Liz Currin, PhD, at Crabapple Chapter ABWA May Meeting

Our May American Business Women's Association featured speaker was Liz Currin, PhD, from Atlanta Area Psychological Associates PC.  Liz loves to work on couples relationships including infidelity.  She has written a book entitled:  Essential Guide to Survive Infidelity published by Penguin Press.    Liz  concentrated on Relationships and Happiness.   What is it about relationships that is most compelling?   Before people married for economic reasons including finances and land, now people marry for love.   Today’s entertainment has Temptation Island, EHarmony, Match.com, or Facebook while the original TV programs were the Dating Game or the Newly Wed Game.  

Why do we work so hard on relationships?  The four letter word Love is also considered a relationship.   Remember to take your time, self disclose to your partner and disclosure from your partner to you is a lifetime experiment.   Addictions, abuse and credit card debt are hard on relationships.   There are character clues in setting life goals being monetary satisfaction or intrinsic satisfaction.   When something happens, you can give up, blame someone else, or regroup and pursue your goals.   The moral implications in relationships are do you treat a waitress as an object.  Do you have awareness of them as a person not just a body performing a job?  How does your future spouse treat his or her siblings and parents?   Are they before you?   Can you handle that for the long term?  Do they treat employees well?

What does your spouse or partner do with time and money?   Look at discrepancies, friendships, reciprocity, mutual events sought in friendship, and differences of opinion.  Visit your future spouse’s childhood home, family and siblings.   Find out the secrets before you marry someone.   Trust should be open.   During courtship, both parties are on their best behavior.  Stress can be in laws, death in the family,  and financial reversal.  Sometimes positive events like retiring can be stressful along with winning the lottery, a job promotion, or returning to school.  

Liz Currin, PhD, Suxette Cohen, & Heather Herrig
ABWA Crabapple Chapter May Meeting

Discuss your expectations openly.   Focus on forever.   Couples need to be oriented on what to expect in a marriage.   As we know, happily ever after is only a fairy tale.  Other important items are:  Cheating.   Money or sex which is harder to talk about?   Saver versus spender.   

Pam Santoro & Sherrin Thomas
ABWA Crabapple Chapter May Meeting

Liz Currin, PhD, Sherin Thomas, & Rachel Hillhouse (left)
Celia Dutcher, Babs Robinson,  & Suzette Cohen (right)
ABWA Crabapple Chapter May Meeting