Marriage Counseling in Roseville, CA: Transforming Relationships with Expert Guidance
Are you and your partner experiencing disconnection, frequent arguments, or feeling overwhelmed? Are you having trouble communicating or finding it difficult to stay on the same page? Marriage counseling in Roseville, CA offers a transformative pathway for couples seeking to enhance their relationship. With professional guidance from an experienced therapist, couples can develop stronger communication skills, resolve conflicts effectively, and rebuild emotional intimacy for a happier and healthier life together.
At Audrey Schoen therapy practice in Roseville, couples receive personalized care designed to address their unique relationship dynamics. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with extensive experience in couples therapy, Audrey provides a safe and supportive environment where partners can explore their challenges and work toward meaningful, lasting change.
Understanding Marriage Counseling and Its Benefits
Marriage counseling is a specialized form of therapy aimed at helping couples improve their relationships. Through guided sessions with a trained therapist, couples gain insights into their patterns of interaction and learn valuable skills to enhance their connection.
The Foundations of Effective Relationship Therapy
Successful marriage counseling is built on several key components:
A Strong Therapeutic Relationship: The bond between the couple and therapist creates a foundation of trust, empathy, and respect that facilitates healing and growth.
Addressing Communication Issues: Many relationship challenges stem from ineffective communication. In therapy, couples learn to express their thoughts and feelings clearly while also developing active listening skills.
Understanding Relationship Dynamics: Every couple has unique patterns of interaction shaped by individual personalities, backgrounds, and experiences. Therapy helps partners recognize these dynamics and how they influence their relationship.
Creating Lasting Change: The ultimate goal of marriage counseling is to equip couples with tools and strategies they can use long after therapy ends, fostering ongoing relationship growth and resilience.
Key Benefits of Marriage Counseling
Couples who engage in marriage counseling often experience significant improvements in various aspects of their relationship:
Enhanced Communication Skills: Learning to express needs, desires, and concerns effectively while also listening to understand rather than to respond.
Improved Conflict Resolution: Developing strategies to address disagreements constructively and prevent minor issues from escalating into major conflicts.
Deeper Emotional Connection: Rebuilding trust, fostering intimacy, and creating a stronger emotional bond.
Aligned Relationship Goals: Working together to establish shared visions and objectives for the future of the relationship.
Increased Relationship Satisfaction: Experiencing greater happiness, fulfillment, and contentment within the partnership.
Development of Coping Skills: Learning techniques to manage stress, anxiety, and other emotional challenges that affect relationships.
By participating in marriage counseling, couples invest in the health and longevity of their relationship, creating a foundation for continued growth and mutual support.
What to Expect in Couples Counseling in Roseville
Beginning couples therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you're unsure what the process entails. Understanding what to expect can help ease any apprehension and prepare you for a productive therapeutic experience.
Finding the Right Therapist for Your Relationship
The relationship between a couple and their therapist plays a crucial role in the success of counseling. When seeking a marriage counselor in Roseville, consider these important factors:
Specialized Training and Experience: Look for a licensed marriage and family therapist with specific education and expertise in couples therapy.
Therapeutic Approach: Different therapists utilize various methods. Understanding a therapist's approach can help determine if it aligns with your relationship needs and preferences.
Personal Compatibility: Both partners should feel comfortable with the therapist, as this comfort facilitates openness and engagement in the therapeutic process. A good therapist acts as a compassionate listener while remaining neutral and objective.
Practical Considerations: Evaluate the therapist's availability for new clients, session format (in-person or online therapy), and location to ensure consistency in attendance.
At Audrey Schoen, LMFT, couples benefit from personalized care tailored to their specific relationship dynamics and goals.
The Structure of Counseling Sessions
Marriage counseling sessions typically follow a structured format designed to maximize effectiveness:
Initial Assessment: The first few sessions often involve gathering information about the relationship's history, current challenges, and goals for therapy.
Collaborative Goal Setting: The couple and family therapist work together to establish clear, achievable objectives for the therapeutic process.
Regular Sessions: Ongoing meetings, usually 50-90 minutes in length, provide space for exploring issues, learning skills, and tracking progress.
Homework Assignments: Therapists often suggest activities or exercises for couples to practice between sessions, reinforcing the concepts and skills discussed in therapy.
