The Marriage Savvy Podcast

27 Episodes
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By: Kim Bowen

Designed to delve into the complexities of our most important relationships and offer valuable insights and practical advice for couples at every stage of life. Join us as we navigate the highs and lows of love, communication, intimacy and everything in between. Hosted by renowned couples therapist, Kim Bowen, LPC-S, Owner/Founder of The Marriage Place.

Are You Pushing Your Spouse Further Away? (Marriage Rescue)
Today at 2:40 PM

Host, John Baustista and Amanda Richardson dig into the first 5 of 20 Marriage Rescue triage tools you can use to help save your marriage when your spouse is leaning out.


Can One Partner Really Save a Marriage?
Last Thursday at 2:48 PM

Host, John Baustista is joined by Amanda Richardson, Director of Coaching, to walk through our proven Marriage Rescue approach to helping clients save their relationship, even when one partner feels “done” and ready to leave. Amanda walks through the 4 phases of Marriage Rescue and tools you can use to triage your relationship.


I Love You But I'm Not In Love With You Kim & John's Story - The Road Back Episode 5: Making Repair & Protecting the Relationship
10/07/2025

In the final episode of our podcast series, I Love You, But I’m Not In Love With You, John and I look back on the long road we've traveled—from the brink of divorce to the deep, lasting connection we share today, 35 years into our marriage. It wasn’t an easy journey. Along the way, we had to learn how to make repair, foster true intimacy, and fight for our relationship—again and again. What we discovered was worth every hard moment: the joy of being truly known, the safety of being fully accepted, and the freedom to show up...


I Love You But I'm Not In Love With You Kim & John's Story - The Road Back Episode 4: Rebuilding Connection
09/29/2025

In the 4th episode of I Love You, But I’m Not In Love With You series, John and I recount the powerful role our attachment styles played in our marriage—how understanding them, and learning to manage them - became a turning point in rebuilding connection, trust and emotional safety.


I Love You But I'm Not In Love With You Kim & John's Story - The Road Back Episode 3: Recognizing the Need to Change
06/10/2025

We’re joined by Amanda Richardson, Director of Coaching, who helps unpack one of the biggest relationship game-changers, "differentiation", as we explore how seeing—and owning—our part in the mess can lead to real connection and growth.


I Love You But I'm Not In Love With You Kim & John's Story - The Road Back Episode 2: Our Disconnecting Strategies
06/04/2025

In episode 2 of our podcast series I Love You, But I'm Not In Love With You, John and I open up about how the families we grew up in unknowingly set the stage for some of the biggest struggles in our marriage. We explore how those early experiences shaped our expectations—and led to disconnecting patterns that slowly pulled us apart. With Amanda’s guidance, we take a closer look at these disconnecting strategies and how they can sabotage the very connection we crave in our relationships.


I Love You But I'm Not In Love With You Kim & John's Story - The Road Back Episode 1: The Origin Story
05/12/2025

In our brand-new podcast series, I Love You, But I’m Not In Love With You, John and I are inviting you behind the curtain of our marriage. The messy parts, the breakthroughs, the moments of disconnect, and the ways we found our way back. We’re joined by The Marriage Place Director of Coaching, Amanda Richardson. You’ll get a front-row seat to how our relationship coaching really works—and how love can shift, evolve, and deepen, even after hitting the hardest walls.


What's Your Anger Trying to Tell You?
04/11/2025

Anger. Yep, that big, messy emotion that shows up uninvited and often overstays its welcome. But is your anger, or your partner's anger, really telling you? In this episode Kim pulls back the cover on anger to see what is underneath it and shares how a couple can use anger to be helpful and not hurtful to their relationship.


Season 2 is Here! Let's talk Mature Love
03/28/2025

Welcome to Season 2 of The Marriage Savvy Podcast! Join Kim as she gets real and shares a personal update on life over the past few months. In this episode, she takes a deep dive into the concept of "mature love" and offers an exclusive sneak peek of what's to come this season. Hint: Kim and her husband, John, open up about the challenges they once faced almost losing their own marriage—and, more importantly, how they turned things around and built the strong, thriving relationship they share today. Season 2 starts NOW!


The 4 C’s of Secure Attachment
12/17/2024

Kim introduces the concept of 'secure attachment' and gives listeners a crash course on the "4 C's" that frame attachment.

4:00 - Introduction of the 4 C's

6:30 - Comfort

12:15 - Connection

21:00 - Cooperation

23:30 - Conflict

27:00 - What is a power couple?


Using EMDR to Help Couples Get Unstuck
11/26/2024

Kim invites Cindy Wright, therapist at The Marriage Place on to the podcast to share how she is using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) within a couples session to help clients who are stuck in the same cycle and same arguments learn to regulate and develop empathy for each other.

3:00 - What is EMDR

4:15 - How EMDR is used in a couples session

15:30 - The science behind EMDR

25:00 - Who could benefit from EMDR


Practical Parenting: Telling the Kids About the Divorce
11/12/2024

Kim and child therapist and play coach, Melissa Griffing, owner of WellNest Counseling, are back again this week discussing how to talk to your children about divorce. Learn best practices and what to avoid when tackling this tough topic with your kids.


Practical Parenting: Play Therapy & Parenting Styles
11/04/2024

In part one of this two-part series, Kim visits with Melissa Griffing, owner of WellNest Counseling, a practice that specializes in child and family therapy. Listen as they dig into practical topics including how play therapy works, parenting styles, and the importance of modeling apology with our kids.


Repairing a Relationship Rupture
10/22/2024

Kim continues where Episode 017 (Definining Relationship Rupture) left off and explores how to repair a rupture in your relationship.


Defining Relationship Rupture
10/15/2024

Kim explores the concept of relationship 'rupture' and gives examples of small & large ruptures.


Is a Cheater Always a Cheater?
10/08/2024

Kim shares her thoughts on the saying "Once a cheater, always a cheater" and what it takes to heal a relationship after infidelity.


When You "Feel Stuck" In Your Relationship
09/30/2024

Kim offers up her perspective on feeling stuck in a relationship and what it takes to get unstuck.


Initiating Intimacy
09/16/2024

For Mature Audiences Only. Kim tackles the tough and sensititve topic of physical intimacy and balancing the needs and desires of both partners.


Apologies: What Make a Good One
09/16/2024

Kim unpacks the lost art of apology, a critical relationship life skill. She answers the questions of what it means to be truly sorry and what a good (or bad) apology looks like.


When Your Communication isn't Communicating!
08/14/2024

Kim takes her first question from a listener and gives some expert advice on what to do when you just aren't able to communicate with your partner.


How to Recognize an Emotional Affair
08/07/2024

What is an emotional affair? Hear Kim give her take on how to identify an emotional affair and how you can protect your relationship from one.


Recognizing Fear and Intimidation in Your Relationship
07/30/2024

Kim dissects how fear & intimidation impact a relationship, the importance of setting healthy boundaries, and building relational skills.


Empathy: What It Is and Why You Need It
07/29/2024

Kim explores empathy, how you can develop it, and why it is so important to a healthy relationship.


What to Expect in Couples Counseling
07/29/2024

Considering couples counseling? Kim weighs in on what good couples counseling is, and what it isn't.


Marriage Rescue - When Your Spouse Wants Out
07/16/2024

Kim discusses how to save your marriage when your spouse has disengaged.


When You Aren't Feeling 'In Love'
07/05/2024

Kim explores the phases of marriage and what to do when you aren't feeling 'in love' with your partner.


Is Love All You Need?
06/27/2024

In this inaugural episode, Kim tackles the fundamental concepts of love and being relational. What does healthy love look like? Is love all you need?