Whether it's birthday parties, holidays, or family dinners, if your partner is close with their family, you're probably seeing your in-laws several times a year. If you like your in-laws, those get-togethers feel easy. If you don't, those gatherings can feel...
When infidelity is discovered, the relationship often enters a crisis state immediately. Maybe your partner found out before you were ready to tell them. Maybe you admitted it because the truth was already in their eyes. Or maybe you denied it at first — panicked,...
Have you ever walked away from a conversation with your partner feeling completely misunderstood, even though you were trying so hard to explain yourself? Maybe the conversation started small. One person felt hurt, disappointed, lonely, or overwhelmed. But within...
The first time my husband, then boyfriend, came to visit my family, I had to sit him down and warn him that my family might be “a lot.” I briefed him that there would be kisses and hugs, even though it was their first time meeting him. I warned him about the prayers...
A couple I've been working with for several months — I'll call them Sara and Nate — shared something with me recently, almost sheepishly. They'd had an argument a few nights ago. It was a familiar one: Sara had come home exhausted after a long day and needed space to...
Dinner is over, dishes are still on the table. Natalie is talking about her day — something stressful, something that mattered. Jack nods, eyes fixed on his phone, thumb scrolling. “Are you listening?” Natalie asks. “Yeah,” Jack replies, not looking up. She goes...
Have you ever been in a fight with your partner and wondered why the argument felt so entrenched? Your partner was so focused on being right that they missed your tears or dismissed your emotional experience altogether. Sometimes it’s more than a frustrating...
Erin: “I shared how I felt and you said nothing. Your silence said everything!” Taylor: “I didn’t know what to say… so I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to make it worse!” I hear this kind of exchange often in couples therapy. In this case, Erin and Taylor were a...