Want your holiday season to stay merry and bright this year? Here's a basic rule to keep in mind: Make sure you and your spouse are on the same page when it comes to the big topics! By "big topics," I really mean any issue that has the potential to be a major source of stress for you and your partner. And really, take your pick: between work and social commitments, family schedules, finances, gr…Read More
Ever heard the saying, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is"? This is exactly the case when it comes to love bombing, a term that the Cleveland Clinic refers to as "a form of psychological and emotional abuse [that] is often disguised as excessive flattery." In this article, you'll learn more about what love bombing is, what it looks like within a relationship, and how to deal with it. W…Read More
Infatuation vs genuine feelings of love: think you can spot the difference? If you're in the newest stages of a relationship, this actually might be hard to do! But being able to recognize the difference between these two opposing emotional states can be helpful for making sure you're entering (and staying in) a relationship with someone for the right reasons. What Am I Really Feeling? Some Quick…Read More
You hear it all the time (and maybe you've even lived it yourself): A person dates (and breaks up with) the same type of person over and over again. They always seem to enter relationships with people who aren't "right" for them, or who exhibit traits—particularly negative ones—that are eerily similar to traits exhibited by prior partners. Try as they might, they just can't seem to help b…Read More
Maybe you don't get offended easily. If so, kudos! Or maybe... You already know you get offended easily (even if it's just about one specific topic or issue), and it's something you're ready to address You suspect you're more sensitive than others and wonder whether there's something you can do about it You've never considered that your short fuse is a personal hiccup that might be holding you …Read More
Hi! I'm a healthy relationship. I might not look exactly like what you had in mind. In fact, I might even look quite different when I'm with different couples, depending on those individuals' personalities and preferences. And I can even change and evolve over time with the same two people! But there are some important traits and characteristics that you'll definitely notice about me. A Healthy …Read More
Feeling connected with your spouse or partner isn't just important—it's kind of the whole point. To wit, decades of research confirm that being in a committed, long-term relationship or marriage is good for your physical and mental health, and that strong social connections benefit your quality of life and length of life. It follows, then, that feeling disconnected from your partner, for…Read More
A "situationship" is a romantic and/or sexual relationship that isn't formally defined. You may know it by its other pop culture references like "friends with benefits," "fun buddies," or "booty call." People in situationships generally aren't exclusively committed to each other and typically aren't expected to fork over a ton of emotional investment. But while this casual, noncomittal intimacy …Read More
Intimacy—that feeling of closeness, connectedness, and togetherness shared between people—is one of the most important and rewarding components of a healthy romantic relationship. When I work with couples who want to improve their marital satisfaction, I always end up referring to both types of intimacy that you hear about: physical (or sexual) intimacy and emotional intimacy. What this mea…Read More
I love the paradigm that a healthy marriage doesn't require 50/50 from both partners—it requires 100/100. This means that each partner gives their best effort to help the relationship to thrive. Now, this doesn't mean our 100% effort will be the exact same moment to moment and day to day. We can't always "crush it," simply because our best efforts change depending on innumerable factors—fr…Read More