Relationships and Perception: Are You Sure?
I work with individuals and couples weekly that seek help in my office for relationship challenges. Some arrive due to issues of trust and infidelity while others are seeking answers to issues that stem from their families they grew up in. Most individuals, healthy or not, seem to battle or engage in a phenomenon that […]
Healthy Relationships & Ways of Being
People are complex individuals with their histories, hopes, and habits. When two individuals come together in any relationship, married or not, they are combining two unique lives to form something complex yet beautiful. The assumptions and beliefs of both of those individuals also come together to influence the relationship. It’s important to honor that with […]
Strengthening Relationships Through Family Traditions and Rituals
With the holiday season approaching, countless events become abuzz with holiday parties, church and social events, and family dinners typical for the season. These events serve many purposes and when understood more clearly enhance, solidify, and safeguard your relationships and overall emotional health. Rituals are activities that couples and families create that occur on a […]
Does Marriage Counseling Work: What The Research Says
Many couples wonder if marriage counseling actually works, and some question whether real change is even possible. If therapy were as straightforward as a routine maintenance check, the answer would be simple. The truth is, relationships can be both uncomplicated and deeply layered depending on each partner’s history, current circumstances, and genuine willingness to grow. […]
Boundaries: What They Are and How to Create Them
Boundaries are unwritten and unspoken lines that mark where you begin and end in relation to where others begin and end emotionally and physically. For example, we have clothing as a boundary not only to protect our skin but as a physical cue and symbol that you are you and that is where you begin. […]
Insecurity: The Fuel of Relational Conflict
One of the core components of reactivity and defensiveness is personal insecurity. I work with individuals that often share how family or friends are often reactive relative to them. The difficulty with defensive individuals is that they feel they are just protecting themselves from another, that their defensiveness with their spouse or teen or coworker […]
The Facebook Fuss – Frustrated Friendships?
Is facebook complicating relationships? Many are connecting online with old friends, distant family, and unfortunately at times old flames. Problem is, these relationships are not in ‘real’ time they are virtual relationships, ones maintained and fostered online.I spoke to a few individuals recently and one person in particular did sheepishly admit to me that she […]
Stepping Into The Dark – Risk Taking
What makes taking risks so difficult? I’ve often heard clients, family, friends, and others talk about the difficulty in taking risks; in trying something difficult; in stepping into the unknown.Anxiety and trepidation is fueled by irrational thoughts. Thoughts like, “I can’t do that, it is far to difficult.” or “That’s not me, he can do […]
Communication in Relationships and Marriage
Healthy Relationships Communication is the path by which individuals share and exchange information about their perceptions, feelings, and thoughts. It is imperative that individuals learn to engage and connect with others in ways that promote healthy relationships and bonding within them. Many adolescents I work with and adults alike, struggle to communicate in ways that are supportive […]
Sleep and Emotional Regulation
Sleep is one of the most key elements in emotional and relational health. Sleep is a process within which your body rejuvenates. I am not referencing merely resting, it is a time when the body-mind repairs itself. It is during rapid eye movement or REM that you actually rest and your body is restored.We live […]