06/13/2026
30 years of coaching couples taught Jami and me a lot. Here's what we look for. ❤️
1️⃣ YOU FIGHT FAIR. Gottman shows it's HOW you fight. Healthy couples ditch the 4 Horsemen (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling) for curiosity and repair.
2️⃣ YOU HIT THE 5:1 RATIO. Five positives for every negative. Our Check-In Tool creates this naturally.
3️⃣ YOU NAME YOUR FEELINGS. Berscheid and Hatfield: naming emotions opens intimacy. Our Feeling Wheel 5.0 moves you from "fine" to specific — hopeless, hopeful, confused, clear. Game-changer.
4️⃣ YOU FEEL SAFE BEING VULNERABLE. Bowlby and Ainsworth's research: secure attachment means reaching for your partner without fear. Your secure base.
5️⃣ YOU ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER. Sternberg's Triangle: intimacy + passion + commitment. All three legs steady = the sweet spot.
6️⃣ YOU CO-REGULATE. Oxytocin flows through touch and presence. When your nervous systems sync — a hug that LANDS — biology works for you.
7️⃣ YOU MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONS FIRST. Research is clear: self-soothing before hard talks prevents explosions. Our Nine-Word Journal — 9 words each morning — is how you start.
8️⃣ YOU REPAIR QUICKLY. Things go sideways. Healthy couples come back fast: a genuine apology, a laugh, a "can we start over?"
9️⃣ YOU PURSUE EACH OTHER ON PURPOSE. Intimacy requires investment. Small daily rituals stack into something unshakeable.
🔟 YOU ASK FOR HELP EARLY. The healthiest couples don't wait for crisis. That willingness IS the sign.
Which signs are you CRUSHING? Which do you want to work on? Drop it below — no judgment, just honest conversation.
DM us to go deeper. 💌