Progress Evaluation: Periodically, the couple and therapist review advancement toward goals and adjust the therapeutic approach as needed.
In Roseville, Audrey Schoen offers both in-person and online therapy options, providing flexibility to accommodate couples' schedules and preferences while maintaining the highest standard of care.
Understanding Relationship Dynamics
A crucial aspect of marriage counseling involves examining the patterns that shape interactions between partners:
Communication Patterns: Identifying how partners express themselves and respond to one another, including both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Conflict Cycles: Recognizing repetitive disagreements and the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that perpetuate them.
Attachment Styles: Exploring how early life experiences influence relationship expectations, needs, and responses.
Power Dynamics: Addressing imbalances in decision-making, influence, and emotional investment within the relationship.
Through thoughtful exploration of these dynamics, couples gain greater awareness of their relationship patterns and can work toward positive changes in their interactions.
Effective Therapeutic Approaches in Marriage Counseling
In Roseville, CA, Audrey Schoen utilizes evidence-based therapeutic approaches to address relationship issues effectively. These methods have demonstrated success in helping couples improve communication, resolve conflicts, and deepen their emotional connection.
Innovative Therapeutic Techniques
Relational Life Therapy (RLT)
As her primary therapeutic modality, Audrey utilizes Relational Life Therapy to help couples transform their relationship dynamics:
Breaking Free From Patterns: RLT helps couples identify and release unhelpful relationship patterns that keep them stuck in cycles of disconnection.
Authentic Connection: This approach fosters genuine intimacy by removing barriers to vulnerability and honest expression.
Transformational Change: Rather than simply managing symptoms, RLT facilitates profound shifts in how partners relate to each other.
Empowered Relating: Couples learn to connect from a place of personal strength rather than insecurity or dependency.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
As a Certified Master ART Practitioner, Audrey offers this innovative approach to therapy that can help couples address underlying issues affecting their relationship:
Processing Past Experiences: ART helps individuals process traumatic or painful memories that may be influencing current relationship patterns.
Rapid Results: Many clients experience significant relief and insights within just a few sessions, making this an efficient therapeutic option.
Emotional Regulation: Partners learn to manage intense emotions that might otherwise lead to destructive interactions.
Transforming Negative Patterns: The technique helps rewire neural pathways associated with problematic relationship behaviors, facilitating lasting change.
Trauma-Informed Care: This approach recognizes how past trauma affects current relationship functioning and provides appropriate interventions.
Brainspotting Therapy
Brainspotting offers a powerful way to access and process emotional experiences that impact relationship functioning:
Accessing Deeper Emotions: This technique helps partners connect with feelings that may lie below conscious awareness.
Healing Relationship Wounds: By processing emotional injuries that have occurred within the relationship, couples can move toward forgiveness and renewed trust.
Enhancing Emotional Intimacy: As partners process individual emotional challenges, they often experience greater capacity for connection with one another.
Reducing Reactivity: Brainspotting can help diminish automatic negative reactions, allowing for more thoughtful responses during conflicts.
Additional Effective Approaches in Couples Therapy
The Gottman Method
Based on extensive research by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, this approach focuses on strengthening key aspects of the relationship:
Building Love Maps: Developing detailed knowledge of each other's worlds, including hopes, dreams, worries, and joys.
Managing Conflict: Learning to address perpetual and solvable problems constructively rather than destructively.
Creating Shared Meaning: Establishing rituals, goals, and values that bring purpose and unity to the relationship.
Strengthening Friendship: Enhancing the fundamental bond between partners through appreciation, respect, and enjoyment of one another.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, EFT helps couples establish secure emotional bonds:
Identifying Negative Interaction Cycles: Recognizing patterns of criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling that create distance.
Restructuring Emotional Responses: Learning to express underlying vulnerable emotions rather than reactive secondary emotions like anger.
Fostering Secure Attachment: Creating interactions that promote safety, accessibility, and responsiveness between partners.
Strengthening the Bond: Developing new patterns of interaction that reinforce emotional connection and intimacy.
By integrating these therapeutic approaches, couples in Roseville can receive comprehensive support for their relationship challenges, tailored to their unique circumstances and goals.
