As I gazed at the mesmerizing blue waters from the airplane, my brief moment of peace was shattered by the captain's announcement. We were en route to St. Maarten, but this was no ordinary vacation. I was on my way to a couples' retreat, not out of leisure, but necessity—to work on my relationship.

Think of Groundhog Day—not the film with Bill Murray, but the real-life repetition of everyday interactions that seem to go nowhere. For years, I experienced this not at work, or in my health, but in my relationship with my wife. Every day felt the same, filled with unanswered questions and unresolv...