Kathleen was unhappy in her relationship. She met Rob in her mid-twenties and they were now married with young children. She talked to the other...
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.
Dr. Rein Wouldn’t Approve
I started working with Carol and Jack four months ago. Despite being married three decades, they were separated when I started working with them. They...
Be Amazing
Jean talked about her struggles at work and Frank couldn’t help giving advice. Jean expressed previously that she just wants to share her story, but...
The Eleventh Hour
Jack criticized Ashley throughout their twelve-year marriage. Now she was fed up, to the point of asking Jack to leave the house. She was suffering...
Skewed Lines
Tony and Belle have been married for decades. You could sense their love for each other but they didn’t get along—constantly fighting. Most things Tony...
Run Towards
Kathy wants to talk to her husband Billy about her stressors and process their relationship issues as needed. Like his family-of-origin, Billy avoids conflict. He...
Words Matter
Couples have incidents and issues that they need to work through. Each time an incident or issue is unresolved, it builds up. It’s like dropping...
Difficult Conversations
Some conversations are more difficult than others. One of the easier conversations for couples to have is stress-reducing conversations. These are when couples talk to...
Repairs
Dr. John Gottman’s research demonstrates the importance of not attacking or being defensive. This can prevent conflict from occurring in the first place. However, when...
Are We Incompatible?
Eric & Meg got into a big fight over something small when Eric questioned whether he and Meg were compatible. They were having conflict with...
Create Connection
There are three primary ways couples connect with one another: sharing, doing, and being. Sharing can range from talking about one’s day, sharing stressful situations,...
Learning From a Debacle
I hadn’t seen Tim and Maura for a while, but they talked about how much progress they were making. Then Tim brought up a time...