Addressing Specific Relationship Challenges
Every relationship faces unique challenges that can benefit from professional guidance. Marriage counseling in Roseville helps couples navigate these difficulties with personalized therapeutic interventions.
Communication Breakdowns
Effective communication forms the foundation of healthy relationships. When communication falters, couples often experience increased conflict and decreased connection:
Identifying Communication Barriers: Recognizing patterns that impede understanding, such as criticism, defensiveness, or withdrawal.
Developing Active Listening Skills: Learning to focus fully on understanding the partner's perspective without planning a response or rebuttal.
Expressing Needs Clearly: Communicating desires and concerns directly rather than through hints, complaints, or silence.
Navigating Difficult Conversations: Acquiring tools to discuss sensitive topics productively, maintaining respect even during disagreements.
Through targeted intervention, couples can transform their communication patterns, creating greater understanding and harmony in their relationship.
Rebuilding Trust After Betrayal
Trust issues—whether from infidelity, dishonesty, or broken promises—can severely damage relationship security:
Processing Hurt and Betrayal: Creating space for the injured partner to express pain and receive validation.
Establishing Transparency: Developing agreements about openness and honesty that help rebuild confidence.
Understanding Contributing Factors: Exploring the relationship dynamics that may have created vulnerability to trust breaches.
Creating a New Relationship Narrative: Moving forward with awareness and commitment to different patterns of interaction.
While rebuilding trust requires time and consistent effort, professional guidance can facilitate healing and the establishment of a stronger relationship foundation.
Managing Life Transitions and Stressors
Major life changes and external pressures can strain even the healthiest relationships:
Career Changes and Relocations: Navigating shifts in routine, identity, and social connections.
Parenthood and Family Dynamics: Adjusting to new roles and responsibilities with children while maintaining the couple relationship.
Financial Challenges: Addressing different money attitudes and developing collaborative financial management.
Health Issues and Aging: Supporting one another through physical and emotional health concerns.
Marriage counseling provides a structured environment for couples to adapt to these transitions together, strengthening their bond through shared challenges.
Overcoming Emotional Disconnection
Many couples seek therapy when they feel emotionally distant from one another:
Recognizing Patterns of Withdrawal: Understanding the protective mechanisms that create emotional distance.
Developing Emotional Awareness: Identifying and articulating deeper feelings that lie beneath surface reactions.
Rebuilding Intimacy Rituals: Creating regular opportunities for meaningful connection in daily life.
Reestablishing Physical Intimacy: Addressing issues affecting physical closeness and sexual connection.
By addressing emotional disconnection directly, couples can rekindle the sense of closeness and partnership that initially brought them together.
Specialized Services for Unique Relationship Needs
Audrey Schoen, LMFT in Roseville offers specialized therapeutic services designed to address the diverse needs of couples at various stages of their relationship journey.
Intensive Couples Therapy
For couples experiencing significant distress or seeking accelerated progress, intensive therapy provides an immersive therapeutic experience:
Concentrated Healing: Dedicated multi-hour sessions allow for deeper exploration of relationship issues than traditional weekly therapy.
Breakthrough Potential: The intensive format often facilitates significant insights and shifts in entrenched patterns.
Crisis Stabilization: Couples in acute distress can receive immediate, focused intervention to prevent further deterioration.
Commitment to Change: The investment of concentrated time demonstrates dedication to relationship improvement, often strengthening motivation.
These intensive sessions can be particularly beneficial for couples who have reached an impasse in their relationship or who are contemplating separation.
Private Couples Retreats
Audrey offers exclusive, personalized retreats designed for one couple at a time:
Intensive Private Experience: Dedicated time with just you, your partner, and your therapist in a private setting creates a focused healing environment.
Customized Approach: Each retreat is specifically tailored to address your unique relationship dynamics and goals.
Accelerated Growth: The immersive nature of these private retreats often allows for breakthroughs that might take months in weekly therapy.
Undivided Attention: Unlike group retreats, these private experiences ensure your specific relationship needs receive full therapeutic focus.
Confidential Setting: The private format provides maximum privacy for exploring sensitive relationship issues.
These individualized retreats combine targeted therapeutic intervention with dedicated time for connection, creating powerful opportunities for relationship transformation.
