Valentine’s Day brings an opportunity for couples to take a better look “at where they’re at” and what they want to emphasize and focus on as a couple, said Joe Pribyl, a Minnesota-based licensed marriage and family therapist.
“We can think of Valentine’s Day as one day, or we can think of our marriage as a vocation that happens every day,” he said. “And then decide that there are little ways that we ought to and probably need to take advantage of to stay connected, especially when life pulls us in a lot of different directions.”
Joe Pribyl
Small things can help couples stay connected, Pribyl said, including short emails or text messages, a note, a treat such as candy, or spouses assuring their loved ones that they are praying for them or thinking about them.
Pribyl, who holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities, as well as a master’s degree in Catholic Studies, recently joined “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley to offer tips to couples to dive more deeply into their relationship. Before his work as a therapist, Pribyl worked in education and ministry settings for several years.
Many issues can prompt couples to seek counseling, Pribyl said, such as not finding enough time to spend with each other, trouble connecting because one feels the other is not being sensitive enough to what the other spouse is going through, bickering about not getting enough help at home or with the children, financial issues, intimacy issues or parenting concerns.
“The good news is that therapy can be very helpful … to address these things,” Pribyl said.
Often the root cause relates to uncertainty over whether one’s spouse can confidently say “that the other person is there for me,” he said.
What can be so powerful about therapy is receiving individualized attention and the experience with one’s spouse that may not be common for the couple — and that develops something new and creates a greater sense of connection, Pribyl said. A therapist can also help couples with the dynamics they’d like to achieve even when things are going fairly well, he said.
To learn more relationship tips and to hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic.” It debuts at 9 p.m. Feb. 11 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. Feb. 12 and 2 p.m. Feb. 13.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Pro Ecclesia Sancta Sisters Fabiola Vadeigleisias and Maddie Shogren, who discuss the gift of spiritual motherhood; and Tim Cahill and Ben Mulderink, who describe a new video series for MSP Catholic about the seven signs of a spiritual life.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
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