The impact of infidelity on most relationships is very painful. Crisis typically ensues and the betrayed partner’s sense of emotional security and safety is shattered. To regain some stability, many betrayed, hurt and confused partners try to “piece” together what happened. In the moment, it feels like knowing EVERYTHING is … Read More
Misconceptions about Couples Therapy
Before deciding if couples therapy is right for you, it can be helpful to know what to expect. With that in mind, here are some common misconceptions, and what actually happens during a couples session. “If I go to couples therapy I’m just going to listen to my spouse complain … Read More
Five Small Ways to Bond with Your Partner Daily
A secure attachment bond is a critical building block of a healthy, lasting, loving relationship. Although having strong emotional feelings of love for each other is important, it is not enough for a lasting, secure bond. What’s even more important is the way couples respond to each other, and are … Read More
Ways to Communicate with Your High Conflict Partner When Splitting
Whether or not you’re married, splitting up can bring out the worst in anyone. Individuals who may struggle with a personality disorder or traits, though, can create frequent high conflict interactions. During this vulnerable time when there is a loss of self-esteem and control, you may become the target of … Read More
End of a Decade—Bringing on 2020!
Earlier this month, I attended a workshop where the leader reminded us that we will soon be closing out a decade and entering a whole new time period. He asked us to share some of the biggest things that stood out from the last 10 years, and then encouraged us … Read More
How To Be a Man: Messages on Masculinity, Part 5
In this fifth part on the topic of masculinity, we will examine the influence of media on society’s views of masculinity. There are many examples of masculinity in the media; video games, music, movies, and TV equate a man with being dominant and aggressive. These archetypes project masculinity often through … Read More
Making Choices in Seasons of Change
Change can be exhilarating, fun, nerve-wrecking, and often times, just plain scary. A scary thing about change, is that it asks us to step into the unknown. Even if we know where we’re moving, or who we’re going to be in a relationship with, or have some of the blanks … Read More
Is Stonewalling Wrecking Your Relationship?
Through his research, Dr. John Gottman found that distressed couples tend to use destructive behaviors in their conflict discussions, leading to destructive 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 focus … Read More
Anger and Irritability Could Signal Depression
Most people are aware of the core depressive symptoms including feelings of hopelessness, intense sadness, lack of motivation, and loss of energy. According to some researchers, there is also a strong association between irritability and depression. In a recent article written by Nell Greenfieldboyce, a NPR science correspondent, she discusses … Read More
When Did You Decide You Weren’t an Artist?
Art has the power to change things. The process of making something physical gives us space to gain a fresh perspective on things we thought we knew like the back of our hands. We are visual people— from planning what we are going to wear the next day in our … Read More
