• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

New Clients: +44 (0)845 519 4808

Existing Clients +44 (0)20 3793 2829

Stephen Hedger

Stephen Hedger

Crisis Marriage Coach | Harley Street London

  • Marriage Breakthrough Program
  • FAQ
  • Clients Success Stories
  • About
  • Blog

“You Set Your Marriage up to Fail and You Didn’t Know…”

Imagine a person setting their relationship up to fail, without ever knowing, imagine if the way a person sets up their marriage is what will collapse it in years to come.

This is exactly what I keep seeing and have to help couples undo.

Couple after couple are attending sessions and are telling me they cannot believe they are so lost that they need external help, they never thought a marital crisis would ever happen to them.

People are quite literally walking into relationships blind and if they work or not is a 50/50 gamble unaware the 50% that do stay together are not as happy as they let the world believe.

So many couples come to sessions telling me their friends and family would be shocked they are struggling and no one is to blame for the problems.

None of us are naturally equipped to understand each other.

So without understanding, they put everything on RED, their years of emotional investment, their effort their home, their family and their finances.

They have built their whole life on foundations that would never support what they both need and neither person could see it back then.

They have no idea the risk they were taking and for one reason.

When they met:- they got what they wanted long before they ever earned it.

There is nowhere else in life where this happens, where else do you get the payoff before you add any value?

Couples that get happiness, passion, and fun with no knowledge and no skill will of course assume this is a natural state so conclude they are meant to be together.

So on the basis of these illusions, they can decide to get married, unaware it’s like getting into a fast-moving car with no steering wheel.

So the love magically descends, and passion just happens yet neither person is unaware of how to keep this energy alive?

They assume what they have will stay, they have no idea what is coming.

What each person starting a relationship is unaware of is their partner is enjoying the same thing, but for very different reasons neither person knows or seems to care and why would they?

Who questions a good time when it arrives?

This is the problem, they think they are on the same page until one day they notice they are not and this can happen in a few weeks or 30 years later.

One day they will see the lack of alignment unaware that has been there all the time – from day one.

So many couples live for years in a finely balanced system that to them works and then a small shift can shatter or erode their connection over time.

This is why NOT understanding why it’s working is such a problem. Life is all about change and so the connection needs to be understood to weather those inevitable life changes.

Look at this example: He won’t know what she needs and she won’t know how to teach him, all she can tell him is when he gets it wrong.

He has never learned the exact process she will need for intimacy to stay alive in her because he never needed to know until they started to go off track and she said no.

She doesn’t know what she needs for her to feel attracted to him because these feelings have always been automatic.

She doesn’t know how to get the best out of him because she assumes his emotional system works the same as hers, so what she does bring to him will keep having a negative effect on him.

Both people end up pushing each other away in their quest to get closer and they have no idea this is what they are doing.

They will now grow the energy that will take one person to a disconnect on some level.

Couples are practising this type of model year-after-year and one person can give up as they may assume this is the truth of their connection.

To be clear it will only be the truth of the dynamic of two people who don’t know what they are doing, they are managing their relationship badly, but are simply not aware.

What usually causes the biggest problem is the poor behaviour/coping strategies that follow the core problem.

The affairs, the drugs, the lies, the secrets these get in the way of couples getting to their truth because they cause so much pain and suffering.

Both people are assuming the way they think and their route to happiness is the same.

They couldn’t be more wrong – these two people are very different and unless seen correctly the differences will be taken badly.

If you knew what to look for, you would see these critical differences at play right at the start of their relationship.

You would see why it worked and why they were under the illusion they were on the same page.

You would also see why today it wasn’t working and exactly what to do about it.

This is the key, being able to see why it’s broken and the opportunity right in front of you.

If you keep searching for why it’s broken from your own perspective you’ll totally miss why it’s broken from theirs.

Their problem is they cannot share their problem so you will understand it.

The obvious go-to position for people in ongoing problematic relationships is to assume the relationship is wrong, so they might be incompatible.

They might be right of course, but this is rarer than you’d think.

What’s more common is people are running ineffective relationship-building models that would fail with anyone.

It’s very common for me to tell a client that what they have been doing wouldn’t work for anyone but they were not to know.

It’s why second-marriage failures are so much higher than first, it’s why marriages that come from affairs have a 95% failure rate.

Most people are not bad people they are simply unhappy people.

Without understanding how to effectively manage their relationship every single person on the planet is going to struggle.

Marriage is the most important decision in anyone’s life yet it’s the areas we are the least skilled.

Remember what I wrote a the start of this post about when they first met “…they got what they wanted long before they ever earned it…” so people don’t think they need skills.

