Is Defensiveness Wrecking Your Relationship?

Through his research, Dr. John Gottman found that distressed couples tend to use destructive behaviors in their conflict discussions, which leads to conflict escalation.  He calls these behaviors the four horsemen, after the Biblical four horsemen of the apocalypse. They include criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.  We first covered the … Read More

Emotion Coaching from the Movie “Inside Out”

In my work with couples, I have learned the importance of attunement. Attunement is that feeling that we get when we feel like someone else understands what we are going through.  We’re no longer in it alone. Dr. Stephen Porges, in his book, “The Polyvagal Theory”, points out the importance … Read More

Is Criticism Wrecking Your Relationship?

Through his research, Dr. John Gottman found that distressed couples tend to use destructive behaviors in their conflict discussions, which leads to conflict escalation. He calls these behaviors the “four horsemen,” after the Biblical four horsemen of the apocalypse. They include criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling. In this blog, I’ll … Read More

Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 6

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From the onset, a stepfamily has several moving parts that a first family doesn’t encounter. For the children in a stepfamily, it is an overwhelming amount of change and can feel destabilizing. Studies have shown that that the most disrupting factor for children is not divorce, but exposure to parental … Read More

Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 5

Every family has it’s own unique culture. Family cultures include a set of belief systems that include aspects such as: how to spend money, how to spend time, what acceptable behaviors are and family traditions and rituals. When a stepfamily unites, they face the challenge of merging these cultures (Papernow, … Read More

Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 4

divorce

In newly formed stepfamilies, the standard advice that I give to the couple is for the parent to take the lead with discipline. There is a great deal of research supporting this stance. The most helpful role for step parents during the early years of stepfamily formation is to nurture … Read More

Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 3

stepfamily

While the step-couple may be experiencing the bliss of their new relationship, children are likely experiencing a myriad of emotions.  When a stepfamily forms, changes often happen too quickly for the children. According to Dr. Patricia Papernow, this presents a common challenge that stepfamilies encounter: Children are dealing with losses, … Read More

Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 2

stepfamily

One of the most frequent challenges I see with the step-couples that I work with is that one of them is struggling with feeling like an outsider in their own family. According to Dr. Patricia Papernow (2013), stuck insider/outsider positioning is a core challenge for the stepfamily. And for those … Read More

Strengthening Your Stepfamily: Part 1

stepfamily

In her book, “Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t,” Patricia Papernow, EdD, discusses the five common challenges that a stepfamily can face and offers some straightforward guidance to help address them. In my work with stepfamilies and in my own stepfamily experiences, I have witnessed … Read More

Marriage Relationships and Their Healthy Characteristics: Part 3

marriage

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we reviewed the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy marriage relationships. For some of you, understanding the dysfunctional characteristic of an unhealthy marriage relationship may have become a call to action to do something different in your relationship. You have many different options … Read More