Marriage Advice We Actually Believe In

ShrinkChicks

Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT and Emmalee Bierly, LMFT

Mental Health, Education, Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Relationships

5 • 717 Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen tackle one of their most requested topics: marriage advice! And as two Marriage and Family Therapists who are married themselves, they definitely have a lot to say on the topic. From the best (and worst) advice they’ve gotten themselves, to questions like “How do you know if they’re the one?” and “What should we talk about before getting married?”, Em and Jen cover the messy, practical, and surprising truths about love and commitment. They explore what changes after marriage, which flaws are worth putting up with, and why “when you know, you know” isn’t always the whole story. Listener questions dig into readiness, money conversations, staying close while changing, and the difference between relational health and chemistry. Plus, in Dear Em & Jen, they respond to a listener navigating how to share pregnancy news with a friend struggling with infertility. Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content. ⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group! ⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠ Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!! Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠ Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order Greenlight: Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greenlight.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠ Skims: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at ⁠⁠SKIMS.com⁠⁠. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey, and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Mabē: Visit ⁠⁠⁠mabeproducts.com⁠⁠⁠ and use code: SHRINKCHICKS for an automatic $10 discount on your first purchase Green Chef: Head to⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Greenchef.com/50SHRINKCHICKS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code 50SHRINKCHICKS to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is brought to you by Podcast Nation.
0:04.6	The developmental age of your marriage is often like developmental styles of children.
0:11.8	Yeah.
0:12.0	Right.
0:12.3	So at one year old, your marriage is just learning to talk and learning to walk.
0:17.9	It's going to fall a lot.
0:19.6	In two years old and three years old. And then, you know, they talk about like this, you know, seven-year itch. You know, I'm gonna tell you, I don't know if you have kids that age, they start to really be sort of defy it, disobedient, slightly challenging. That's normal in our relationship, right? So, like, think, how long have we been together? How long have we married? There's developmental ages with relationships as well.
0:49.0	Welcome back to another episode of shrink chicks.
0:51.5	Take a seat on our virtual therapy couch and get ready to learn
0:55.1	all about, well, you. I'm Emily Beerley. And I'm Jennifer Chakin. And we're both licensed,
1:00.5	marriage and family therapist and relationship experts. We're the owners and founders of the
1:04.8	therapy group, a nationwide psychotherapy practice with down-to-earth therapists just like us.
1:10.3	Your session is starting, so get
1:12.3	ready to know yourself and grow yourself. Oh, how I love the end of summer into fall.
1:20.9	There's just something about it that makes life feel a little lighter and more fun. But if I'm
1:24.7	being honest, I don't love cooking. It always feels like such a chore,
1:28.2	especially when all I want to do is spend time outside with friends or just relaxing. That's why
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1:49.6	I've loved the meals I've tried so far, like the chicken with creamy corn and mashed potatoes, the shrimp with cuckus and roasted vegetables, and the barbecue meatballs with broccoli, slough.
1:59.4	Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and way better
	...

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