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5 TED Talks for Marriage and Family Therapists

5 Marriage and Family TED Talks

  • 5 TED Talks for Marriage and Family TherapistsThe Brain in Love by Helen Fisher
  • The Secret to Desire in a Long-term Relationship by Esther Perel
  • Three Ways to Build a Happy Marriage and Avoid Divorce by George Blair West
  • Dare to Disagree by Margaret Heffernan
  • What You Don’t Know About Marriage by Jenna McCarthy

What is the secret to a long-lasting marriage? With the divorce rate climbing to 50 percent, betting on the odds of a successful marriage may feel like a high-risk proposition. The truth is that marriage is not simply a social contract that two people enter into; it’s a lot of hard work. There are a lot of challenges to navigate through as two people attempt to blend their lives and remain committed as they change and grow over time. Marriage and family therapy can help. Marriage and family therapists can provide a fresh perspective on the challenges and help a couple develop tools to successfully navigate relationship issues. Below are five TED Talks for Marriage and Family Therapists.

Related resource: Top 30 Master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling Online Degree Programs

The Brain in Love by Helen Fisher

In Helen Fisher’s powerful talk The Brain in Love, the presenter discusses the actual physical need for romantic love. Helen Fisher is an anthropologist who studies gender differences and the evolution of human emotions. In her presentation, she explains how romantic love is comparable to a cocaine high and how this drive for emotional attachment creates feels of intense energy, intense focus, and intense motivation. Fisher claims that this romantic drive (not the sex drive) is the basic mating drive that pushes individuals to focus on one person.

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The Secret to Desire in a Long-term Relationship

In the TED Talk The Secret to Desire in a Long-term Relationship, psychotherapist Esther Perel discusses the secret to fulfilling committed sex. Perel claims that our sex drive stems from two conflicting needs: security and surprise. In her talk, Perel explains how fulfilling long-term sexual relationships reconcile the need for predictability and safety with the need for novelty and adventure.

Three Ways to Build a Happy Marriage and Avoid Divorce

Psychiatrist, author, and research George Blair West presents his plan for a successful relationship in his talk Three Ways to Build a Happy Marriage and Avoid Divorce. In his talk, West states there are two points where you can “save” a marriage: when the problems first begin to appear or before they even happen. By understanding three major factors that influence relationship success, individuals can actively focus on these areas when entering a relationship for optimal success.

Dare to Disagree

Disagreements are a natural part of any partnership and learning how to effectively navigate theses disagreements determines how well they can be resolved. In the TED Talk Dare to Disagree by Margaret Heffernan, the speaker discusses how most people try to avoid conflict. However, if we attempt to avoid conflict, we are not addressing the underlying disagreement. Hefferman explains that disagreement is central to progress in all types of relationships.

What You Don’t Know About Marriage

In the TED Talk What You Don’t Know About Marriage, author Jenna McCarthy shares a humorous take on happy marriage research. After making fun of the research into what makes marriages happy, McCarthy concludes by discussing the research into the benefits of marriage. Overall McCarthy presents a picture of marriage that is odd but rewarding.

In the end, it seems that the secret to a successful marriage is still a secret, but the reality that we all long for that intimate connection is not.