Daily Temperature Reading for Couples

January 3, 2023

Open and honest communication is vital to building trust and maintaining a deep connection in any relationship. One effective tool for fostering this communication is “The Daily Temperature Reading for Couples.” This simple yet powerful practice helps partners check in with one another, ensuring their emotional needs are met, and their relationship continues to grow. Whether navigating challenges or seeking to strengthen your bond, integrating this into your daily routine can enhance your connection.

If you and your partner are looking for personalized support to nurture your relationship, contact Council for Relationships today to get matched with a therapist who fits you, your relationship, and your budget.


Is it even possible to love someone for your entire life?

Yes, you can love someone for a lifetime, but you need the knowledge and skills to maintain and grow the relationship. As the creator of The Daily Temperature Reading technique, I know it is not how much you love each other that strengthens a long-term relationship; it’s how you resolve differences and preserve fun and sensuality.

Luckily, everyone can learn, practice, and improve their relationship skills. Later in this blog, I will share a quick Daily Temperature Reading exercise that helps couples strengthen their regular communication skills and builds closeness. 

7 Reasons Why People Want Healthy Relationships Skills

Over many years as a therapist, I have identified the seven reasons people want to develop healthy relationship skills:

  1. Communicating – listening and self-expression
  2. Resolving conflict
  3. Managing anger and resentment
  4. Dealing with individual differences
  5. Wanting more out of the relationship
  6. Rebuilding trust when it has been broken
  7. Being single–wanting to find the ‘one’ and develop a healthy relationship

Black and white picture of Virginia Satir standing with her harms folded against a white board with nondescript writing. She is looking to the right of the camera, smiling, wearing a light colored blazer with a white shirt. She has short, curly hair and is wearing glasses.

CFR continues to use the skills Virginia Satire (pictured here) developed in programs such as our Relationship Checkup.

The Daily Temperature Reading Technique is for You

If you are looking for any of these things, you’re in luck; I designed my programs around these critical facets. I teach people how to communicate effectively, manage conflicts without damaging closeness, and preserve and enhance commitment, friendship, and intimacy.

If you have never been to a program like this before, you may be wondering what skills you could learn. Here’s one of my favorite exercises: the Daily Temperature Reading.

What is The Daily Temperature Reading?

Virginia Satir, a pioneer of family therapy, developed the Daily Temperature Reading. It is a skill-based activity that you and your partner can do together regularly to build a connection and learn to communicate on essential topics. It has even been used in the PAIRS Program and by the Smart Marriages—Healthy Families Conference.

The Daily Temperature Reading is comprised of the following five steps:

  1. Appreciation: Something you each appreciate that the other person did.
  2. New Information: Big or small, something you haven’t shared with your partner.
  3. Puzzle: What’s on your mind? What issues are you struggling with?
  4. Complaint with a change request: Ask your partner what you need.
  5. Wish, hope, or dream: Something you’re looking forward to.

You may find it helpful to print this out and refer to it until you and your partner memorize the steps.

Are you more of a visual learner? Watch this video for a walk-through of the exercise:

About the creator of The Daily Temperature Reading

Early in her career, Dr. DeMaria became interested in several relationship skills programs, including Prepare-Enrich and PAIRS – Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills. For over 20 years, she taught the PAIRS program to hundreds of participants. She also researched helping distressed couples, published several professional books, and a bestselling health and wellness book with Reader’s Digest, The 7 Stages of Marriage.

Dr. DeMaria trained and collaborated with her colleagues at Council for Relationships to develop the Relationship Checkup and Healthy Relationships and Wellness Programs, which she served as the Director of before her retirement. 


About CFR’s Couples & Relationship Therapy

At Council for Relationships, we are a nationally recognized leader in couples counseling, offering expert care to couples at every stage of their journey. Whether married, dating, cohabitating, or even separated or divorced, our clinicians are skilled at helping diverse couples of all models work through challenges. We support a wide range of relationship concerns, including communication, intimacy, infertility, divorce, parenting, and more. Our inclusive approach considers the unique needs of different genders, sexualities, cultures, and religions, ensuring personalized care that strengthens your relationship and fosters long-term growth.

Contact us to get matched with a CFR therapist today. Your relationship deserves it.

CFR’s Relationship Checkups

The Relationship Checkup (RCU) is a program at Council for Relationships that helps couples assess and improve their relationships using a research-based approach developed by Dr. John Gottman. For $99, couples receive a comprehensive evaluation through a 480-question assessment covering topics like communication, conflict resolution, intimacy, and more. The program includes three private sessions, personalized feedback, and guidance to strengthen relationship dynamics. It’s ideal for couples seeking to enhance their communication and resolve chronic issues.

More details can be found here.


More Expert Voices: Improve Your Relationship with Couples Therapy

Looking to enhance your long-term relationship or improve your communication skills? At Council for Relationships, our marriage and family therapists specialize in helping couples build great relationships by fostering emotional intelligence, effective communication, and problem-solving skills. Whether you need support with eye contact, body language, or verbal communication, our couples counseling can help you feel safe and connected. Drawing on techniques from experts like Virginia Satir, we help couples improve their relationships through all kinds of skills—strengthening bonds and creating lasting connections. So continue to follow our Expert Voices blog for the latest on the Daily Temperature Reading for Couples and other fantastic insights.

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