Robert and Joyce were processing a recent conflict in couples counseling. During the argument, Robert told Joyce that she was “making a mountain out of...
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Archive for tag: Communication Skills
Home » Communication Skills
04.062026May 4, 2026
Advanced Lessons
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication Skills, Practice, Setbacks
A couple I saw years ago returned to couples counseling. They had made tremendous progress, but wanted to address the occasional skirmishes that arose. The...
01.042026January 14, 2026
No Place for Guilt
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication Skills, Guilt, Manipulation
Guilt doesn’t often show up in couples counseling, and couples using guilt to parent their children is infrequent. I’m more likely to hear from couples...
25.032026January 14, 2026
What I Meant to Say
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Accountability, Communication Skills, Repairs
When the husband of a couple I work with misspeaks, he tries to convince his wife of his good intentions. This approach doesn’t work for...
18.032026January 14, 2026
Try That Again
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication Skills, Recurring Patterns, Repairs
Joe and Donna have been married for three decades, and they had a repeating pattern of reacting to each other. Now that they were implementing...
11.032026January 14, 2026
Change Expectations to Wishes
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication Skills, Emotional Expression, Expectations
Expectations can be problematic in relationships. They typically consist of thoughts of how a partner should behave. If a partner’s behavior doesn’t align with expectations,...
18.022026January 14, 2026
Two Heads
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication Skills, Conflict Resolution, Respectful Discussions
Greg and Aimee have a contentious relationship. Rather than discussing, each is trying to convince and make a case for their position. This sets the...
04.022026January 14, 2026
Sharing Thoughts
By jayme welchIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Asking Better Questions, Communication Skills, Emotional Expression
Tyler is generally quiet. Leah wants Tyler to be more open and share his thoughts. Tyler shared that when he’s quiet, Leah would say, “Is...
28.012026January 14, 2026
Statements are Clearer
By Dr. Richard ReinIn Couples Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Relationship CounselingTags Communication Skills, Emotional Expression
Dan asked, “Are you okay?” and Rebecca said she didn’t like the question. In our couples counseling session, I asked Dan to change the question...