Financial Therapy for Couples
Money conflicts represent one of the most common sources of relationship tension. Financial therapy addresses the emotional aspects of money management:
Exploring Money Mindsets: Understanding how each partner's background influences their attitudes toward earning, spending, and saving.
Healing Financial Trauma: Addressing past experiences that create anxiety or avoidance around money matters.
Developing Collaborative Financial Goals: Creating shared visions for financial security and priorities.
Establishing Healthy Money Conversations: Learning to discuss financial concerns without criticism or defensiveness.
By integrating financial awareness with relationship therapy, couples can transform one of the most challenging aspects of partnership into an opportunity for connection and collaboration.
Support for Entrepreneurs and Their Partners
Entrepreneurship presents unique relationship challenges that benefit from specialized therapeutic support:
Balancing Business and Relationship Priorities: Establishing boundaries that protect both professional success and personal connection.
Managing Uncertainty and Risk: Developing strategies to navigate the emotional impact of business fluctuations on the relationship.
Supporting Each Other's Dreams: Creating mutual understanding and encouragement for individual and shared aspirations.
Preventing Burnout: Implementing practices that sustain well-being amid intense work demands.
This specialized focus helps entrepreneurial couples maintain strong personal connections while pursuing professional success.
Addressing Individual Challenges That Affect Relationships
Personal struggles often impact relationship dynamics. Audrey Schoen provides therapeutic support for individual issues that contribute to couple distress.
Trauma and Its Impact on Relationships
Unresolved trauma can significantly affect how individuals engage with their partners:
Recognizing Trauma Responses: Understanding how past experiences trigger reactions in current relationships.
Creating Safety: Establishing relationship patterns that promote emotional security and trust.
Processing Traumatic Experiences: Utilizing specialized techniques like Accelerated Resolution Therapy to heal from painful memories.
Preventing Retraumatization: Developing awareness of triggers and implementing protective strategies within the relationship.
By addressing trauma therapeutically, individuals can experience greater emotional freedom and capacity for connection.
Anxiety and Relationship Functioning
Anxiety disorders commonly interfere with relationship satisfaction for both partners:
Managing Anxious Thoughts: Developing techniques to challenge catastrophic thinking that creates relationship distress.
Reducing Reassurance-Seeking Behaviors: Learning healthier ways to address insecurity without burdening the relationship.
Setting Appropriate Boundaries: Creating relationship agreements that support well-being for both partners.
Building Emotional Regulation Skills: Enhancing capacity to manage anxious feelings without reactive behaviors.
Addressing Feeling Anxious: Providing tools to recognize and cope with anxiety symptoms before they impact the relationship.
With effective intervention, anxiety can become manageable, reducing its impact on relationship quality.
Perfectionism and Self-Criticism
High personal standards can create significant relationship tension:
Recognizing Perfectionistic Patterns: Identifying how unrealistic expectations create stress for both partners.
Developing Self-Compassion: Learning to respond to oneself with kindness rather than harsh judgment.
Communicating Needs Effectively: Expressing desires without demanding perfection from oneself or one's partner.
Creating Relationship Acceptance: Building tolerance for imperfection and appreciation for authentic connection.
Improving Self-Esteem: Fostering a more positive self-image that supports healthier relationship engagement.
As perfectionism decreases, relationships often experience greater warmth, flexibility, and genuine intimacy.
People-Pleasing and Boundary Issues
The tendency to prioritize others' needs at one's own expense can undermine relationship health:
Identifying People-Pleasing Behaviors: Recognizing patterns of excessive accommodation and conflict avoidance.
Developing Assertiveness Skills: Learning to express personal needs and preferences directly.
Establishing Healthy Boundaries: Creating clear limits that protect individual well-being within the relationship.
Building Authentic Connection: Fostering relationships based on mutual respect rather than caretaking or control.
Prioritizing Self-Care: Implementing practices that maintain personal reserves and prevent resentment.
By addressing these patterns, individuals contribute to relationships characterized by balance, respect, and genuine care.
Mental Health Support for Relationship Wellness
Mental health significantly impacts relationship functioning. Couples counseling with Audrey Schoen addresses various mental health concerns that affect partnerships.
Depression and Its Effect on Relationships
Depression can create significant strain on relationships:
Recognizing Symptoms: Identifying how depression manifests in relationship behaviors and patterns.
