“Think your marriage is rock solid? Meet the man who says every couple needs an annual marital checkup to fix what you might not even know is broken!”

That’s how the Rachael Ray daytime talk show introduced guest expert and Clark University associate professor James Córdova for the March 9 segment featuring Córdova’s recent book and sharing his research and advice on relationships.

Córdova directs the Center for Couples and Family Research at Clark, a team clinical research effort consisting of faculty, doctoral and undergraduate students. The Center’s goal is to produce cutting-edge research on intimate relationships and on the development of focused interventions to promote relationship and marital health.

Rachael Ray’s audience members received copies of “The Marriage Checkup.” A link at the show’s Website provides a chance for online visitors to win a copy as well. Another link brings visitors to Clark’s Website.

Here’s what the Rachael Ray daytime talk show wrote about the televised segment: “It helps couples to assess what the strengths of their relationship are, to go over any areas that they might be concerned about, and to give them tools to help them keep their marriage healthy,” explains “The Marriage Checkup” author Dr. James Córdova. The checkup he suggests involves setting aside some time to talk and be sure you are both happy with how things are going at home. “We want it to be preventative,” he says. “Imagine that you only went to see the dentist when your teeth really started to hurt … that’s what we have with our marriages. The only time that we can actually tune in to our marriages is when they start to hurt and they grab our attention.

“The checkup is a way to tune in, pay attention, be appreciative and work on the things that concern you about your relationship. …”