No matter what your attachment style is, you crave some level of emotional intimacy and connection.  You may just want to be heard and understood or perhaps deeply feel seen and soothed. But it may feel impossible to increase the intimacy in your relationship.  In this post, I am going to share 5 levels of […] The post 5 Levels of Communication & Closeness You Can Experience with Your Intimate Partner appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

When couples begin therapy, I get asked a lot of great questions~ “What is emotional intimacy? Why would I want to learn this skill?  and eventually, “How can I strengthen this skill?”  First, why would I want to learn this skill? By courageously sharing your inner world with your partner – (still in a thoughtful […] The post What is emotional intimacy? appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

Do you love your partner and feel like you’re a great team or co-parents, but sense that something is missing in your relationship? Some of the most common concerns I hear from couples today are:  We’ve become roommates, and no longer feel close. I feel lonely and disconnected from the most important person in my […] The post Beyond Roommates~ Top 5 Tips to have a Closer, More Intimate Connection appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

The post How to Increase Your Intimacy with Your Partner: 5 Levels of Emotional Closeness appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

(Therapist and young adult client in the classic film, “Ordinary People”) What’s the difference between the two? Men running into a burning building or men ‘running into’ their emotions?! Fire fighters get massive amount of training to run into that building while Men get NO training [with their emotions]. – George Faller (former fire fighter, now couples […] The post Men CAN Do Empathy Too! Here’s How… appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

A surprising source of relationship WISDOM The Story of Eli & Adi~ At three years old, my son, Eli saw his friend Adi crying when her finger got caught in a door. He reached out to hug her, but she said, “No”. In EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), we refer to these moments as blocks. Some adults, […] The post Everything you Need to Know about Empathy~ To Have the Relationships You Long For appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

The #1 problem couples and families identify when seeking therapy~ “We can’t communicate.” The #1 goal couples and families identify when seeking therapy~ “We need tools for better communication.” Since most couples and families LOVE each other and want healthy relationships- What’s really going on?! Loved ones are NOT sending a clear, vulnerable message or […] The post How to have hard conversations- that go well! appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

ADHD in adults is real and can drive partners crazy! It can also be treated, and marriages can be saved. Find out how. There was a moment during my first year of marriage that I will always remember. I had moved in to my husband’s house that he bought four years before we got married. […] The post How Can You Live Like That?! Couples with ADHD appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

How do you talk to yourself about your challenges and setbacks in life (that we all face)- whether large or small, your shortcomings, or missing the mark?  Dr. Kristin Neff advises~ “Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies and shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings- after all, whoever […] The post Self-Compassion- One of the Most Healing Gifts appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more

As you watch my dance piece… 1. Notice what emotions and thoughts come up for you. 2. Ask yourself which family role you identify with (as a child and possibly as an adult)~ Scapegoat, Hero, Mascot, Lost Child, Enabler, Victim (“Patient”). 3. See if you can catch the three different responses my siblings and I had to […] The post Addiction Divides Us, Recovery Unites Us (dance piece) appeared first on Lana Isaacson ..read more