Vanessa always thought that setting boundaries made her look “too much” or “demanding.” She wanted connection, not conflict. But eventually, she got tired of feeling drained, anxious, and frankly, kind of resentful. That’s when she realized that boundaries aren’t barriers; they’re acts of self-respect. And learning how to set boundaries? That was her glow-up moment.…
You’re sitting at dinner with your partner, and they mention they forgot to pick up milk at the store. What starts as a simple statement somehow spirals into a full-blown argument about responsibility, respect, and who does more around the house. Sound familiar? If you’re nodding your head right now, you’re not alone. Many couples…
While conflict is inevitable, frequent arguments will affect a relationship over time. Couples that do not effectively manage conflict will enter a cycle of fighting that is hard to break. When disagreements become more frequent and intense, they can damage the positive aspects of a couple’s connection that brought them together in the first place.…
Father’s Day always leads me to reflect on the tapestry of father figures who shaped my life. While my biological father is still with us today, his journey and ours as a family took an unexpected turn when I was eight years old. The Father I Knew Before Before his health crisis, my father was…
Many couples enter therapy with a shared commitment to improve their relationship. For these couples, therapy focuses on addressing issues, strengthening the connection and working collaboratively for positive change. But what if you arrive for therapy and feel like you’re already mentally packing your bags, while your partner wants to work together to unpack them?…
Remember MTV, and the hours of time spent in front of the television (the one in my memory still had knobs, no remote) waiting to catch that one music video you wanted to see? The VJs and their amazing style, the game shows that we may or may not have been allowed to watch, the…
He comes home from work exhausted again. After yet another frustrating meeting that could have been covered in an email, a tense conversation with a co-worker about the state of the break room refrigerator, and predictably awful traffic on the way home, he crashes onto the living room sofa. He lets out a deep breath…
Many couples experience conflict around how they raise and interact with their children. Discipline, expectations, and chores are some of the potential problem areas. If you think about it, it makes sense. You are both coming from unique childhood and family of origin experiences. You had different experiences growing up, and you may have different…
“We are in a sexless marriage. I change for bed in the walk-in closet while he changes in the bathroom. We haven’t seen each other naked for over twenty years. But we don’t want to give up – you are our last chance – can you help us?” I met Norm and Sherry two years…
Understand Your Role As a Parent Recently, I sat on the beach watching my son surf. As I relaxed, I began to observe the pattern of the waves in comparison to my son’s ability or desire to catch them. I noticed the many other people out in the water, and their presence in comparison to…
