You might think hiding small things protects your spouse to "keep the peace," but science shows those unshared truths are actually corroding your relationship's foundation like a hidden leak.

In this episode of Marriage IQ, Dr. Scott and Dr. Heidi Hastings utilize relationship research to uncover why quiet emotional distance is often fatal to a marriage, even more so than explosive fights. They dive into the psychology of cognitive dissonance, reveal the top three secrets married couples hide from each other, and explore the devastating impact of unintentional gaslighting on a partner's mental health. If your marriage feels distant, flat, or unsafe due to a lack of transparency, join us to learn the courageous, practical steps needed to move from defensiveness to ownership, repair broken trust, and rebuild true intimacy.

RESEARCH:
Slepian, M. L., & Moulton-Tetlock, E. (2018). Confiding Secrets and Well-Being. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10(4), 472-484.

National Marriage Project (multiple large-scale marital satisfaction studies)

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Most couples never learn how to talk about sex—and it quietly sabotages intimacy, desire, and connection in marriage. In this powerful Marriage IQ episode, Dr. Heidi Hastings and Dr. Scott Hastings sit down with OB/GYN nurse, educator, author, and podcast host Cindy Scharkey (Permission for Pleasure) to talk about female pleasure, sexual communication, desire discrepancy, anatomy education, painful sex, and how couples can cultivate a thriving “sexual garden” over time.

If you’ve ever wondered:
✔️ “Is something wrong with me?”
✔️ “Why don’t I want sex like I used to?”
✔️ “How do we talk about intimacy without shame?”
✔️ “Can I explore pleasure without abandoning my faith?”
…this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn in this conversation:
• Why a woman’s first sexual relationship is with herself
• The #1 reason so many women struggle to orgasm (and it’s NOT “brokenness”)
• How religion + purity culture can shape desire, shame, and arousal
• Why “low desire” is often a pleasure issue, not a libido issue
• Simple tools couples can use to improve intimacy—starting this week

🎧 Watch until the end for Cindy’s closing message on presence + mindfulness, and why being “checked out” mentally makes pleasure almost impossible.

Cindy’s Resources

📘 Get Cindy Scharkey’s book Permission for Pleasure

🌿 Blog Post : 4 Techniques Women Use To Increase Pleasure With Penetration
🎙️ Podcast Episode : Pleasure Techniques
🔗 Website: https://www.cindyscharkey.com/

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Looking for the best marriage advice to take your relationship from "fine" to high-performing? In this episode of Marriage IQ, we sit down with Dr. Robin Buckley to discuss transformative relationship strategies that bring the best of the boardroom into your home.

Do you run your business like a pro but your marriage like a Hallmark movie that’s running out of script? You aren’t alone. Many high-performers have incredible systems for work—KPIs, mission statements, and conflict management—but leave their most important relationship to "faith and trust."

Today, Dr. Robin Buckley, a PhD in clinical psychology and executive coach, explains why reframing love as a partnership worth managing is the smartest move you can make.

✨In this episode, we dive into:

~The Boardroom Blueprint: Why treating your marriage like a business is the smartest move you can make.

~The "No Other Zone": A 5-minute daily ritual that saves marriages.

~Automating Peace: How assigning chores (yes, like a business ops plan) eliminates resentment and builds trust.

~The SWOT Analysis for Couples: Navigating "threats" like the holidays and family stress before they happen.

~KPIs for Love: How to actually measure if your relationship is growing or just "existing."

#Stop settling for a "fine" marriage. It’s time to build a sustainable, high-performance partnership.

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