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...
Archive for tag: Communication
Words Matter
Couples have incidents and issues that they need to work through. Each time an incident or issue is unresolved, it builds up. It’s like dropping...
Difficult Conversations
Some conversations are more difficult than others. One of the easier conversations for couples to have is stress-reducing conversations. These are when couples talk to...
Missed Opportunity
I was talking with a colleague with whom I share a case (she sees the wife individually) and she talked about her approach to couples...
Why Are You Rhetorical?
Jan just got back from a week-long conference and found Jeff in the garage. Jeff seemed aggravated and Jan said, “What’s the matter with you?”...
Possibility
I was talking with a couple about the importance of paying attention to the subtlety of language and the husband said, “I’m not skilled at...
Why
I was recently at a presentation by the Samaritans on suicide prevention. They said their volunteers are taught not to ask “why” questions, saying that...
I’ve Changed!
Change is a crucial component of couples work. Couples counseling encourages partners to talk about what’s not working, so each person can change for the...
Off to a Great Start
Claire and Greg were struggling. Married 17 years, their relationship was punctuated by arguments and cool silence. Greg escaped into his beer and sports on...
Flammable Conversations
Kent realized the grill was low on propane gas, so he brought the propane canister from the shed into the house and put in at...