Stonewalling is a form of passive aggressive interaction where one person in a close relationship withdraws from the other, to punish you for wounding them and making them feel insecure. In order to manage the threat of that insecurity they turn the tables and attempt to shift the insecurity to the other person. It’s [...]
Letting go aint easy, as the song say. Isn’t it infuriating when a close friend, or family member tells you to “get over it,” or “just let go.” It’s a double whammy – not only are you already feeling unstable through a wound, but the intolerance of loved ones makes you feel even less [...]
“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 [...]
Making a new you out of the old you in the new year often involves thinking about a fresh version of yourself. Sometimes it’s about shaking off parts of you that you dislike or feel ashamed about. Other times it’s about acquiring a new outlook and becoming your ideal self. Whether you lose or [...]
Being honest with your partner seems like a no brainer. Almost everyone believes it’s a given when they fall in love and set up home and family with their chosen one. But most people think being honest with your partner is about accounting for your whereabouts, money issues, childcare, family obligations, life-style and so [...]
Spotting Insecurities and Addressing Them to Strengthen Relationships Spotting insecurities in yourself can be scary and shameful as a client recently told me about being stuck in a relationship where he felt demeaned and devalued. He wanted to learn how to become more secure inside of himself to withstand the put downs, let downs [...]
Feeling Depressed? What are the Signs of Depression? Signs of depression seem obvious at first, right? – you feel low, or down; lack energy and motivation, and also ‘don’t care.’ But are these actual signs of depression or just reactions to life not going your way? How do you know whether you are just feeling [...]
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 [...]
Mindful Co-parenting During Marital Tensions - Five Ways to Ensure Success Mindful co-parenting involves thinking about how you want to bring up your children, putting it into words, sharing it with each other and planning a strategy of implementation based on nurturing the children - rather than about winning or losing points in the marital [...]
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 [...]