Reducing Isolation: Developing strategies to maintain connection despite withdrawal tendencies.
Supporting the Partner: Learning how to provide appropriate support without enabling or overcompensating.
Accessing Additional Resources: Integrating individual therapy and other interventions when needed.
With proper support, couples can navigate the challenges of depression while maintaining connection.
Managing Overwhelming Feelings in Relationships
Intense emotions can disrupt relationship harmony:
Developing Emotional Awareness: Learning to identify feelings before they become overwhelming.
Creating Coping Strategies: Establishing effective methods for managing intense emotional states.
Communicating During Emotional Moments: Maintaining connection even when emotions run high.
Establishing Cooling-Off Protocols: Creating agreed-upon approaches for handling escalated situations.
These skills help partners maintain emotional regulation even during challenging interactions.
Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues
Concerns related to eating and body image can affect relationship intimacy:
Understanding the Impact: Recognizing how these issues influence relationship patterns.
Developing Supportive Communication: Learning to discuss sensitive topics with care and respect.
Creating Body-Positive Environments: Establishing relationship norms that promote acceptance.
Accessing Specialized Support: Integrating appropriate resources for comprehensive care.
Addressing these concerns creates space for greater authenticity and connection in relationships.
Online Marriage Counseling Options
In addition to in-person services in Roseville, Audrey Schoen offers comprehensive online therapy options for couples throughout California and Texas.
Benefits of Virtual Therapy Sessions
Online marriage counseling provides numerous advantages while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness:
Convenience and Accessibility: Eliminating travel time and scheduling constraints makes therapy more accessible for busy couples.
Comfortable Environment: Participating from home often helps partners feel more relaxed and open during sessions.
Consistent Attendance: Reduced barriers to attendance lead to greater therapeutic continuity and progress.
Geographic Flexibility: Couples can maintain therapeutic relationships despite travel or relocation within California or Texas.
Research demonstrates that online therapy can be as effective as in-person sessions for most relationship concerns, making it a valuable option for modern couples, including California residents who may not be able to visit in person.
Creating Effective Online Therapy Experiences
To maximize the benefits of virtual sessions, consider these recommendations:
Establish a Private Space: Arrange for confidential conversations without interruptions or distractions.
Test Technology in Advance: Ensure reliable internet connection and familiarity with video conferencing tools.
Minimize Multitasking: Commit to full presence and engagement during the session, just as you would in person.
Plan for Transition Time: Schedule buffer periods before and after sessions to process emotions and insights.
With thoughtful preparation, online therapy provides a convenient yet powerful vehicle for relationship growth.
The Journey of Relationship Growth Through Therapy
Marriage counseling represents not just a solution to problems but an opportunity for profound relationship development and personal growth. Understanding the therapeutic journey helps couples approach the process with realistic expectations and hope.
The Phases of Couples Therapy
While every couple's experience is unique, most therapeutic processes move through several general phases:
Assessment and Alliance Building: Establishing trust with the therapist and developing a comprehensive understanding of relationship patterns.
Stabilization: Learning immediate strategies to reduce conflict and prevent further relationship damage.
Exploration and Insight: Examining underlying issues, attachment needs, and emotional dynamics that drive interaction patterns.
Skill Development: Acquiring and practicing new communication skills, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution techniques.
Consolidation and Growth: Integrating new patterns into daily life and creating structures for continued relationship development.
Understanding these phases helps couples recognize their progress and maintain motivation throughout the therapeutic process.
Creating Lasting Change
Relationship transformation requires not just insights but consistent implementation of new patterns:
Regular Practice: Applying therapeutic concepts consistently in daily interactions, not just during conflicts.
Patience with Process: Recognizing that meaningful change develops gradually through repeated efforts.
Celebrating Progress: Acknowledging improvements, even small ones, to reinforce positive changes.
Ongoing Commitment: Viewing relationship growth as a lifelong journey rather than a destination.
With dedicated effort and professional guidance, couples can create lasting improvements that enhance satisfaction and connection for a happier and healthier life together.
Signs of Therapeutic Progress
Recognizing positive change helps maintain motivation throughout the therapeutic journey:
Decreased Negative Interactions: Reduction in criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.
