One of the most common questions couples ask after an affair is: Can we ever truly recover from this? The answer is sometimes yes — but the process requires patience, honesty, and a willingness to walk through some very difficult territory together....
When couples seek therapy after an affair, they are often hoping for guidance on how to move forward. But what many people don’t realize is that affair recovery is very different from traditional couples therapy. And without the right approach, therapy...
Few experiences shake a relationship as deeply as discovering that your partner has been involved in an affair. For the hurt partner, the moment of discovery often feels like an emotional earthquake. Whether the truth comes from a third party, a message on a...
Self-care has gotten a lot of mixed messaging over the years. Some people hear the phrase and think bubble baths and indulgence. Others hear it and immediately feel behind, guilty, or overwhelmed by one more thing they’re supposed to be doing. But at its...
Children are emotional mirrors. They don’t just listen to what we say — they absorb what we embody. If you’ve ever noticed your child becoming more dysregulated when you’re overwhelmed, or settling more quickly when you stay grounded, you’ve witnessed emotional...
When the world feels heavy, real connection isn’t just comforting — it’s regulatory. That hug from your partner. The hand on your shoulder. The friend who simply sits with you in silence. These aren’t small gestures. They are biological tools that help your...
We’ve talked about stress a lot lately — like, a lot. But what if understanding why stress feels so hard could actually help you manage it better? Stress isn’t just a feeling — it’s a biological response. When you’re overwhelmed by work deadlines, family...
Valentine’s Day has a way of turning love inward. Are my needs being met? Do I feel chosen? Am I enough? Those questions are understandable — but when they take over, we can lose sight of something important: love is also about shared meaning. About what...
Valentine’s Day comes with a lot of expectations. Somehow, we’ve absorbed the idea that our partner should just know what we want. That they should orchestrate the perfect, ultra-romantic day filled with meaningful gestures and heartfelt surprises. And when...
January arrives with a lot of noise. New goals. New routines. New versions of ourselves we’re apparently supposed to roll out immediately — energized, disciplined, focused, and ready to conquer the year. And yet, for so many people, January doesn’t feel...
Conflict rarely unravels all at once. More often, it happens in the moment our bodies move into overwhelm before our words can catch up. In my last post, we explored how intense reactions often come from protective parts of us — parts that step in quickly when...
Most couples come to therapy wanting the same thing: to feel understood, safe, and connected — especially in moments of conflict. And yet, when emotions run high, we often find ourselves reacting in ways that don’t reflect who we truly want to be. If you’ve...
The holiday season has a way of amplifying everything — joy, connection, stress, and exhaustion. While many families look forward to time together, the shift in routines, heightened expectations, and emotional intensity can also bring unexpected challenges, especially...
For many people, Christmas slowly turns into a machine. The lists grow longer. The expectations get louder. The pressure to make everything magical — for kids, partners, parents, extended family — starts weeks before December even arrives. Somewhere along the...
As we wrap up this four-part series inspired by the work of Cameron Madill, it’s time to look beyond just the two of you and explore another critical factor in relationship health: community. If you’ve been following along, you know that we’ve already talked about why...
If you’ve been following along in this four-part series, you know we’ve been exploring what makes relationships thrive — not by accident, but through intention, connection, and shared joy. In the first installment, we looked at how couples can stop “drifting” and...
Hello, friends! It’s Sabrina again. In our first post in this series, I introduced you to the work of Cameron Madill — and why it’s important to design your relationship rather than drift through it. Cameron’s Funshops make that process joyful and intentional. Today,...
As we round the corner into Thanksgiving, it’s tempting to lean into the familiar tropes: gratitude lists, “five things I’m thankful for,” or the ever-present reminder to count our blessings. But at Core Values Counseling, we want to lean into a subtler, more grounded...
My husband Eric and I have known and appreciated Cameron Madill’s relationship work for a long time. After attending the opening premiere of the first Funshop, we knew this was something worth sharing, and I was thrilled to sit down with Cameron recently to talk about...
Every couple has their own little quirks and inside jokes — the kind of shorthand that makes you both smile even in the middle of a busy day. But what if you took that idea even further by implementing one of our fun relationship tips, and creating your own secret...
