Losing a friend is a normal part of life. This doesn’t make it any easier. Friends bring joy into our lives, offering companionship through the good times and providing support during the tough times. This doesn’t change the fact that some friends stand the test of time and sometimes things just fizzle out. This grief, though less discussed, merits attention and understanding. The dissolution or fading of a friendship can evoke a myriad of emotions, challenging one’s emotional resilience and altering one’s social landscape. Why is this so? It’s Alessandra on the blog today, and I’ll explore th ..read more

Have you ever wondered why you get so upset when your friends or your partner don’t reply quickly to your text? Or why the same old arguments keep coming up in your relationship?  Maybe you’ve noticed you really want to be in a relationship – that is, until you’re in one? Why is it that your friend is ready to move in with someone after date number two and you need two full years (at least) to say, “I love you?” If you’ve ever been to therapy, there’s a pretty good chance the notion of attachment has come up in some shape or form. Even social media platforms are talking about the topic, a ..read more

It’s okay to have expectations in a relationship. But they become a silent killer of relationships when expectations are not communicated but still expected—and this is called uncommunicated expectations. It’s Stacey on the Dóchas blog today, and I’m going to talk about this and some dos and don’ts. Here’s what uncommunicated expectations can look like. Imagine for a second that I wanted my partner to inquire about how my day was on a daily basis. From my perspective, this is normal relationship etiquette I should not have to ask for. So when this does not happen daily, I begin to build resent ..read more

Have you noticed a shift in your relationship and your partner? Perhaps the shift will happen suddenly or has been gradual. If this shift is pulling the relationship apart, it may be due to your partner feeling triggered. This means your partner is experiencing a strong emotional reaction due to something reminding them of a past experience or unresolved issue. It’s Rachael here on the Dóchas blog today, and I recently wrote about what to do when you are feeling triggered by your partner. Today I’m going to write about what to do when you see your partner being triggered, and how to navigate t ..read more

Are you feeling triggered in your relationship? It’s Rachael here on the Dóchas blog today, and I’m going to talk about how to navigate this. You are going about your day and suddenly you are hit by a wave of strong emotional response directed towards your partner. Perhaps they forgot to take the garbage out when they said they would, or maybe they came home later than expected but didn’t tell you. As much as we would like to believe this unusual rise in emotions is due to the weather patterns or the cycle of the moon, they are often due to something triggering us to feel these strong uncomfor ..read more

Can you relate to this? You notice another person in need, you come in at the right time and provide them with the thing that they are seeking, and they provide you with the “uh thank you!” You in turn notice a flood of positive feelings and relief within your system.  It’s Pooja on the Dóchas blog, and today I am talking about the need to feel needed. It can be such a validating experience! And let me emphasize—it can be a good thing- to provide help to another.  This is part of what makes human beings great; our ability to connect with others and help alleviate some type of distres ..read more

It’s hard to maintain a relationship or marriage—it’s even harder when one partner works shift work! How do you maintain your relationship when one partner works shift work, and thrive as a couple? It’s Paula on the Dóchas blog today, and this is what I’m going to talk about. Here are some tips and tricks, some of which I’ve learned through my own personal experience! Thriving in a relationship means it’s fulfilling, and fostering growth. To reach this, making the relationship work has to be a conscious effort for both, meaning that the relationship is a priority. We all have responsibilities ..read more

Do you ever feel like you have to apologize for being who you are? It’s Kim here on the Dóchas blog, and I’m going to talk about how to deal with the guilt when you are an introvert. When you say “no” to something that your extroverted partner or friend really wants you to do or be involved in, you can feel guilty! Watch my video below, or read on to learn more about how to navigate this. I often jokingly say that I am an introvert that’s learned to function in an extroverted world. I often feel like I have to apologize for setting a limit about what I’m able to do and what I’m able to not do ..read more

Hey, it’s Paula here on the Dóchas blog! Are you finding it difficult to stay connected with your partner? Being in a relationship means engaging with another person, but sometimes the patterns of our engagement affect the quality of a relationship. If you’re responding out of stress or defensiveness, you might want to change your patterns so you and your partner experience a strong and close relationship. I’m here to help you better understand and give you some tips on altering engagement patterns.  Engaging with your partner is essential! And engagement is easy, fun, positive and energi ..read more

Do you find yourself having trouble connecting in relationships? Is past trauma and rejection weighing you down? Hey, it’s Pooja here on the Dóchas Blog, and I want to talk to you about the types of abandonment and rejection wounds in relationships and how you can start your healing journey. First, relational connections to others are important! We are wired for connection. Relationships can be tricky to navigate if we have past experiences of a type of wounding from them. Some of us may carry specific wounds into our relationships. They can be protective but can also create further hurt to us ..read more