Improved Conflict Management: Greater ability to discuss differences respectfully and find mutually acceptable solutions.
Enhanced Emotional Intimacy: Increased sharing of vulnerable feelings and supportive responses.
Deepened Understanding: Greater appreciation for each other's perspectives, needs, and experiences.
Renewed Relationship Satisfaction: Experiencing more joy, playfulness, and positive feelings within the relationship.
These improvements often develop gradually, becoming more stable and integrated as therapy progresses.
Taking the Next Step in Your Relationship Journey
If you're experiencing trouble in your relationship and considering marriage counseling in Roseville, CA, taking the first step can feel challenging. Understanding how to begin the process can help ease the transition into therapeutic support.
When to Seek Marriage Counseling
Many couples wait until they're in crisis before seeking help, but earlier intervention often leads to better outcomes. Consider reaching out if:
Communication Has Deteriorated: You're experiencing frequent misunderstandings, arguments, or silence.
Emotional Connection Feels Distant: You sense growing apart or lack of intimacy with your partner.
Recurring Conflicts Remain Unresolved: The same issues arise repeatedly without resolution.
Major Life Transitions Create Strain: Changes in career, parenthood, or other circumstances are affecting your relationship.
You Want to Strengthen an Already Good Relationship: Even healthy partnerships benefit from proactive skill development and deepening connection.
Professional guidance can help address these concerns before they become entrenched patterns, breaking the unsatisfying cycle of relationship problems.
Preparing for Your First Session
To make the most of initial counseling appointments, consider these suggestions:
Reflect on Goals: Think about what you hope to achieve through therapy, both individually and as a couple.
Approach with Openness: Come prepared to engage honestly about challenges and to consider new perspectives.
Discuss Expectations Together: Talk with your partner about hopes and concerns regarding the therapeutic process.
Gather Relevant Information: Consider practical details such as relationship history and specific concerns to share with your therapist.
These preparations create a foundation for productive therapeutic engagement from the very first session, helping you and your partner start therapy on the same page.
Continuing Your Growth Beyond Therapy
The skills and insights gained through marriage counseling extend far beyond the therapeutic environment:
Regular Relationship Check-ins: Scheduling time to discuss the state of your relationship and address emerging concerns.
Ongoing Skill Application: Continuing to use communication and conflict resolution techniques learned in therapy.
Seeking Additional Resources: Utilizing books, workshops, or relationship education opportunities to further your growth.
Returning for "Maintenance Sessions": Considering periodic therapeutic check-ins, even after regular therapy concludes.
The therapeutic journey provides tools for lifelong relationship development, empowering couples to navigate challenges and cultivate connection independently.
Conclusion: Transforming Your Relationship with Expert Guidance
Marriage counseling in Roseville, CA offers couples a pathway to deeper connection, improved communication, and greater relationship satisfaction. With the expert guidance of Audrey Schoen, LMFT, couples can address specific challenges while developing skills that enhance their relationship for years to come.
As a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in couples therapy, Audrey brings extensive training in innovative therapeutic approaches, with Relationship Liberation Therapy (RLT) as her primary modality, complemented by Accelerated Resolution Therapy and Brainspotting. These evidence-based techniques, combined with compassionate support, create opportunities for profound relationship transformation and promote healing.
Whether you're dealing with communication issues, emotional disconnection, or specific relationship concerns, couples counseling provides personalized strategies to address your unique situation. Through both in-person sessions in Roseville and online therapy throughout California and Texas, couples can access the support they need in a format that works for their lifestyle.
Every relationship faces challenges, but with professional guidance, these difficulties can become opportunities for growth rather than sources of ongoing distress. The support of a skilled therapist can make all the difference in transforming relationship problems into opportunities for deeper connection. By investing in your relationship through marriage counseling, you're creating the foundation for a stronger, more fulfilling partnership characterized by mutual understanding, respect, and deep connection.
To learn more about marriage counseling services with Audrey Schoen, LMFT, or to inquire about scheduling and pricing information, reach out directly. Your journey toward a more satisfying relationship can begin with a single step—contacting Audrey to discuss how her therapeutic approach can support your specific relationship goals and empower couples to create positive changes leading to better relationships and overall well-being.