Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Today’s special guest is Andrew Montgomery, who came to our Canadian office for a special visit from Focus on the Family’s U.S. headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO. As director of organizational development and communications, Andrew creates opportunities for Focus on the Family staff to grow in their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the workplace, and oversees the ministry’s employee communications. He has been with the ministry since 2000. Prior to his current role, he served as the organization’s director of public relations.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

They say silence is golden, but in the context of marriage, silence can be devastatingly painful.

There’s a lot you can say about saying nothing. Since silence can be used both constructively and destructively in a relationship, it's important we understand what is going on behind the silence.

Today’s episode, “Silent Storm: When Your Spouse Won’t Talk,” can help guide us through this challenging path. We’ll look at the negative sides of silence, how silence can be used for good, and how to decipher between good and bad silence in a marriage.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Today’s episode features Pastor Sam Owusu, who took the time to sit down for a truly encouraging conversation.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

It’s natural for parents to step in and ensure our children will be okay. So, how do we balance that tightrope of protective parental instinct, and preventing our children from launching into adulthood?

Today’s episode, “What to Do When Your Child Won’t Grow Up,” tackles these questions with love and care thanks to the wisdom of our in-house counsellors at Focus on the Family Canada.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Picture this: You and your friend are hanging out, talking like you always do, when suddenly, your friend is divulging serious stuff about their marriage. What should you say – and what should you not say – if you want to help your friend?

Today’s episode can help guide us through this relational tightrope.

Just a note: Referrals to websites not produced by Focus on the Family Canada do not necessarily constitute blanket endorsement of the sites' content.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Whether you’re engaged, newlywed, or have been married for years, you know that spouses come with attachments: in-laws. These relationships have the potential to offer support to the married couple, but the reality is many couples struggle with in-law dynamics. Similar to having a newborn child, there is no instruction manual for how to navigate the complexity of this particular relationship. What can you do, then, when your in-laws won’t let go? And how do you navigate this issue without creating a divide that feels too big to cross?

This is a big topic, so we’ve included a relevant resources in our show notes for this episode so you can continue learning and growing even after today’s episode ends.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Boundaries, both personal and mutual, are expressions of our values. They enable us to build a healthy relationship by feeling safe and secure. But what do healthy boundaries look like in marriage? How do we set them, and how do we maintain them?

Today’s episode, “How to Set Marriage-Strengthening Boundaries with Your Spouse,” comes from Vicki Hooper. Vicki Hooper is a Certified Clinical Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, and holds a Masters in Education in School Counselling. She currently works as a marriage therapist with Focus on the Family Canada's Hope Restored marriage intensives. She also has an extensive background in teaching and ministry settings. Vicki and her husband, David, have been married over 25 years and are parents to two grown children.

This is a big topic, so we’ve included a relevant resources in our show notes for this episode so you can continue learning and growing even after today’s episode ends.

Understanding Healthy Boundaries PDF booklet

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/understanding-healthy-boundaries-pdf

Hope Restored marriage intensives

https://hoperestoredcanada.ca/

In the first season of The Thriving Family podcast, we explore one of the most pressing topics that people ask us about – conflict and communication. Whether you need help in your marriage, as a parent, or in your relationships with loved ones, we want to help you with practical advice, real-life stories, and encouraging conversations.