Anyone who’s married will tell you that staying together, and happy, takes work. Dr. Aaron Turpeau, affectionately known as Black America’s Love Doctor makes a living helping couples strengthen and heal their marriages. At the ESSENCE Virtual Wellness House: Year Of Renewal event, Dr. Turpeau sat down with ESSENCE Lifestyle Director Charli Penn to dig into some of what he’s learned in his practice over the years after counseling hundreds of couples and helping them get past rough patches.
Turpeau specializes in helping couples bridge their communication gaps, which often come from two people from diverse backgrounds partnering and learning they don’t share the same opinions about parenting, marriage and beyond. Penn asked Turpeau to share which tools couples should always have in their relationship toolbox.
“The main one is communication,” said Turpeau. “That’s the biggest one. That’s the one people most need and that’s the one where it’s a big deficit. But again, no one ever taught us how to do that.”
But that shouldn’t be the only focus in your marriage. “The tools you need to have are communication, cooperation and compromise,” Turpeau adds. Watch the full conversation above to hear Turpeau break down more secrets to a healthier, happier marriage.