My clients come to master relationship-building skills, it’s why so many now attend on their own.

You see they have a question they need an answer to.

They have understood the relationship isn’t working, but the smart people are wondering if they are part of the problem, or are we just the wrong fit?

They are coming wanting to learn how to become effective relationship partners.

Mastering the art of becoming an effective partner will help you understand:-

  • If you are in the right or wrong relationship model
  • It will create the ability to design your relationship life so it’s the way you want it
  • You will have more of the emotions you want.
  • You will never be afraid of other people’s emotions again

You can do this on your own or your partner can do this too.

My clients want effective relationships and so they come wanting to learn so the rest of their life makes sense.

If you wish to see what’s possible for you tell us about your situation so we can see if we can help you.

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Stephen Hedger
Stephen Hedger
About the author:

Harley Street Expert | Founder & Trusted Advisor to High Performers

With two decades of experience helping couples out of crisis, Stephen the founder of The Marriage Breakthrough Program, uses his proven system for rescuing and rebuilding relationships on the edge of divorce. A trusted advisor to CEOs, elite entrepreneurs, and industry leaders globally, his work blends emotional intelligence with strategic clarity. Known for navigating highly complex relationship challenges, Stephen helps individuals and couples find clarity and direction when everything is at stake.

Find out more >>> The Marriage Breakthrough Program
Stephen Hedger
Latest posts by Stephen Hedger (see all)
  • “I feel nothing… and he’s no idea why!” – MiniPost - May 19, 2025
  • 7 Steps For a Successful Marriage Repair Process - May 17, 2025
  • Do You Know Your Values & Why They Are So Important? - May 11, 2025

Related posts:

Why Your Marriage Feels Stuck (And How to Break Free Without Forcing Change) “This is Making Men Unattractive…” Why Husbands Are Losing Attraction to Their Wives Case Studies: “How Changing Your Perspective Can Fix Your Relationship—Here’s Proof” “You Might Be in the Wrong Relationship… But Not for the Reason You Think…” “Couples are failing at the basics…” In Crisis, their Minds Destroyed Their Lives “What if I’m not enough?”

Category iconMarriage Coaching

"Follow simple yet powerful steps designed to save and reignite a marriage fast no matter what has happened"

"Click to Claim Your FREE Consultation Now!"

Recent Posts

  • “I feel nothing… and he’s no idea why!” – MiniPost
  • 7 Steps For a Successful Marriage Repair Process
  • Do You Know Your Values & Why They Are So Important?
  • “Should I Stay or Go?” Why You Shouldn’t Make Big Decisions While You’re Still Suffering
  • Stop & Never: The 30 Patterns That Quietly Destroy Relationships
  • “How to Fix Communication Issues in a Marriage”
  • “First Step to Fixing Any Marriage Problem”
  • Impossible Marriage Problems?
  • “What if I’m not enough?”
  • “Another 5 Years Like This? No Way!”
  • In Crisis, their Minds Destroyed Their Lives

Over 1300 Relationship Articles


Categories

  • A thought for Sunday (29)
  • Case Studies (2)
  • Communication (70)
  • Destructive Patterns (137)
  • Discussion (2)
  • Infidelity-Affairs (38)
  • Loss of Love (43)
  • Loss of passion (35)
  • Lost Attraction (22)
  • Marriage Coaching (426)
  • Marriage Mastery Assessment (1)
  • Masculine & Feminine (9)
  • Mini Posts (1)
  • Monday Breakthrough (2)
  • Personal Development (105)
  • Rebuilding trust (39)
  • Relationship Stories (24)
  • Retirement Crisis (6)
  • Save Marriage Alone (42)
  • Separation & Divorce (9)
  • Stop & Never – Mini Posts (54)
  • Stuck (9)
  • Testimonials (59)
  • Top 10 Popular Posts (12)
  • Uncategorized (761)

Primary Sidebar

I’m not going to ask you how you “feel", pay me to watch you argue, or try to find the person to blame.

I am looking to discover if the couple can become a team, overcome their problems together and create a dynamic that will create a loving and passionate life together.

My approach is to take you from where you are, to where you want to be… fast!

I can not recommend Stephen highly enough – he not only saved our marriage, but has improved my marriage and myself as a person.

Banker - London

Popular Posts

  • Women are struggling, but men don’t understand why
  • Built an Empire and lost a Family
  • Marriage in Limbo
  • Rebuilding Connection & Trust
  • Divorce Regret
  • Divorce Prevention
  • Resentment Stacking
  • 36 Principles For Success
  • My Wife is Aggressive
  • A Wise Old Man's Decision
  • I was in tears
  • Tourtured by the past

Do You Want
To Save Your Marriage?

