Relationship Resources Blog

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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.

Intimate Friends

In Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Defensiveness, Emotional Support, Listening, Vulnerability

Ken and Erin were progressing nicely in marriage counseling. They were addressing the major issues in their relationship. In a recent session, Ken noticed that...

I Didn’t Know

In Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Accusations, Communication, Disconnected, Feedback, Feedback Loop, Listening

Liz and Joe came to marriage counseling to address a number of issues. Their most pressing issue was a friendship that Liz developed two years...

Getting Over The Past

In Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication, Defensiveness, Listening

After months of marriage counseling, Jennifer now felt supported by her husband Sean when she talked about Will—her adult son from her first marriage—who struggles...

Can’t You See

In Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication, Criticism, Escalation

Elysia and Scott were sitting in the physician’s waiting room waiting for Elysia’s appointment. Elysia’s cell phone rang and she answered. Elysia kept the conversation...

An Unpleasant Holiday

In Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Conflict, Escalation

Jeannie works in the restaurant industry. When she was working Christmas Eve, her husband Rick planned to make the night special despite her not being...

Zero to One Hundred

In Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Conflict, Escalation

Escalation is a core problem in many relationships. If a person starts a conversation with a negative comment, the likelihood of a partner responding negatively...

We Need to Talk

In Couples Therapy, Relationship CounselingTags Criticism, Escalation, Processing

Robert dreaded when Diane said, “We need to talk.” He knew the conversation was likely to escalate. She criticized him, he then defended himself, and...