What To Do When Name Calling Goes Too Far In A Relationship? When name calling in a relationship escalates, it can leave deep emotional scars and create a toxic environment for both partners. This type of verbal abuse is often a sign of underlying frustrations or unresolved conflicts that have not been effectively addressed. Addressing this behavior head-on is crucial to maintaining a healthy, respectful relationship. Healing from this kind of wound requires both partners to engage in open, honest communication. It also requires a commitment to changing the dynamics that allow such a toxic rel ..read more

3 Narrative Therapy Interventions When You’re Worried About ADHD Wrecking Your Marriage You may not recognize how you construct stories in your mind about your partner, making negative assumptions about their actions and intentions. Narrative therapy, developed by Michael White and David Epston, helps you separate yourself from your narratives and problems with the use of narrative therapy interventions. As part of this model, you will learn that ADHD may be a challenge, but it does not have to define you, your self-image and your relationship.  Narratives, such as “I’m not good enough ..read more

ADHD and Affairs: What You Need to Know When you’re married to someone with ADHD, you’re likely to face unique challenges that neurotypical couples don’t face. While ADHD does not impede your spouse’s ability to love you and feel deeply committed to you, the symptoms of ADHD can lead to disastrous behaviors, including extramarital affairs. One of the primary symptoms of adult ADHD is impulsivity. Unfortunately, impulsivity is often a driving force of extramarital affairs. While the link between ADHD and affairs is understudied, it isn’t as uncommon as you might think. If you’re worried about y ..read more

How Often Do Couples Fight And Should You Be Concerned? If you have been fighting with your partner, you might be asking yourself, “Why do we fight all the time?” or “Why do we always argue over the same little things ?” On a daily basis, couples contact me because they are concerned about how often they fight and have many fears about how often they miscommunicate.  During the honeymoon phase in relationships, most couples feel happy and afterward have many positive memories. But as relationships get more serious, couples’ differences seem to rear their ugly heads. Long, loving glances a ..read more

What To Do When You’re Tired Of Giving & Getting Nothing In Return Your partner and friends always call you for help and know they can count on you. You love helping and giving to others. But sometimes there’s a point when you have given and given and given more, and you may not know what to do if you have pushed past your limit – when you’re tired of giving and getting nothing in return. How To Know If You Are Giving Too Much To Others When you feel resentment, anger or frustration toward the person or the situation, then you know that you have given too much. When your internal conversat ..read more

Do Marriage Retreats Work? Answers From A Therapist You knew that you should have contacted a couples therapist already, but you thought you could fix your problems on your own. But nothing has changed, and now you are facing the fact that you need some outside help.  You’ve heard about retreats, and you’re wondering, “Do marriage retreats work or not?” How Are Marriage Retreats Different From Traditional Therapy? Marriage retreats (sometimes called Intensive Couples Therapy) will get to the root of the problem quickly and help you learn how to resolve it.  Traditional couples therap ..read more

Relationship Resolutions: Create A New Spark for the New Year The beginning of the year brings new and renewed resolutions and commitments to our professional careers, academic endeavors, family connections, and personal growth. Frequently, we wonder about what possibilities and opportunities will arise in 2024. As we reflect on our lives and our relationships, we consider new relationship resolutions for our ongoing journey of connection.  What Is A Relationship Resolution? Relationship resolutions can be an opportunity to strengthen, improve or fix your relationship. They can reignite l ..read more

Understanding The Connection Between ADHD and Attachment Styles In the U.S., around 5% of adults have some form of ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Some common ADHD symptoms can include restlessness, problems with staying organized, impulsive behaviors, difficulty expressing emotions, and trouble listening. Certain ADHD symptoms, like difficulty expressing emotions, paired with the individual’s early life experiences, can create insecure attachment styles. As a result, they may have great difficulty managing relationships in adulthood. This can be particularly challenging for ro ..read more

7 Ways To Support Your Spouse As They Grieve The Loss of a Pet All pet owners can remember the moment of that last painful goodbye to their beloved companion. That moment makes a mark because the bond between owner and pet is more profound than many people realize. If you have a spouse grieving the loss of a pet, it can feel hard to know how to support them best. This guide is here to help you through this challenging period. Read on for some practical ways you can help your spouse if they are grieving the loss of your pet. 1. Validate Your Spouse’s Grief Grief is perhaps the most personal exp ..read more

Why Kindness Is An Important, Perhaps The Most Important, Quality In A Loving Marriage It’s easy to be kind to your co-workers, friends and acquaintances. But after working all day, you are tired and want to “let your hair down” at home. You might even ask yourself, “After a long day at work, why is kindness important to my spouse? He knows I love him.” Another wrench in the gears in demonstrating kindness is that co-workers and friends appreciate your kindness. Usually they compliment and appreciate what you do for them and say, “Thank you” and reciprocate the kindness.   You might ..read more