John mowed the lawn, but Angela was upset with him. His actions impacted her plans for the day. She talked about the importance of John...
Archive for category: Couples Therapy
Gnawing
Sometimes, couples are unsure when to bring up an issue and when to let it go. A good guideline is to consider talking about something...
Shoulds Are Coulds
Shoulds are problematic in couples counseling. When someone thinks their partner should do or say something, it imposes an expectation on the partner. Shoulds have...
Rewiring Your Relationship
Chris and Angela started couples counseling in a very unhappy state. Chris was dealing with depression, and Angela judged his lack of involvement. Negative interactions...
Defaulting
In a couples counseling session, Kerri talked about scrolling on her phone because Daniel was watching TV. Daniel talked about watching TV because Kerri was...
You Seem Off
Leah and Robert were on a road trip when Robert started slowing down on the highway, and Leah said, “What’s wrong with you?” Robert heard...
Resolve Doesn’t Mean You Agree
Claire was upset at Andy for moving money from one account to another without telling her. He said he thought he had told her, but...
Muscle Memory
In my couples counseling sessions, we focus a lot on language. Couples’ ability to work through issues depends on their communication skills. Couples counseling aims...
Rewiring
Heather came to couples counseling to either repair their relationship or end it. Her husband of thirty years, Jay, recently erupted and verbally attacked her,...
Integrity in Your Words
I usually think of integrity as fidelity in a committed relationship. However, one of my clients discussed having “integrity in your words.” I liked the...