Being married or being in a long-term relationship can be challenging. Don’t get me wrong – it’s definitely a wonderful experience to share your life with a significant other. That’s not up for debate!
But, it’s also true that if you want something to work long-term, you need to put in the necessary time and effort. Usually, the beginning of a relationship is the fun part. The part where you’re practically incapable of seeing your partner’s flaws. But, reality sets in after a while, especially once you start living together.
Did you know that being married nowadays is harder than at any other time in history? Our lives are moving faster than ever, we meet new people every day. Consequently, the expectations we have of our partners have grown as well. All of this puts a lot of pressure on the relationship.
We have to be better at communication in our relationships
The good news, though, is that we also have a lot of means at our disposal to talk about marriage and relationships. Over the years, we learned how to be better at communicating in marriage, and we’ve developed tools to help us navigate relationships and become better communicators. Well, couple’s therapy podcasts are definitely one of the best among them.
The Best Couples Therapy Podcasts Reviewed
Nowadays, there’s plenty of online places where you can read about sex, love, and relationships/marriage topics. However, it’s often hard to find something that goes into more detail.
Couples therapy podcasts can be an exception to this. Podcasts, in recent years, have become the go-to places for exploring more in-depth, serious topics. This is, in large part, because they’re featured in a serial form and can last for hours.
And that’s basically why I compiled this list of the best couples therapy podcasts! Here you’ll be able to find advice and stories from real, relatable people – therapists, and couples just like yourself.
Each of these podcasts explore what it means to be in a long-term relationship and some of the hardships that you’re likely to encounter in one, as well as ways to cope with them and overcome them.
Let’s go over some of the best couples therapy podcasts out there.
“That Relationship Show” With Naomi Rather and Deborah Curtis
“That Relationship Show”, also called “The Couch”, is a podcast made by two experienced couples therapists. They cover a range of topics about relationships, love life, and marriage.
Naomi Rather, Ph.D. (LMHC), and Deborah Curtis, (LICSW) are certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapists. In their podcast, they interview top experts in the field of relationships, so you can definitely expect a lot from it!
I’m talking about a number of marriage counselors and couples therapists who have decades of experience in working with couples! But there are also university professors who are authorities on different marriage and relationship topics.
People like Naomi and Deborah approach marital issues with empathy, openness, and understanding. Do you feel like you’re losing your partner? Is your relationship dwindling due to lack of communication? Do you experience too many and too frequent arguments? Poor sex life, etc… Then “That Relationship Show” is something you should definitely check out. I’d define it as a light at the end of the tunnel type of couples therapy podcasts.
“The Couples Therapist Couch” With Shane Birkel
Shane Birkel is an LMFT (a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and has a private practice in New Hampshire. He’s also a certified Relational life therapy counselor.
Shane Birkel is a thoroughly sympathetic character. He’s constantly focused on self-improvement as a therapist and you can definitely see that in the podcasts a well.
Before he started the podcast, he was aware that a couple’s therapy is different from individual therapy, that it brings its own sets of challenges. This is why he often felt like he needed more training but didn’t really have a community to turn to…
So he created a podcast where he provides support, education, and connection for other couples therapists, marriage counselors, as well as relationship coaches. And, of course, support and advice for struggling couples, focusing on topics such as sex, marriage, parenting, infidelity, communication, finances, etc.
Shane usually interviews couples therapy experts every week. He aims to offer new, cutting edge insights and answers to your eager for advice hearts and minds!
“Where Should We Begin?” with Esther Perel
Perel subtitles her podcast as “A Podcast for anyone who has ever loved”. Well, if that doesn’t tell you what’s it all about, I don’t know what will!
Maybe you’ve noticed my admiration and devotion towards Esther Perel’s timeless advice on intimacy, love, desire, the erotic, and long-term commitment, as well as infidelity and lockdown. But I simply can’t get enough of what this woman has to say about it!
For those of you who still don’t know her, allow me a short introduction: Esther Perel is a Belgian psychotherapist based in New York with experience as a relationship counselor of more than 35 years!
In her “Where Should We Begin Podcast?”, Perel combines confessions of real-life, every day couples and with her expertise on the matters that concern them.
For her podcast, the renowned New York Times said how “it feels more like an unraveling mystery story than a relationship advice show.” In it the couples share their most personal, most complicated, and intimate stories. Along with Perel’s priceless relationship advice, this podcast offers an incredibly engaging and valuable narrative for every troubled couple out there!
Perel’s podcast features a range of different couple’s experiences, starting from open marriage, to chronic infidelity, bisexuality, the issues regarding racism inside the family, the importance of sustaining desire for marriages and long-term relationships, and also manages to tackle very skillfully the challenges coming from the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the imposed lockdowns worldwide.
In short, the stories Esther Perel unravels in her podcasts are so versatile, there’s enough for everyone to recognize themselves and find articulation of their own struggles in somebody else’s narrative. I believe this can be of great help for couples that feel they’re the only ones facing a particular issue – when, in fact, the wealth of experiences of Perel’s clients shows us just the opposite.
