In my work as a marriage coach, I often see couples transition from one type of marriage to another. There’s no clear line between these states, no set of rules that definitively places someone in one category or the other. Yet, by observing how they handle conflict, express themselves, and interact in small ways, you can often tell which state their marriage is in.
A big part of my job as a coach is helping people shift from one type of marriage to another as most issues in marriage are resolved by doing so.