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Flushing Out the ‘Same Old Argument’ for Meaningful Communication

By |2024-03-06T20:10:33+00:00March 6th, 2024|Anger Stress and Health, Communication Problems|

Tired of the same old argument with your partner, despite trying hard to keep the focus on the present moment? Perhaps you’re fed up with how easily the same old argument creeps in and leads to the same wounds being poked at. You wonder if it’s worth bothering trying to make your point, because [...]

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How Well do you and Your Partner’s Relationship Rituals Match up?

By |2024-01-09T18:55:10+00:00January 9th, 2024|Communication Problems, couples therapy, Intimacy|

Relationship rituals form the glue for connection, comfort, predictability, stability, and safety in adult romantic relationships. But when partners don’t place the same importance and meaning on a ritual there is a mismatch. The mismatch of relationship rituals is a significant contributor to cracks in the connection between couples. The lack of fit when [...]

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Emotional Availability See-Saw in Romantic Relationships

By |2023-10-12T00:35:10+00:00October 12th, 2023|Communication Problems, couples therapy, Family of Origin Counseling, Insecurity Counseling, Intimacy|

Both men and women often complain about having an emotionally unavailable partner. But emotional availability is a two-way street. When one person is emotionally available, the other person may not be receptive. One may be full up with internal conflicts, and unable to register their partner’s need for emotional availability. The other may have [...]

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Managing the Threat of Perimenopausal Rage in Marital Relations

By |2023-06-08T00:44:35+00:00June 8th, 2023|Anger Issues, Communication Problems, Couples Counseling, stress|

Perimenopausal rage is real, straining and threatening the relationship between partners. Perimenopausal rage is a common symptom on the journey to full menopause, (between 3-4 years), as levels of estrogen drop and propel changes in systems that control dopamine, and serotonin, making women more likely to have mood swings. Stress hormones such as cortisol [...]

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Three Attractions of Staying in an Unhappy Relationship

By |2023-01-17T17:36:44+00:00January 16th, 2023|Anger Issues, Communication Problems, Couples Counseling, Family of Origin Counseling|

“Why am I staying in an unhappy relationship?” is a question many of my patient’s ask themselves out loud when their latest interactions make them feel hopeless, demeaned, and destroyed. Staying in an unhappy relationship has benefits, keeping you drawn in by a magnetic force. That force is produced by unfinished phases of personal [...]

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Discussing Divorce With Young Children

By |2022-07-28T17:16:04+00:00July 28th, 2022|Communication Problems, Parenting Counseling, separation counseling|

Three Impediments to Discussing Divorce With Young Children, and a Three Step Process to do it Well Discussing divorce with young children is probably every parent’s worst nightmare. All the promises you made yourself when you first embarked on the parenthood journey crumble into dust, making you feel like a failure. Discussing divorce with [...]

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Three Ways a Relationship Crisis Benefits Communication, Intimacy and Self-care

By |2022-06-09T21:51:26+00:00June 9th, 2022|Communication Problems, Couples Counseling, couples therapy, Family Counseing, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling, Intimacy, Parenting Counseling|

Three Ways a Relationship Crisis Benefits Communication, Intimacy and Self-care The very term relationship crisis makes your heart stop, your blood pressure sky rocket and a flood of adrenalin preparing you for fight/flight/or freeze. It’s unpleasant and threatening. Most of us want to avoid a relationship crisis and do everything we can to avoid [...]

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How to Avoid Burdening Children With Family Conflict

By |2021-12-14T22:54:50+00:00December 14th, 2021|Communication Problems, Family Counseing, Parenting Counseling|

How to Avoid Burdening Children With Family Conflict Most parents make conscious decisions to avoid burdening their children with stuff from the adult world. Most parents try hard to protect their children from being negatively influenced and or scarred by things in the outside world including social media, porn, drugs, bullies, inappropriate videos and [...]

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Seven Ways to Say, “I love you,” and Six Ways That Fail

By |2020-12-12T16:58:30+00:00December 11th, 2020|Communication Problems, Couples Counseling, Family of Origin Counseling, Insecurity Counseling, Intimacy, separation counseling|

Seven Ways to Say, “I love you,” and Six Ways That Fail. “I love you!” says your partner as they go off to get on with their day. “Love you” says your mom as you end a phone conversation and you say it back. Do you feel loved in that moment? Are you experiencing loving [...]

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Feeling Loved in a Pandemic

By |2020-08-25T00:39:56+00:00August 25th, 2020|Communication Problems, Couples Counseling, couples therapy, Family of Origin Counseling, Individual Counseling|

Three Crucial Ways to Feeling Loved in a Pandemic Feeling loved in a pandemic is problematic when there is more pressure on partners to make each feel valued when the world feels so unpredictable. Scared that her family may become infected with Covid-19, Claire a 35-year-old optometrist was extra careful about cleaning everything before it [...]

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