Frank went out to pick up some groceries, but Meredith didn’t know where he was. When he returned, Meredith expressed her upset feelings about not...
Archive for category: Relationship Counseling
Listen
Lauren and Anthony generally have a great relationship. They love each other deeply but struggle with communication. Their challenge is that communication difficulties are subtle,...
Read the Room
Jack and Eileen were arguing at home when Jack attacked Eileen, Eileen reacted, and Jack said, “Let’s end this.” When they processed this interaction in...
What I Need
Sue took issue with Jeremy calling her useless. She began to criticize him for name-calling when I stopped her. I suggested that rather than pointing...
Erosion and Explosions
Some couples gradually lose their connection with each other—erosion. This tends to happen with more established couples when the stresses of life, e.g., work or...
Different Thoughts
Meg has a creative mind. It moves from one thought to another, but doesn’t always connect the dots. She sees things holistically, but may miss...
Under the Influence
When a couple has a partner who struggles with alcohol use, many spouses tend to attack the struggling partner. When the struggling spouse feels attacked,...
Culture Wars
When working with couples from different cultures, it is important to be sensitive to their cultural expectations of a relationship, but also help them to...
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...