Great news! Every relationship reaches a difficult stage after the early romance ends. Just think about country songs – countless songs have been written about BOTH the romantic stage and the conflict stage. It’s unavoidable AND couples therapists consider it a given, even in strong, healthy marriages. Why? First, it’s normal because the two of […]
Can conflict be a sign of a HEALTHY relationship? Read More »
Did you find yourself getting frustrated about the same things with your partner over and over? You’ve stated your requests again and again – why can’t your spouse just GET IT? Does it seem you’re both stating the very same things during each conflict? You are not alone. Many partners have core fights that they
Repetitive Arguments with our Partner: Why can’t they just GET IT? Read More »
When you think of how sex is portrayed on TV and in movies and porn, it’s pretty unrealistic. Most of these (heterosexual) participants are thin, attractive, young and unmarried (to each other, at least). Only recently married couples have been portrayed having sex. This sets us up to believe we should have a certain body
3 Most Common Myths about Females and Sex Read More »
Have you tried couples counseling and it didn’t help? Even worse, it harmed the relationship? Since that experience with therapy, perhaps the conflict or distance remains the same; or perhaps the relationship has been deteriorating. You may even be desperate for help. You sometimes think about returning to counseling but haven’t because it didn’t work
Why couples counseling can make things WORSE Read More »
Does this situation sound familiar to you? You have a terrible day at work, which includes making a mistake your boss noticed and having a disagreement with a co-worker. You come home feeling exhausted, frustrated, and concerned about your job security. You can’t wait to talk to your partner about your bad day so they
Solving the Most Common Relationship Issues: My Partner Doesn’t Emotionally Support Me Read More »
Summer brings longer days and brighter sunshine. In books and movies, it’s a time for love- spending days relaxing and taking romantic strolls. The reality may look a little different for parents. As a parent, I feel very torn this time of year. Part of me is singing Hallelujah at the thought of no more
Making Summer a Time to Connect With Your Spouse—And Your Kids! Read More »
Mindfulness has been a buzzword lately. It means being in the present moment – noticing where you are, what’s around you and what you’re feeling. It’s being aware of what’s right here, right now without judgment, without wishing it were different in some big or small way. I’m going to show you how mindfulness applies
Mindfulness in Relationships: Advanced Couples Techniques Read More »
It is a New Year and a great time for self-reflection, growth and making positive changes in our lives! It also becomes a great time to look at our relationships, and see how we can make them more satisfying and stronger. Often, when we reflect on how to improve our relationship we focus on our
Make Your Relationship Your New Year’s Resolution Read More »
Has your partner ever said to you “You’re being too sensitive”, “It’s silly to feel that way”, or “Don’t be sad, just cheer up.”? Often, responses like these to our partner’s emotions are said out of caring and a desire to make our partner feel better. After all, when we love someone, we never want
Validation Does Not Equal Agreement Read More »
by Meredith Keller & Debby Deroian Some emotions have a very bad reputation! Sadness, fear, shame and jealousy are all considered negative and things we ‘shouldn’t’ feel. We get the message we shouldn’t feel these things from society, from mass media and from our families (both when growing up and presently). The reality is that
Responding to the ‘Bad’ Emotions: Effective Ways to Manage Anger & Sadness Read More »
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