Mark Travers, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist who studies relationships. He is the founder and CEO of Awake Therapy, a telehealth technology company that delivers psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching online. Through his research and practice, he has gained significant insight into the dynamics of relationships and the behaviors that contribute to their success or failure.
Travers also highlights the role of open communication in maintaining healthy relationships. His work has found that individuals who feel secure in expressing themselves are more likely to engage in healthier relationship behaviors. He emphasizes that when partners communicate freely, it creates an atmosphere of awareness. Their openness and willingness to discuss their shortcomings provides the foundation for highly effective collaboration.
“Assessing the dynamics of a relationship is crucial,” Travers states. “If it always feels like it’s one person versus their partner, instead of the two of them versus the problem, it’s worth assessing why.” At Awake Therapy, Travers emphasizes a more collaborative model. Most importantly, he helps clients get to the source of their disputes and pushes them to address issues collaboratively rather than as opponents.
Awake Therapy provides affordable mental health services with an all-online experience. These can range from customized psychotherapy and coaching that’s tailored specifically to them. This innovative approach allows clients to engage with Travers and his team from the comfort of their own homes, ensuring that they receive support without the barriers often associated with traditional therapy settings.
While Travers’ upbringing in New Zealand is a big point of influence, there’s another unusual aspect of his personal life that intersects with his professional philosophy. He constructed his own $5,000 dumpster home and rents the dumpster for $62/mo. This atypical lifestyle choice is a testament to his devotion to living things simply and practically.
“The healthiest relationships give you room to breathe. To laugh loudly, ugly cry, make a mess, and be weird,” he observes. This simple remark sums up his wisdom about the ingredients that help relationships flourish. He pushes couples to accept their flaws, silliness and imperfections. This helps to build a sense of safety and acceptance that allows each partner to engage more authentically.
His inquiry goes deep into the everyday struggles of relationships, encouraging partners to think differently about their disputes. Travers asks good, provocative questions that inspire deep reflection among collaborators. He often challenges them to consider what they’re really in this fight for. Plus, he has them dig into why they think they do about their relationship patterns.
Travers’ commitment to understanding influences on relational behaviors comes from a place of wishing to equip people with tools to navigate their emotional terrains. He has expanded his ideas further at Awake Therapy, where he offers notable guidance. These findings inform couples looking to improve their marriages and achieve more happiness with their spouses.