Blog
Addiction Support: Do You Have To Wait Until Your Partner Hits Rock Bottom?
DUI, DWI, arrest, divorce, overdose financial ruin, suicide attempt, homelessness, loss of custody, employment termination… What does rock bottom mean to you? People often say that someone needs to hit rock bottom before they want help with their addiction. And...
3 things to consider when looking for trauma therapy
Trauma is something that every person experiences in some shape or form at some point in life. Mental health professionals refer to “big T” and “little t” trauma, alluding to the effects that a person experiences as a result of a distressing or overpowering...
Your Kids Are off to College, Now What?
It’s impossible to log on to your social media accounts and not see a parent’s about their child’s first day of school – backpack strapped to their kid’s back, hair neatly combed, and a wide grin plastered on their face. For many families, this is just the beginning,...
Quality Time: The Balance Between “Me” & “We”
It’s no secret that relationships are a balancing act. Whether you are newlyweds in the honeymoon phase of your marriage or recently retired empty nesters, finding ways to enjoy both quality me-time or time together with your partner can be a struggle no matter where...
Do You Really Need Premarital Counseling?
While working the booth at my first bridal show to promote our Prepare/Enrich premarital program, I experienced almost everything but interest from the newly engaged attendees. After receiving an engagement ring, recruiting mom to help plan the wedding, picking out...
5 Tips for boundary setting with your partner
The word “boundaries” in a romantic partnership can trigger negative connotations, conjuring up images of angry and controlling partners. However, there is a different way to look at this idea. Boundaries are the rules and agreements that make it possible to remain in...
Repair In The Real World: It’s The Little Things
“ We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference we can make, which over time, often add up to big differences we often cannot foresee.” - Marian Wright Edelman It would be accurate and certainly...
Your Best Vacation Ever Includes Therapy
We’re all coming out of the covid fog – we’re no longer in survival-only mode and many are easing back into planning vacations and planning for the future. Summers have often been the perfect time of year to get away from the everyday to refresh, recharge, and reset...
Separating Gracefully: How Couples Counseling Can Help
Sitting in the afternoon light of my therapy office, I observe the faces of the couple across the coffee table. They are restricted, tense, and in pain. Hans* explains in a small voice that they have decided to end the relationship. His wife, Mary*, cries quietly...
Use Your Words: Why Emotion Words Matter
The words we choose to express how we feel can undeniably impact how we relate to one another. In the words of the esteemed poet Rumi, “Raise your words, not your voice. It is the rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” As a marriage and family therapist, I see this...