Engulfed by a Storm Those who have never been in a domestic violence situation are often perplexed as to how intelligent people become trapped and why they remain with someone who is abusive. In an effort to help provide clarity let us consider the dynamics of the following story: Imagine as if you are…
PARENTING ADULT-LIKE CHILDREN An article to share: With some of my own insights. Parents are often overwhelmed as their children become adults in chronological age yet still have the maturity and judgment of a 15 year old – less. Adult children should be equipped with life skills and motivated to take on adult responsibilities like…
Positive parenting is a construct that we Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors seek to educate and to coach our parents as to the dynamics of such parenting. Parents come with multiple complaints of how their little ones are oppositional and defiant. With a nutrition background of 17 years, connections with a local Nature-path,…
It is important to be able to reflect mindfulness in our communication and have the ability to speak to issues of conflict appropriately. This is most beneficial. With these skills then we can incorporate them into every walk of life and discover that relationships at work and at home will become much more pleasant and…
As a psychotherapist, I’m in the business of hearing how people, especially women, talk about their bodies using hateful and disparaging terms. They aren’t alone. I’ve done the same myself, and so I know how hard it can be to make peace with our imperfect bodies (are they ever anything else?) let alone feel loving…
For many women, their female friendships have been a source of comfort, support, laughter, and joy. For others, they have been mired in betrayal, mean-spiritedness, and competition. But for most of us, they’ve been a combination of these two extremes, and typically, even before we reach the age of twelve! But, by the time we…
From the moment we’re born until the day we die we are continually absorbing messages that tell us who we are, what we’re worth as human beings, what we should be doing at any given time, how we should look (and especially how we shouldn’t look), what we should eat, what we should buy, what…
As a psychotherapist, I often meet individuals, couples and families who at first describe the relationships that matter the most in their lives as ‘very close’, ‘tight’, and supportive. But later, after understanding the issues that brought them to my office, I view them more as insular systems that nurture – or even demand –…
At the start, we all sign a marriage contract that few even scan or take the time to read. Would you enter a business deal or any other important relationship that way? No worries, as we all have many opportunities to discuss and add to this important document that can be the floor in…
Multi-level intimacy, reciprocity and mutual meaning and purpose are three things you can do to create love on purpose in your relationship. There are also some things you can stop doing that will tremendously increase your chances of having a good relationship! While these three things build good relationships there are five practices that can…