Articles

Four Ways Families Can Cope With Economic Stress

Job loss, car trouble, a leaking roof, credit card bills! What else can happen?! What do you do when the month has more financial demands than the bank account can handle?  These are very real life-events for so many right now; all hope is not lost, even though it can feel very overwhelming at times. Sometimes when life goes into

Five Healthy Couple Conversations

  When I counsel couples that are not married yet, I often probe about their past and current conversations.  If a couple responds, “We have not discussed that yet”, it reveals one of the contributing factors as to why they are in my office. A recent study published in Psychological Science says that people are happier when they spend more

5 Things To Renew Your Relationship in the New Year

What are your New Year’s resolutions for the coming year?  Many times people set goals that include specific career, weight, and financial goals.  How about setting some specific relationship goals?  Below are five things you must do to renew your relationship in the New Year. 1) TAKE INVENTORY This conversation can be fun and invigorating or be anxiety provoking! However, this

Five Wrong Reasons People Marry

Are you or someone you know considering marrying their partner? Many couples get married based on feelings or circumstances. Marriage can be a wonderful experience through proactive work. During pre-marital counseling sessions with couples, one of the questions I often ask: what do you like about each other and why are you getting married? Many times the first response is

Five Relationship Tips: Lessons Learned From Celebrity Affairs

Highly publicized celebrities admitting to extra-marital affairs is a reminder that they are people too. Most people think that cheating and affairs happen to other people. Most people do not know that 60% of men and 40% of women cheat, but there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of an affair from affecting your relationship. The question many people

5 Reasons You Can Survive An Affair

From the Oval Office to Hollywood homes... infidelities make headlines around the world. According to the “Myth of Monogamy” by Peggy Vaughan, 60 % of husbands and 40 % of wives will have an adulterous affair and 65% of those marriages will end in divorce. Infidelity can destroy even the strongest relationships. The betrayed partner is left with feelings of shame,

5 Tips: Talking To Your Kids About Infidelity

  Couples every year are faced with how to talk to their kids about infidelity.  How much do you tell them?  How should the hurt parent express their feelings about the indiscretions?  Should the kids be told at all? It is one of the most difficult things to endure when you find out that your spouse has been unfaithful.  If

4 Tips to Thrive Through the Holidays

If you are like most people, when you see the holiday displays around Halloween, you ask yourself, is it that time already? Holidays can be met with mixed emotions, the joy of the season and the feelings of being overwhelmed. How would you like to not only survive the holidays but also actually enjoy them this year? By following the

Four Conversations That Can Make or Break Your Dating Relationship

Are you or someone you know in a dating relationship?  Are you confused as to what conversations can harm vs. help your relationship?  There are conversations that you want to precede with caution when you have them with your boyfriend/girlfriend. I believe as a “general rule of thumb” that couples should not keep secrets in their relationship.  However, in saying

5 Tips to Manage Your Marriage with Children

Have you asked yourself the following questions: What is a healthy balance between couple time, kid time, and family time?  Is it better to be kid focused or couple focused?  Does it seem impossible to create a balance, to continue to build a strong marriage, while nurturing your kids? Below you will find five things that will help you build