With Election Day being tomorrow you and/or your partner might be feeling anxious. Some notable tell-tale signs are: feeling on edge, being more quiet, isolating in another room, staying glued to media outlets, not eating or eating more, or not sleeping well. These feelings are normal and we have strategies to help you and your partner work through this time.
Let’s put on our science hats for a moment to understand attachment theory. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth pioneered this concept in their work with mothers and children in the 1900s. Dr. Sue Johnson, Mario Mikulincer, and Philip Shaver, among many others, have...
I’m sure you have heard about the 5 Love Languages. If not, it’s a book that breaks down the ways we feel the most loved. Usually all of them feel pretty nice, but there’s usually one powerhouse that helps us feel truly loved. When you get the full experience of...
Most people are good at apologizing, depending on the context. If you bump into someone in the office break room, "Sorry!" If you accidentally spill something at the grocery store, "I'm so sorry!" In close relationships, though, apologizing can be one of the hardest...
It’s amazing how fast we react internally to people’s mood and tone. Someone can get an edge to their voice, have a frown on their face, or be extra quiet, and our brain signal us, “Alert! Something’s wrong!” In many ways, this is a good thing. We are sensitive to the...
Do You Know Your Raw Spots? We all have raw spots. The tender, sensitive places that we know can trigger us into difficult feelings. For some, it could be feeling criticized. For others, it’s being doubted. Sometimes specific topics are a raw spot, like money or sex....
Isn’t it surprising how quickly things can go off the rails when you have a disagreement with your partner? One minute, you’re driving down the road easily talking about vacation plans, and the next minute your partner is crackling with tension and you’re fighting...
We have experienced the deep fulfillment and inevitable disappointments in our own marriage and know the importance of having a clear map to navigate the complex and challenging territory of committed relationships. We use two primary models of treatment which are...