Learning to Manage Disagreement in Relationships: Part III

Take our Official Georgia Premarital Preparation Course for $17.97 and save money on your Georgia marriage license! We here at D’Arienzo Psychology are excited to help you take this next step toward marital happiness and success, and want to help deepen your relationship with your future spouse.

Last week we explored Stonewalling, the second of the four horsemen to be aware of when learning how to manage dispute in marriage. Check out Part III of what we have to say about Managing Disagreement and marriage below:

Defensiveness

The third of the four horsemen and a major offender in relationships is defensiveness. It is one of the most frequent behaviors that I observe in couples therapy when there is conflict. Defensiveness is best defined as self-protection in the form of righteous indignation or innocent victimhood to attempt to ward off a perceived attack. It is usually a counterattack to a complaint, which is not criticism. Defensiveness is often a reflex action to criticism or perceived criticism. Even though it can be perceived otherwise, sometimes there is no criticism but just feedback stated. However, the person receiving the criticism often replies by accusing the other of acting in the same way, downplays their role in the incident, or complains and justifies their actions. When chastised, a lot of individuals tend to become defensive, however the issue is that the perceived outcome is blame. The original speaker frequently feels rejected and alone when they encounter the receiver’s defensiveness. The relationship often grows further apart as a result of this. The following are defensiveness remedies:

(1) Remind yourself that a relationship is about being part of a team (not two individuals working against each other).

(2) Rather than seeing your partner’s words as an attack, see them as strong expressions of feelings about the topic being discussed.

(3) Acknowledge that you are not perfect.

(4) Remind yourself of your partner’s excellent traits.

(5) Most crucial, assume some accountability for the criticism that your partner is voicing. Avoid making excuses for things you haven’t done. If any responsibility is owed, even just 10% of it being accepted will help to reduce conflict, enhance communication, and foster trust.

Stay tuned to learn about the last horseman: contempt

Taking a premarital education course is vital for equipped couples to share a lifetime of marital bliss and happiness. D’Arienzo Psychology wants to help you prepare for your life together. Dr. Justin D’Arienzo is our Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist and Relationship Expert. Dr. D’Arienzo has serviced this course to couples since 2013. Hundreds of couples recommend our course and claim that it has helped set a solid foundation for marital success. Research suggests that couples who take a premarital preparation course gain an advantage over couples that do not take a premarital preparation course.

Dr. D’Arienzo wanted to develop a fully efficient, online, fully automated, fun premarital course that teaches couples how to work together. Dr. D’Arienzo has perfected all of our exercises and information to ensure that couples gain the knowledge they need.  He also offers this course to couples planning on tying the knot in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Minnesota.

Do you want to lead a happy marriage that lasts a lifetime? Do you want to have fun and gain inside knowledge about marriage from a leading psychologist? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then our Georgia Online Premarital Education Course is right for you! You can learn more about our Georgia Online Premarital Preparation Course Here.