Ina Garten and husband Jeffrey almost divorced once: The secret ingredient that kept them together for 56 years.

Ina Garten, who debuted her show in 2002, has captivated Americans with her rustic recipes, intimate dinner parties, and use of "good olive oil." At the heart of this idyllic portrayal of Garten's life is her husband Jeffrey, who consistently enters just as the table is being set, appearing as the soft-spoken, supportive spouse who clearly adores his wife.

Garten, 76, has disclosed in her new memoir "Be Ready When the Luck Happens" that her and Jeffrey's marriage was on the brink of falling apart. In fact, they separated for a brief period in the 1970s.

Garten advised Jeffrey to go to therapy in order to win her back.

'Women everywhere were rethinking their roles and responsibilities'

Garten, who had no experience in the food industry and had never run a business, bought a specialty food shop in Westhampton, New York, which caused a rift. Her previous job was working on policy budgets at the White House.

In her book, Jeffrey supported her ambitions but also expected her to adhere to the traditional wife role.

"Jeffrey would be the 'man' who helped occasionally, while I would be the wife responsible for everything domestic," she writes. "What bothered me wasn't the chores, but the feeling that I wasn't an equal partner."

Jeffrey's attitude was typical of most men in the 1970s, and Garten recognized that despite the increased professional opportunities available to women, they still bore the brunt of domestic responsibilities.

"In the 1970s, women began to realize that they were expected to add new opportunities to their traditional roles, rather than having it all."

She attempted to ignore responsibilities to convey to Jeffrey that she desired a change in partnership dynamics, but he failed to comprehend the signal.

She didn't specify whether the separation was temporary or permanent.

Jeffrey said he would respect her wishes if she wanted to be alone. He then left to return to his job in Washington D.C. that summer.

After being apart for a while, Jeffrey inquired if there was anything he could do to help, to which she replied, "therapy."

She writes that he went the very next day, and it saved their marriage.

'There are different kinds of breaks and different intentions behind them'

While breaks are often viewed as a last-ditch effort to save a failing partnership, some separations can actually improve a relationship, according to Lisa Marie Bobby, a relationship psychologist and founder of Growing Self Counseling & Coaching in Denver.

She explains that breaks come in various forms and are driven by diverse motivations.

Breaks fueled by unhappiness and an inability to function are referred to as "I can't do this" breaks by Bobby.

She says that the separation between Garten and Jeffrey appears to be more of a "therapeutic separation."

She explains that the purpose of needing some space is to gain clarity on what you want and work on yourself and your relationship, but you must break out of the current negative relational cycle.

Taking a break from distressed relationships can help individuals identify their needs and communicate them effectively to their partners.

'If we worked toward the same goal, we could change things together'

The request to go to therapy can be interpreted as positive or negative depending on the intention of the person making the request.

Bobby says that believing all relationship problems are solely the fault and responsibility of the partner to fix can be negative and unproductive in one aspect.

In a long-term relationship, it may be beneficial to ask your partner to attend therapy to determine if their growth in a specific area can provide clarity about whether they can support you.

Garten desired a spouse who was accepting of her not adhering to conventional gender norms.

Bobby says, "I believe Garten's request was more like, 'To be with me, you must work through some issues and adapt,'" implying that Garten's request was more demanding and required more effort from the person in question.

Jeffrey found therapy helpful in changing his perspective on Garten and himself, and he also realized that gender norms were restrictive.

"Garten writes that Jeffrey admitted he wanted a job that required travel for work but always felt responsible for staying home as a husband. He realized he didn't have to feel that way anymore."

Garten and Jeffrey worked to become equal partners who listened and supported each other.

If we worked together towards the same goal, we could bring about change, although it wouldn't happen overnight, according to Garten.

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