Brene Brown encourages vulnerability, and yet …

Learning to become vulnerable with your spouse can help you have a stronger, more rewarding marriage relationship.

Brene Brown teaches, “In our culture we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.”

I have no problem being 100% vulnerable with my husband. I talk to him about everything, confide in him, completely let down every wall, every barrier and just enjoy being the real me with him. As a result I’ve felt joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, love, and a host of other beautiful feelings. None of which would have been possible had I not let down my guard enough to be completely vulnerable with him.

And yet, when I sit in the tastefully decorated office of my therapist, I clam up … around a woman I should be able to talk to about anything.

I remember my first appointment to see her. I sat in my car afterward crying, my husband reaching out to comfort me. And I said something like, “I can’t tell her everything. It’s too personal.”

And he was like, “Isn’t that the point of therapy?”

Of course. He held me tightly enough that when I nodded I wiped my tears on his shoulder.

“So why can’t I tell her those things?” I asked.