Jack and Stacy were not in a good place. Despite a decent lifestyle, internally, they were so unhappy. Their interactions were regularly tense, and the...
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.
Getting Closer
In my first session with couples, I typically ask them what their goals are for couples counseling—what they want to accomplish as a result of...
Skeptics Welcome
On occasion, I get spouses who question how useful couples counseling is going to be. I never try to convince them differently, but I am...
Paradigm Shift
James and Dawn were in a bad place. They had made progress in couples counseling, but then had a setback that they never recovered from....
Old Habits Die Hard
Angelo and Melissa had a troubled relationship. By the time they started couples counseling, Melissa had moved out and started divorce proceedings. When they talked...
Foundational Issues
Most couples start couples counseling, wanting to talk about their last fight or blowout, but Patrick said he didn’t want to do that. He wanted...
Tribute
Rick and Cindy had a really difficult teenager. Brendan was constantly challenging them. He pushed the limits regularly. The couple had very different ways of...
Parenting the Parent
Andrea and Mark had two rambunctious young boys, and Andrea really struggled with them. They rarely listened to her, and she moved between being stressed...
Safe Haven
In our first couples counseling session, Ed shared that he needs to be physically intimate with his wife, but Michelle disclosed that she doesn’t feel...
Revamping
Alex and Paige have been married for over three decades and were moving into a new phase with adult children and Alex’s early retirement. They...
Complain Well
Last week I had a session in which I was routinely interrupting the husband. Typically when couples criticize each other in couples counseling, I intervene....
Restoring Trust
When infidelity occurs in a relationship, the injured partner often wonders if they will ever regain trust. This requires the involved partner to be completely...