Were you a child of divorce? Do you struggle to make your relationships last? How can you heal your own demons? In this podcast episode, Billy and Brandy Eldridge talk to Brad Robinson about what makes relationships last. Podcast Sponsor There are many ways to keep your practice organized, but TherapyNotes is the best. Their easy-to-use, secure platform lets you not only do your billing, scheduling, and progress notes but also create a client portal to share documents and request signatures. Plus, they offer amazing, unlimited phone support so when you have a question you can get help FAST. To get started with the Practice Management Software Trusted by over 35,000 professionals go to TherapyNotes.com and start a free trial today. To get 2 free months of TherapyNotes click on www.therapynotes.com and enter the promo code: Joe Meet Brad Robinson Brad Robinson became a marriage and couples therapist over a decade ago because he was tired of seeing friends and family suffer the misery of bad relationships that sometimes ended in a bitter divorce. As a child of divorce due to infidelity, he made it his life’s mission to help couples heal so they could be the parents and the people they really want to be. Today he is an international marriage and affair recovery expert. Brad is a featured TEDx speaker and highlighted in various publications such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and the New York Post. Visit Brad’s website and listen to the podcast here. In This Podcast Summary * Who you should marry * The lighthouse and the harbor * Healing demons * The building blocks to a healthy relationship * Initiators and hesitators Who you should marry Brad eventually figured out a way of figuring out who you should marry, or at least consider marrying. You ask them one simple question…Who did you go to when you were little? So, whose lap did you crawl into when you were sad, afraid, or hurt? This simple question can have a profound answer…”I had my mom/I had my dad”, and the person can give you clear stories. This is not that they necessarily had a trauma-free childhood but they had somebody who showed healthy modeling of how to be a lighthouse, a harbor, and how to really be emotionally supportive and attuned. This is the type of person who will probably be healthier to be in a relationship with. If the person tells you they don’t remember or just give you a “mom or dad” answer with no specifics, then if you choose to go into this relationship just know that there is going to be a lot of growth that has to occur in order for you to have a healthy relationship. The lighthouse and the harbor We’re all dealing with the same problems but people who have a love that lasts, deal with those problems differently. They are there for each other as a lighthouse and as a harbor. They are in tune with each other and are sensitive, supportive, and available to each other. * Lighthouse – Operate as a receiving function. I know there are storms out there, monsters at the bottom of the ocean, waves trying to knock you over. There’s fog and sometimes you just can’t see your way. I’m going to shine my light for you and be available. And I’m going to have hot cocoa ready for you and I’m going to have dry blankets and warm clothes for you when you come in. I want to hear your latest adventure,