15: Stay or Go? Making the Decision to Stay In or Leave Your Relationship with Anne Goshen, PhD.

My guest today is Dr. Anne Goshen, a licensed psychotherapist in San Diego, CA. Anne’s work focuses on helping couples solve conflicts, rebuild trust, and reconnect. She also helps individuals improve relationships and cope with divorce. In addition to her private practice, Anne teaches graduate courses in marriage and family therapy. Today we’re discussing how to make the decision to stay in or leave a relationship. Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Anne’s passion: to work with couples and see immediate change right before her eyes
• How this decision can differ for men and women
• Asking the right questions
• Steps to move through this decision in a healthy way
  • Ask, “Why am I staying?”
  • Ask, “What is reasonable for me to expect in this relationship?”
• The partner who is the hardest to leave
• Do’s and Don’t’s
• The importance of therapy
• Why you need to strengthen yourself
• The worst time to leave a relationship
• Factors to consider: domestic violence, substance abuse, and affairs
• What to do if you’re in an affair
• Making choices out of our wounds
• The aftermath of the decision
• Anne’s advice: a favorite book (see resources) and see a counselor

Resources: www.annegoshen.com The Couples Toolbox Podcast  Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay by Mira Kirshenbaum