement, but most couples never consider planning for what their marriage will look like in the next chapter.
Newly retired individuals report the lowest marital happiness
and highest conflict. That is a sad fact. We think that after all the years of working and raising a family, couples facing retirement should be able to experience the most happiness and satisfaction.
Because of the lack of planning and the not-so-helpful habit of deferring (rather than solving) marriage problems, couples 50 and over are leading the nation in rising divorce rates. The biggest increase in divorce in America is with couples that have just reached retirement age. This statistic needs to be a cautionary tale.
Most couples in your age group need to deal with marriage maintenance that has been put off for “later.” You may be a couple who deferred relationship advice when you needed it, hoping that the issues would pass. Well… there is no time like the present.
Solving Marriage Problems in Retirement
with Rock Solid Relationship Counseling
Online relationship counseling will help you plan together for a great future. You can make your marriage ready for retirement
with professional relationship help from Norene Gonsiewski and Tim Higdon.
Our approach to solving the marriage problems of retiring or retired couples is for you if you are:
- Facing the major life transition of retirement
- Interested in making this THE BEST CHAPTER YET!
- Experienced a honeymoon period after retiring, that
is now fading - Arguing about your vision for retirement
- Concerned about increased conflict and hope to avoid divorce
- A couple with one retired spouse and one working spouse
- Feeling a sense of letdown about retirement
- Doing really well together but want to have an even
better connection - Want to rekindle sex and affection…putting the Boom Back in Boomer!
- Having disputes about children, grandchildren, chores, personal identity, couple identity, health or other
inevitable issues
The transition stage of retiring is scary and uncharted territory that most us believe will just take care of itself. It doesn’t. The above statistics prove we need to plan for our next chapter emotionally, as much as we need to plan financially.
It’s risky to face retirement without enough money, and it is risky to face it without a strong and secure connection in your marriage. But don’t be alarmed…be prepared. We are seasoned marriage educators and therapists who can teach you the tools you need to create the vital marriage you long for.
We help you...
- Design your marriage goals for the retirement chapter. What is your vision of a perfect life in retirement? Does it match your spouse’s vision? How do you each (and both) want to spend your new life? What are your expectations?
- Successfully navigate the impact retirement has on each of your identities and how that impact affects your marriage. Solving marriage problems in this chapter is about rediscovering yourself, and you need a successful means for sharing your discoveries in order to rediscover your relationship.
- Understand the impact “not working” has on your relationship. Loss of identity, personal interests and friends and too much time together become real issues. Resolve these dilemmas with win-win solutions.
- You two may have had years of hurtful or unsuccessful conflict. The conflict, or even your busy lives, may have caused you to drift apart. We want you to understand your conflict style and know how to avoid carrying the same bad habits into your new life. There is going to be plenty of relationship challenges ahead as you age. There will be decisions to make and differing points of view. Let us teach you how to thrive in retirement with your spouse and actually feel more connected when you work through an issue!
- Resolve any intimacy issues and help you to restore your sexual chemistry. Unresolved tensions can throw cold water on our romantic connection. Putting the Boom back into Boomer is easier than you think. The media would have you think that Boomers are the sexiest generation, but that’s not always the case.
- And whom can you turn to for trusted guidance to resolve marriage problems in retirement…. Norene and Tim! As you move into the next great chapter of your love story, let us guide you through the steps that bring success. All research shows us that tools, structure, and relationship education bring lasting changes. That’s what we are all about.
You had the right idea to be proactive. Retirement is a psychological process for humans, and you are wise to embrace the growth stage together. You are going to be one of the couples that will successfully avoid “Grey Divorce.” What helps couples avoid the normally occurring post-retirement blues, is good communication tools, guidance, and changing daily challenges into daily adventures. We can hel
By taking action now, you will talk through any problems that exist and come up with win-win solutions before there are mounting tensions. Some couples begin to struggle as soon as they retire and some have a honeymoon period for the first year.
As the glow wears off of retirement, the couple may begin to tell themselves that they made a mistake. You didn’t make a mistake; you just don’t have the tools and insights to turn your conflict into connection. We do, and as seasoned relationship therapists and educators, we can teach you what you need to know.
What Worries People about Solving Marriage Problems in Retirement?
It makes complete sense that the thought of allowing a marriage therapist influence your relationship can be daunting. Here’s what might be worrying you…
- Therapy could create bigger problems. While it is true that any relationship help has the potential to unearth problems, relationship therapy will teach you to negotiate win-win solutions for any problems. All committed relationships have problems. How can we expect to spend a lifetime with a person without having some issues crop up? All couples need tools to resolve those issues, especially with retirement and marriage problems.
- The relationship advice might not be good.
This is another realistic worry. Make certain you have a certified marriage professional to help you out. Because of our teleconference and telephone services, Tim and Norene can help you no matter where you are located! We are licensed, trained, certified and have worked with couples for almost 4 decades.
- You are afraid to open up the topics of retirement because you might have profound disagreements.
Again, we have tools to teach the two of you to be able to plan a lifestyle that is a win-win. It never has to be one person’s way, or the highway. Just as two minds are better than one, two great visions for a happy life will lead to a third, even greater, vision.
Get started now! Learn the tools to build and maintain a passionate retirement chapter.