Its amazing how small fights can turn into huge blow-ups. Suddenly it can feel as if your heart is being ripped out of you and everything is falling apart.
There’s nothing wrong with you, that’s just how you feel when your primary attachment relationship feels under stress.
Read MoreWhen we talk about empathy and sympathy, we often use the terms interchangeably. Like they’re the same things. But in reality, empathy and sympathy are very different feelings, and they’re very different ways of connecting with the people in your life.
Read MoreVulnerability is a choice. It is a decision to be open to the risk of pain in exchange for the reward of a deep, existential connection.
Read MoreUnlike guilt, shame isn’t about your behavior, shame is a reflection of how you see yourself in your life. The most common expression of shame is a feeling that “I’m not enough” or “I’m not good enough”. The feeling of shame is crippling.
Read MoreThe world tells us that retirement should be your ultimate happy place. But, for many people, retirement is a significant source of distress. The solution lies in finding meaning, not just filling your day with activities.
Read MoreGreat marriages are not based on a lack of conflict, they are based on a deep sense of emotional intimacy. If you feel tightly connected to your partner, you can navigate all kinds of problems. But without that connection, each time you hit rough water it feels like the marriage may capsize.
Read MoreThe desire for sex and intimacy never goes away, it remains important for our entire life. But, we may have to make adjustments for our aging bodies. Older couples can find intimacy and connection no matter what their age or physical abilities.
Read MorePorn can become an ongoing source of pain in some marriages. It can cause fights, deeply hurt feelings, resentment, and sometimes divorce.
Read MoreCouples don’t stop having sex because of boredom. They stop because they don’t feel emotionally connected. In long-term relationships, sex is powered by emotional intimacy, not hormones.
Read MoreDownload my free handbook - 5 Easy Steps to Greater Emotional Intimacy
Read MoreAre polyamorous relationships real relationship? Or is it just a different way of cheating? Can you really love, and feel connected, to more than one person? How does that work?
Read MoreNothing is worse than feeling Gaslighted. You walk around feeling confused and you can start wondering if you’re going crazy. Even worse, you start to wonder if someone you love is making you feel this way.
Read MorePassive-Aggressive behavior can wreck a relationship. It’s hard to spot and hard to defend against. And, it can leave the non-passive-aggressive partner feeling lost, confused, gaslighted, and alone.
Read MoreTrial separations are confusing. How long should a break last? Positive signs during a separation? Is there a trial separation checklist to help you think through your time apart?
Read MoreThe change from a sexually active relationship to a sexless marriage is usually a gradual process. The couple moves from being sexually active, to less active, to infrequent sex, and then to no sex. Until suddenly they realize that it’s been months or years since they’ve had a meaningful sexual connection.
Read More“Radical Empathy”. Sounds like a crazy idea doesn’t it? How can empathy be radical? But applying the principles of Radical Empathy to your relationship can help you and your partner grow closer and deepen your sense of connection.
Read MoreAs a psychotherapist specializing in working with seniors, I’m sometimes called into situations where middle aged children are in a pitched battle over how to care for their elderly parents. Often the kids are so focused on their own conflict, that they can’t see that their intransigence is resulting in their parents not receiving the care they need.
Read MoreWhen parents are emotionally unavailable, children suffer. They grow up feeling emotionally lonely. Take the childhood emotional neglect test. See if you carry the scars of an emotionally unavailable parent.
Read MoreStarting to feel intimate again after an affair is incredibly hard for both partners. Sex is sure to trigger strong feelings of guilt, shame, anger, or sadness. It’s difficult to regain that sense of trust and the belief that you are truly desired.
Read MoreEmotionally immature parents create emotionally lonely children. And this emotional loneliness then has a huge impact on their ability to love, feel loved, and connect as an adult.
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