Sharon and Bob were feeling distressed about moving. When Sharon vented her stress, Bob thought her irritation was being directed toward him. Bob turned toward...
Relationship Resources Blog
Each day my life is enriched by listening to and guiding couples as they bring their raw experiences to sessions and we try to make sense of difficult times. Through these blog posts, I hope to give readers a snapshot of our work including examples of the real issues that people bring, and how we can find meaning and a path out together. Their identities are protected, but each experience is real. Because relationships are complex, my role is to help couples share their experiences while providing a conceptual road map to understand their experiences, finding a way out of the woods of painful experiences. This blog shares stories and concepts; I hope it provides hope, insight and richness to each reader’s own journey.
Essential Conversations
Successful couples know how to discuss issues without escalating. If they do escalate, they may be able to repair conflict as it’s occurring. If not,...
Amend the Agreement
Over the weekend, Jessica agreed that she would call the contractor on Monday. When Tony asked about it on Tuesday, he was upset that she...
From My Couch to Yours
During the pandemic, a number of couples doubted the efficacy of telehealth. Some couples who I saw pre-pandemic chose not to continue until we could...
Chalk Portraits
Now that Ed was working from home, Denise asked him to help out with the kids for an hour a day. This would give her...
Emotional Restraint
Emotional intelligence consists of four components: Awareness of self Awareness of others Awareness of relationship dynamics Emotional restraint Couples counseling focuses a lot on couples...
Reaching Out
Keri had just lost her job and Adam was concerned. Keri had a history of depression and he thought this event would reignite her depression....
Correcting Misperceptions
Brandon and Gayle were talking about their weekly struggles in couples counseling when Gayle said, “You think you’re better than me.” Brandon was surprised and...
Insight
Despite the amount of time they were at home with each other, Phil and Cynthia felt disconnected. Typically Cynthia expressed her disconnection, but in this...
Ritualizing Time
Michael and Eileen talked with each other in couples counseling about how to reconnect. They acknowledged that they weren’t eating meals with each other, despite...
Checking In
Despite spending a lot of time together during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eileen and Michael were feeling disconnected. In fact, Eileen was worried about their trajectory—becoming...
We Can’t Afford It
Jim and Caroline were talking about finances and Caroline expressed really wanting something. Jim said, “We can’t afford it” and the conversation shut down. The...