Hi, I'm Stephen Hedger. I'm determined to help couples discover what their marriage is capable of with the right information. My only question is, will it be yours?

Learn more

A 30 minute call with Stephen

In a short phone conversation, Stephen was able to quickly get to the heart of what the real issue was in our marriage – and why in almost a year of working on our marriage including 10 weeks of marriage counselling through a relationship therapy organisation, we weren’t really making any progress. I found Stephen to be extremely perceptive, as well as empathetic to our situation, while being able to quickly pinpoint the real sticking point in our marriage.
Many thanks
Olivia

Dear Stephen
Thank you for your time to listen to my experience in my marriage. You gave me encouragement to speak out to my partner in confidence. You made me realise that sometimes the way we make comments on each other can aggravate the situation and make it worse. Your advice made me feel revived.

Kind regards

Chipo

Success Stories

From Battlefield to Breakthrough: How to Save Your Marriage Without a Toxic Fight.

January 31, 2025 By Stephen Hedger

Most people who come to me for help believe their marriage is broken, so their level of hope is not high. Many will have tried to fix the problems without success. These people are unaware that there is a critical mindset shift: if you don’t make it, your chances of success dramatically drop. As you […]

“By changing yourself, you can change a relationship… because I did!”

September 16, 2024 By Stephen Hedger

We were in the process of physical separation, with my husband arranging to move out at the end of the month, and I was getting legal advice on proceeding with the divorce.  On one of those distressed and sleepless nights, I came across Stephen’s website and his blog. I was fascinated. What Stephen has written […]

“There’s no hope in hell – I want a divorce!”

April 22, 2024 By Stephen Hedger

So what do you do when the trust is broken so badly that their relationship ends with them selling their family home and moving into separate homes? Most people would consider this the end, but this gentleman decided something different. He wrote to me to see if I could help. I wanted to encourage his […]

Marriage Crisis from Infidelity & Communication Breakdown

August 21, 2023 By Stephen Hedger

Today’s post is about a professional couple in the UK who decided they wanted to share their experience of their tailormade program that was designed to help them out of their marital challenges. They were in crisis due to communication breakdown and infidelity. They had 12 meetings over five months to learn how to reconnect […]

His Marriage was Over!

June 5, 2023 By Stephen Hedger

This man was in the depths of sadness; his marriage was over, but he didn’t want it to be. They had seen numerous counsellors who had all concluded the marriage was indeed over. He had lost all feelings for his wife. Due to being so stuck for so long, he had started an affair. But […]

“Free Marriage in Crisis 8 Page Guide”:

Stephen Hedger is a marriage in crisis specialist sought after by CEO’s Bankers, Judges, GP’s, Business Leaders, Celebrities and Entrepreneurs Globally.


Stephen says when you are in marital crisis it's important to know what to do to make sure your next steps don't make the situation even worse. This short guide written by Stephen is designed to help you take a step back and consider next steps intelligently.


Click to Download FREE

Footer

Expert Help Available Worldwide via Zoom

For assistance from Stephen, contact his team at:

📞 +44 (0)845 519 4808


Recent Clients: New York, Dubai, Los Angeles, Austrailia, Japan, Germany, France, Ireland, UK, Monaco to name a few.

Stephen Hedger offers married couples in crisis across the globe a comprehensive strategic roadmap to overcome their marriage problems.

Today Stephen works with Celebrities, CEO’s, Lawyers, Bankers, Royalty, Judges, and business owners helping them transform their family and personal relationships with massive breakthroughs, seemingly against all odds.

  • FREE Marriage Crisis Guide
  • The Marriage Quiz
  • Coaching Services
  • Marriage Counselling Alternative
  • Cloe Hedger (Stephen’s wife)
  • Marriage Breakthrough Program
  • Individual Coaching
  • About
  • Clients Success Stories
  • Explore 1,300+ FREE articles designed to help you navigate impossible challenges using fresh insights.
  • FAQs
  • Mission: Vision: Values:

Recent Posts

  • “I feel nothing… and he’s no idea why!” – MiniPost
  • 7 Steps For a Successful Marriage Repair Process
  • Do You Know Your Values & Why They Are So Important?
  • “Should I Stay or Go?” Why You Shouldn’t Make Big Decisions While You’re Still Suffering
  • Stop & Never: The 30 Patterns That Quietly Destroy Relationships
Apply For Help Here Now...

*Disclaimer:
Any testimonials stated on this page or on any pages on the Stephen Hedger Marriage Coach website/s are proof of our success, naturally, results may vary from person to person.

Terms & Privacy Policy      Copyright © 2025 StephenHedger.com. All rights reserved. Company No.08279028    Return to top