Marriage & Communication: Recipes for Real-Life Connection

Guest: Paul Zohav

Host: Dr. Allen Lycka

Air Date: May 20, 2025

Duration: 14:32 – 40:14

🔹 About the Guest

Paul Zohav holds a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Virginia and brings over 30 years of experience as a chaplain, domestic violence counselor, and communication coach. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Paul now helps couples and families navigate life’s most intimate challenges using practical strategies rooted in compassion and personal growth.

🔹 A Shift from Crisis to Prevention

Paul’s journey began with at-risk youth, where he quickly realized that many failed not because of school, but because of what happened at home. Witnessing the impact of domestic violence—and the lack of resources for perpetrators—he began to focus on prevention, not just recovery. This shift led him to chaplaincy and ultimately to marriage coaching as a long-term path of impact.

🔹 The Pandemic Pivot

When COVID-19 struck, Paul’s work as a community chaplain came to a halt as hospitals closed their doors. Hospice care grew impersonal, and virtual chaplaincy wasn’t enough. That moment sparked a deeper commitment to marriage and communication coaching. Since 2018, Paul has worked with over 2,000 couples, helping them transform crisis into connection.

🔹 Communication: The Missing Curriculum

Paul believes our schools fail to teach the most vital life skill—communication. Without it, couples lack the tools to maintain healthy relationships. Drawing from Martin Heidegger’s concept of “House of Being,” Paul explains how our language frames our reality. By replacing obligation-driven phrases like “I have to” with “I get to,” couples reclaim agency and joy.

🔹 The Recipes That Reshape Relationships

Paul’s coaching model is practical and powerful. Begin your responses with “yes” to affirm connection. Swap out absolutes like “always” and “never” for “tends to,” which encourages listening over defensiveness. Explore love languages, understand your partner’s Myers-Briggs type, and prioritize the emotional needs of your relationship. These small shifts create lasting change.

🔹 Living a Fantastic Life

After 26 years of marriage, Paul lives by what he teaches: empathy, adaptability, and shared purpose. Whether it’s how he drives or where they eat, he chooses “we” over “me.” His book, Marriage and Communication: Recipes for Life, is a relationship manual without chapters—just simple, effective tools for home, work, and beyond.

📘 Learn More

Order Marriage and Communication: Recipes for Life on Amazon. To connect with Paul or bring his approach into your organization, visit www.marriagecommunication.com.

👉 Subscribe to Live A Fantastic Life at www.drallenlycka.com for golden pearls of wisdom—and a chance to win a dream getaway!

BIO:

Paul Zohav, M.Ed., brings a wealth of experience to Marriage and Communication. With a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Virginia, Paul is academically skilled, professionally experienced, and compassionate. Today, with well over thirty years of professional experience as a chaplain and domestic violence counselor, he devotes himself to supporting couples and families through Marriage and Communication coaching in Tucson, Arizona.

He has recently published Marriage and Communication: Recipes for Life!

Available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/7FKga0E

Social Media Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulzohav/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Marriageandcommunicationcoaching/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Marriageandcommunication