The Value of an Emotional Prenup

Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell

Ep#234 - The Value of an Emotional Prenup - An Interview with psychologist and author, Dr. Frieda Birnbaum

Why is it important to do an emotional prenup? That is the question that prompted this interview with my guest, Dr. Frieda Birnbaum, a psychotherapist and the author of "Life Begins at 60." And so this sidebar conversation was one that Dr. Birnbaum and I found ourselves in as we began this empowering chat. This idea of managing our lives and the change that comes towards us then led us to the deeper conversation about managing our unions, specifically the union of marriage.

And so once again I ask, What is an emotional prenup and how do we create it? According to Dr. Birnbaum, it comes from a place of seeing more than just the material things we want to manifest in a marriage. For example, it is easy to share with your partner that you want 2 kids, you want to buy a house, you want to make so much money per year – but we never think about the emotional connection and what is expected of each of us in this union when it comes to emotional support. And most importantly how to deal with the unexpected occurrences that will land on your doorstep.

An emotional prenup is about voicing your assumptions about marriage and partnership and then checking in with your partner to explore if your assumptions match that of your partner. It is also about acknowledging what is important to the two of you as a couple.

Part of the process is defining what marriage means to the couple. Simply put, emotional prenups help to prevent divorce, where as financial prenups protect an individual after a divorce.

To learn more about Dr.Frieda Birnbaum visit: Drfrieda.com

To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com