Nick StumboExecutive Director driving healing from sexual brokenness

Why Emotional Literacy Matters

13 May 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment of Nick Stumbo’s talk, he urges couples—especially those where one partner is struggling with addiction or other challenges—to develop a shared emotional vocabulary and make emotional sharing a regular practice. He stresses that many people feel uncomfortable naming their feelings, but by using tools and deliberately incorporating emotional check‑ins into everyday conversation, partners can better understand each other's internal states. This habit not only improves communication about the relationship but also equips each person to process life’s events through an emotional lens, fostering greater empathy and support.

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I think that'd be my encouragement for couples that whether you're trying to communicate how their behavior is making you feel, or you're the other side as the struggler or addict, is recognizing you may not be comfortable sharing that language of emotion either. It's finding a tool, using some work that can make that a regular part of your conversation, not just about your coupleship, but about life in general. Because when you become more comfortable processing life through that lens of your emotions and how something's making you feel, I think you become more equipped to hear and receive what your spouse is, is recognizing or going through, and you're able to enter into that with them in ways that right now may just not be a part of your regular routine.