One of the greatest gifts of being in a Taken In Hand relationship has been, for Charlotte, that she now feels more able to be open and honest about how she is feeling.

It is not the act of spanking in itself that causes such wonderful changes when couples move into a Taken In Hand relationship, it is the underlying psychological effects on both partners, as Louise's very nice example shows.

Before Louise's husband took control in their relationship, she would make herself available to him even when she did not feel in the mood. Now, she never doesn't want him.

When Tevemer's husband took control in their relationship, Tevemer found that she wanted to please him in a way that she never had before.

In this beautiful piece, Noone explains why it is not unreasonable to think of the intense bonding of a monogamous relationship as being in some sense ownership.

Separating sex and dominance from the rest of life seems to me a decidedly bad idea. Because male authority and control is real for Taken In Hand couples, not a game, it has the power to infuse the whole of life with an erotic charge, making life altogether more exciting and joyful. Is it any wonder Taken In Hand couples are so happy together?!

Louise used to think that making changes to please her husband would be to diminish herself. She was not going to change! To find out what changed her mind and what happened when she changed her policy, hit the read article link now!

This short and sweet piece is about the flourishing of communication in a Taken In Hand relationship.

Some people spend so much time trying to analyse their relationships by the book and have a relationship by the book that they fail to meet one another's individual needs.

Why, after many decades of marriage, would a man still find it necessary to discipline his wife? And why would she let him?

This lyrical article expresses deep insights into what it means to be taken in hand, and how being taken in hand can help a woman become who she truly is. Breathtaking.

Don't miss this comment! It is Adjel's charming account of how, when she in effect gave her husband permission to do so, he stopped suppressing his alpha male characteristics, and everything evolved from there in a most delightful way. Adjel, I hope you will submit an article!

Theo thinks that he has made a big mistake in how he has been relating to his wife, but reading Taken In Hand has given him hope for the future. Best of luck, Theo, and do let us know how it goes – I can't wait for the next exciting instalment!

Authority is the right or power to enforce rules or give orders. Many Taken In Hand readers use consensual authority to enhance their relationship.

Baltazar (husband of CondusedofHomeCounties) talks about how they moved to a Taken In Hand relationship and how he discovered that taking his wife in hand helped stop rows getting out of hand, and may just have saved their marriage.

ConfusedofHomeCounties (such a misnomer!) has been thinking about accountability and the seeming unfairness of a Taken In Hand relationship in which only one person is disciplined, and here presents an insightful account of how and why it works for her.

What do you get out of your Taken In Hand relationship? As regular readers know, I have been asking this question a lot. Here is Tammy's answer.

How did you tell your husband that you wanted to be taken in hand? And what happened when you did? Hit the read article for this heart-warming story of one person's journey from suppressing her desires, to getting what she wants.

Why do you use discipline in your relationship? For Melanie and Paul, it is erotic, it makes Melanie want to submit, and it makes Paul feel protective; thus, they want to make each other happy. Yeay!

The three things DG wants in a relationship, he has in abundance with his wife. To find out what those three things are, click the read article link.

It's OK to want (to be) an anchor, says LAR.

This short and very sweet piece by Melanie is about another fascinating and paradox of Taken In Hand relationships. I look forward to receiving more articles from you, Melanie!

Many Taken In Hand folk do not use physical discipline or punishment in their relationship. But for those who do, this series of articles explains some otherwise puzzling facts and paradoxes.

No one is perfect, so what do you do when you have behaved badly? Following my article, Reaching out by offering yourself, Issie told this story of an offering of her own.

Frank Nelson's insights about the trouble people get into when they think in terms of ‘fairness’.

In this fascinating article about love and life, inspired by the film, About Schmidt, Stephen relates some vital insights he has gleaned over the years.

Max Maximovich on his fabulous relationship with M, and his thoughts on the paradox he has mentioned here.

When someone in a conventional relationship gets into a state, a fight is often the result. Frank Nelson relates an experience that illustrates the healing power of taking a woman in hand.

Why does this kind of relationship work? Tevemer says that the more her husband asserts himself, the more she respects and desires him. Why does it work for you?

If a woman finds the idea of being taken in hand erotic, how can taking her in hand also ’work’ to modify her behaviour? Spanking would be a reward, not a punishment! Wouldn't it be more efficient to withhold spanking? Nooooooooooo! Hit the read article link to find out why not!

Why is it that most conventional people find themselves settling for stale, lifeless relationships with unsatisfying sex, whereas people writing on Taken In Hand often mention that their desire for one another is greater than ever even after many years?

If you feel no sexual arousal at all during serious disciplinary spankings, how can it possibly be erotic? And if it is, doesn't that mean that it is all just a kinky game, and not real? Hit the read article link for my answers to these thorny questions.

Howard Frank explains his gentle but firm hands-on approach with his wife, and talks about what he has discovered on this journey of increased connection and intimacy.

Ben and his wife have been married 33 years. About eighteen months ago, his wife announced that she wanted to be ‘surrendered’ (as in The Surrendered Wife, by Laura Doyle). To enjoy Ben's delectable real life adult fairy tale, hit the read article link.

Right from the beginning of their relationship, Stephen's wife wanted him to wear the trousers. She was not interested in a relationship based on so-called equality. She expects to be obedient. To her, obedience is not only a matter of respect for me and our relationship, it adds an erotic charge to daily life. Yes, obedience is sexy. It is romantic. It creates passion!

This fascinating and clearly very honest article by Brandy is about the journey she and her husband have travelled to blanket consent, and highlights the increased emotional connection this affords.

Blush, on how, when she is in overdrive, Gary asserts himself in the most gentle yet dominant of ways to slow her down and soothe her.

To read about the night two decades ago that changed Karen's marriage for ever, click the read article link.

An impassioned plea to men to stop going into their cave and start getting out the wooden spoon.

Annie is not submissive in the way some are, so she began to wonder when she is actually submissive. This insightful article looks at when submission brings her joy.