Episode 34: We Need to Talk About The Five Love Languages

Are The Five Love Languages actually good advice for couples? This week I look at the credentials behind Gary Chapman's famous book and how a framework written by a Baptist pastor ended up in so many therapists' offices.

Critics argue that his marriage and relationship advice can be dangerous for people in abusive relationships, because it treats a struggling marriage as something you fix by learning to love your partner better, and that's a risky message when the partner is the problem. I dig into where his work came from and why it's still so widely accepted despite those concerns.

I also look at what Focus on the Family has said about the book and what can happen when these principles get applied in a harmful relationship. By the end, I sort out where the love languages can help a couple and where they ignore the reality of domestic violence.