Andrew Christensen and Neil S Jacobson identify four common argument triggers: criticism, unfair demands, cumulative annoyance, and rejection. Also, there are factors that can cause these conflicts to escalate to the point where either of you can act in ways that cause a lot of hurt. In a previous blog, I identified two of these factors: the search for an explanation and the battle of accusations.

In a previous blog, I shared four common triggers to couples’ arguments; these were identified by Andrew Christensen and Neil S. Jacobson in their book, Reconcilable Differences. The four triggers were criticism, unfair demands, cumulative annoyance, and rejection.

One of the main reasons that people seek couples counseling is conflict. In truth, conflict is a normal part of any close relationship like marriage.