Zara, a 33-year-old medical genetic researcher came out of the shower at 8:00 am, and sat at her dinette. Her body started to shake. Her trembling hands dropped the coffee pot over the counter top, splashing the hot liquid on her clean shirt. Her heart and breathing rate escalated until she felt faint. She [...]
Julio a 43-year-old solar panel engineer had a natural genius for noticing a problem and fixing it. It was a gift he used to make his partner Geena, a 44-year-old artisan baker happy and satisfied. He expected that she would be enthralled, take him into her world and keep him there, safe, cozy, and [...]
“Why does my wife never acknowledge everything I do for her, and only focus on the one time I forgot to call her when I was late home?” Marcus a 38-year-old realtor pleaded. “I try to tell her I love her every day, make sure we are on good terms before we go to [...]
Sabina a 37-year-old veterinarian was stunned when she discovered she was pregnant. She hadn’t planned it, and nor had her husband Zev, a 39-year-old anesthesiologist. In fact both had been wedded to their careers rewarded by being able to travel all over the world, without being tied down as parents of young children. Sabina’s [...]
Couples who come to therapy often complain that they cycle around the same issues with no resolution, feeling stagnant, exhausted, and hopeless in the process. In essence they are stuck. Sonia a 33-year old massage therapist wanted her partner Dean a 34-year-old pet-grooming service owner to attend couples therapy to make him commit to [...]
Mandy vehemently denied agreeing to take the kids to their swim meet on Saturday morning, despite eagerly agreeing to do so the previous evening. Troy, her 40-year-old husband was astounded. He recalled her excitement along with the kids, anticipating digging into their favorite foods at their local weekend brunch eatery. But come Saturday morning, [...]
Silence between couples, especially between Max and Alysia was nothing new. Sometimes the silences were short lived as wounds were licked, but other times the silences were annihilating with no sense of recovery. For Max the silence between couples was a sign of great uncertainty, fueling his insecurity. The thundering silence in response to [...]
“Stop being so defensive!” is a common missile thrown by one partner at the other, in an effort to defend their self-image. It’s the age old game of “I’m not perfect, but neither are you!” There is always a tussle for who is the angel and who is the devil during interactions where insecure [...]
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 [...]
Food as a power tool is the currency of all significant relationships beginning with that between mother and infant. The dynamics of using food as a power tool plays out in future adult romantic relationships, having been wired in so early. Food as a power tool is used as soon as you are born. [...]