Couples Therapy with Candice and Casey
If you want to cross over from the more serious side of couples therapy and coupledom issues, then I present to you “Couples Therapy” with Candice Pool and Casey Neistat!
This podcast provides a bit of comic relief to all the usual problems long-time couples face in their years of being together and loving each other still.
Some of you may even know Casey Neistat from his own branch of popular YouTube videos – in this podcast, however, he’s present with his wife Candice. In it, both of them bravely (and funnily) discuss the good and bad sides of their marriage (but also parenting, ex-lovers and friendship), in an open and very engaging manner.
“Marriage Therapy Radio” with Zach Brittle and Laura Heck
The “Marriage Therapy Radio” podcast offers you just the thing you might need if you’re struggling with couples issues. It explores and offers advice on “the most common complaints virtually every marriage experiences.”
Whether you’re on the brink of divorce or you feel you’re stuck in a marital rut; maybe your sex life is below average? Or you just want to get better at that “husband game” even though your marriage is more or less okay? Whatever it is, Zach and Laura are there to provide their expertise and help strengthen your marriage.
Zach Brittle has been a couple’s counselor for more than 12 years. He’s a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Washington, and he’s also a Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT) who specializes in evidence-based couples therapy. He has over 40 years of research on marital relationships. Laura Heck is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and also a Certified Gottman Therapist. Her specialty is in relationships, which makes her a true authority when it comes to marital problems.
Advice on relationships but also the science behind building strong relationships
If you’re up for a more straightforward couples therapy podcast, then I’d definitely recommend the “Marriage Therapy Radio”. Besides sound advice, you’ll also find a lot about the science necessary to build strong relationships. You’ll also learn how to communicate better as a couple.
A range of topics starting from money, finance, sex, time-management, infidelity, couple compatibility, communication issues, plans for the future, and so on, will help you identify your marital concerns more clearly. You’ll also be able to see just what it is that you want from your relationship. Is it a deeper connection, finding relief, moving forward, or maybe even closure…
If you’re interested in Zach and Laura’s work, you can visit their site. There you can find more about their alternative approaches towards traditional couples therapy.
“Foreplay Radio – Couples and Sex Therapy” with Laurie Watson and George Faller
As you may have already noticed by the title, this podcast is more oriented towards the sex side of marriage and long-term relationships.
Laurie Watson is an acclaimed and certified sex therapist (LMFT), and George Faller (also LMFT) is considered a global leader in couples therapy, one of the best there is concerning Emotionally Focused Therapy (which he’s also a trainer and supervisor of). Together they tackle themes on eroticism and sexuality, considering them in the context of marriage and long-term committed relationships.
Here you can find all kinds of discussions concerning a variety of sexual problems, but also discussion on the best sexual techniques. (this is a podcast I’d definitely want to check out if you ask me). Also, Watson and Faller put a lot of focus on the emotional intimacy necessary for great sex in a long-term relationship.
“Committed” With Jo Piazza
While this might not be one of those typical couples therapy podcasts, I think it’s definitely worth a try.
Jo Piazza is a US award-winning journalist, editor, and author of several books. Among them is the critically acclaimed How to Be Married.
Similarly to her book, in her podcast, she uses her travels to figure out how it is to be married. She also attempts to uncover the secrets to long-lasting marriages and relationships across the world. But the great thing about her book and her podcast is that it’s fiercely modern. It’s all about the meaning of marriage in the 21st century.
Located in Philadelphia, Jo can speak a lot about marriage from her own experience as well. She has a husband (Nick) and a son, with whom she’s navigating the daily joys and tolls of marital commitment.
If you’re up for versatility of stories and characters, then this is definitely the podcast for you. The stories you’ll encounter here are both heartbreaking and hilarious, but most of all, they’re hugely inspiring. They portray couples who’ve managed to weather all kinds of harsh and unimaginable circumstances.
“Death, Sex, and Money” With Anna Sale
If you need to hear talks and stories about all of the three topics in the title combined or separate, then I’d recommend Anna Sale’s podcast.
It’s a great podcast because it features lots of experts on these issues, as well as celebrities, but there are guests with regular backgrounds present on the show as well. It’s done in an interview style, so the structure of the podcast is very dynamic and easy to listen to and follow.
Here you’ll be able to find out about topics such as love, sex, relationships and divorce, but also grief, loss, money, and finance, etc.
Final Thoughts
Since you’ve been reading this article, chances are you’re encountering some problems in the relationship with your partner. That’s ok, we’re here to help. Relationships and marriage aren’t always fun and games – they’re serious business, after all. But they should ultimately provide comfort, understanding, excitement, and love to the individuals in them.
Couples therapy podcasts might actually help you get there again.
If not, you can always try and visit an actual couples therapist or maybe a sex therapist.
Or, at least try doing these couples therapy techniques at home.