I don’t know about you, but often I get lost in my thoughts — either about my future, and what’s about to happen, or something in my past. Sometimes I’m so distracted that I miss the present moment! It slips right by me, unnoticed, never to be seen again. A lot...
It is so easy to waste time these days, getting caught up in all that is ‘wrong’ with our lives — so much so that we completely miss out on the joy of today! We do this in our relationships, too — with our family, our partner, and our friends. When we’re...
Our family’s planning on a multi-generational trip this summer! We’re going with our kids and grandkids on a long road trip, and multiple generations means multiple sets of needs, desires, and expectations, so it involves a LOT of planning. The first step is to really...
Many of you are aware that Eric is still a teacher, and therefore essentially has two and a half months off every summer. Me, I’m a therapist and don’t get time off unless I take it. There can be a lot of benefits to this system — I get a house-husband for a...
As you may or may not know, my father-in-law, Eric’s father, recently passed away. There was a long period of our life that was dedicated to his care; in fact, as time went on, more and more of our time was centered around taking care of him. We’re very thankful we...
So often I hear counselors encouraging people to do ‘self care,’ but what exactly does that mean? It’s true self-care is of the utmost importance, but it can cover such a wide array of topics that we don’t really know what steps to take. For me, my instinct is to plan...
Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: You’re out with a friend. You told your spouse you’d be home by 8 to help with the kids, but they’re in the middle of a pretty serious discussion. You don’t want to cut them off, so you stay just a...
I was working with a couple recently, and they were getting stuck on an issue that plagues a lot of us. One partner, let’s call her Lily, was much less interested in romance than her husband (let’s call him Rich). Rich wanted to go on dates with his wife,...
If you, your partner or child, a parent or other immediate family member, becomes diagnosed with a long-term illness, gets severely injured, or faces some other medical crisis, it will obviously affect your relationship. We know this, and yet we don’t like to...
Every couple is different. For some of us, the first year of marriage is awesome — for some of us, it’s incredibly stressful. Some couples adjust to children quickly and easily, but the majority of us have a much more difficult transition. For every new...
Wedding vows: creating a covenant with your beloved, in front of witnesses, swearing to love each other until death do you part. But does that include doing the dishes? Does it include keeping quiet when we haven’t had breakfast yet, because who knows what...
I hope you’ll indulge me for a moment, because I really want to take this opportunity to brag on my incredible daughter-in-law (or, as I like to say, ‘daughter-in-LOVE’). She’s recently started a blog called “My Daughter’s...
When was the last time you made time for FUN with your partner? As therapists and leaders of couples’ workshops, we will be the first to tell you that great relationships take work. They do! That’s part and parcel of a long-term commitment. But great...
When you’ve been in a long-term relationship for, well, a pretty long time, it’s common to develop a rhythm, a schedule, a sense of what’s ‘normal’ for your life together. And when your partner suddenly decides they want to change that...
Recently, I’ve read articles how social media has increased likelihood of depression and anxiety. Is anyone surprised? When we’re scrolling, all we see is everybody’s curated ‘best-of’; the best parts of their life, often seen while we’re sitting in the worst of...
I’ll just say it: we all have gotten into the habit of using our phones too much. It’s hampering our relationships to the point that ‘together alone’ is a common catchphrase. It’s understandable; I do it, too! Our phones are enticing, with emails, social media,...
As we discussed on our blog from last week, social media can provide a temptation to the best of us. But what do you do if you suspect that your partner has already made those connections? This can be a horrible feeling. But, first of all, resist the urge to try...
I’ve been dealing a lot with affairs lately in my work with couples. And boy, all three of these were started with, you guessed it: social media. It starts on Facebook, reconnecting old flames, and evolves to a full-blown affair. Of course, social media is a huge...
Do you need alone time as part of your own self-care? Sometimes, when we’re in a long-term relationship, asking for alone time can feel strange. You love your partner, and you love being together, but sometimes one of you just needs more alone time than the...
Reposted from our newsletter, February 8th — subscribe here! Every Valentine’s Day, we all tend to do the same sort of thing. Something romantic. And of course, romance is essential for a healthy relationships. Which is why we’re suggesting something...
