As a pediatric psychologist, I work with children, teens, and young adults to help them better understand their brain, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. As a parent coach, I help parents better understand their kids and teens so that they can respond differently and maybe even break a few unhealthy generational cycles along the…
As a pediatric psychologist, I work with children, teens, and young adults to help them better understand their brain, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. As a parent coach, I help parents better understand their kids and teens so that they can respond differently and maybe even break a few unhealthy generational cycles along the…
Codependency is not a bad word Codependency is more common than one may think. Here are some examples of how codependency in relationships shows up: Blurred boundaries between you and your partner Having a difficult time honoring your own needs and feelings Taking too much responsibility for what someone else does (you try to cover…
Commitment can be a big deal in relationships, but for some folks, the thought of committing can be downright scary. The fear of commitment is a complex issue with various factors at play, including something called attachment style. In this blog post, we’ll dive into what causes this fear and focus on one specific attachment…
Understanding your partner requires the capacity to listen. Really listen. Couples are advised to hear each other’s complaints without feeling attacked, and as great as this sounds, it’s often unrealistic. When something you said (or didn’t say) hurts your partner’s feelings, there’s a strong impulse to interrupt with, “That wasn’t my intention. You’re misunderstanding me,”…
During a recent couples counseling session, Jenna, 40, and Ethan, 41, discuss the lack of intimacy in their relationship. This couple has been married for eight years and they have two young children.Ethan put it like this, “Lately, we’re more like roommates than husband and wife. Jenna shuts me outand doesn’t share her feelings with…
Workaholics and perfectionists are people who are always on the go, like when everything is done on their checklists, and pride themselves as multitaskers. These types of people tend to be highly analytical and always seem to be tying up loose ends, preventing bad things from happening or correcting what other people get wrong. A…
How can different types of play be a means of developing important lifelong skills for your young child? Turns out, science has discovered that the kind of play traditionally associated with “rough- and- tumble dads”, has clear connections with better school achievement, greater impulse control and focus, improved emotional intelligence and even better peer relations.…
Rekindle passion in your marriage. Jason and Kendra have been married for 12 years and have three children. Most of their conversations are about work, chores, their kid’s activities, and mundane aspects of their stale marriage. Kendra puts it like this: “I love Jason, but the passion just isn’t there anymore.” When Kendra drops this bombshell,…
Relationships are complex and require constant effort to maintain and improve. However, by integrating the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model and Gottman principles, couples can cultivate greater self-awareness, empathy, and communication skills to deepen their connection and build a healthier relationship. In this article, we will explore how these two approaches can complement each other…
