Dating these days can be challenging as it is with dating app swipe culture and the overall uncertainty of trying to figure out who another person is. Through the process, an important things to keep your eye on is the presence of emotional safety. Key Takeaways Emotional safety is the foundation of intimacy, trust, and…
When I was pregnant in 1995, we thought it was a big deal to show a fuzzy ultrasound picture to my parents to announce we were expecting. Now so many expectant parents create a clever way to let their parents know a little one is on the way–and they billboard it on social media. Of…
Fostering friendships takes time, energy, and communication. As adults, it can be difficult to build friendships because many individuals already have established friend groups. If you are someone who is trying to grow your friendships, know that you will need patience. True, genuine friends are hard to find, but they are out there. The Lord…
When people first get married, everything is great. You are passionately in love, and nothing can bring you down from the newlywed high that you’re on. What most people don’t understand at the beginning is that marriage takes work. You will go through difficulties; times when you aren’t as enchanted with each other as you used to…
While conflict is inevitable, frequent arguments will affect a relationship over time. Couples that do not effectively manage conflict will enter a cycle of fighting that is hard to break. When disagreements become more frequent and intense, they can damage the positive aspects of a couple’s connection that brought them together in the first place….
Father’s Day always leads me to reflect on the tapestry of father figures who shaped my life. While my biological father is still with us today, his journey and ours as a family took an unexpected turn when I was eight years old. The Father I Knew Before Before his health crisis, my father was…
You know that sinking feeling when you’re pouring your heart out to your partner, only to realize they’re scrolling through their phone? Or when you’re trying to share something important, and they interrupt with a completely unrelated story about their day? You are not alone. Like many others, chances are you’ve felt invisible in your …
You may or may not be familiar with the term “family of origin” as it relates to therapy. When it comes to understanding how you function emotionally and/or in your relationships, it’s an important term to get familiar with. Key Takeaways: Self-Awareness is Foundational: Understanding your emotional patterns and core beliefs is the crucial first…
Here we are, doing our lives in whatever that looks like for each of us. We pass through our days in relationships, working, parenting, socializing, participating in hobbies, playing or just being. For many of us, as we age and move through different developmental stages, our perceptions, beliefs and priorities shift to some degree. This…
“I tried to hold your hand, but you’d rather hold your grudge” (“Which to Bury; Us or the Hatchet?” by Relient K). Letting go of a grudge is hard. As this verse from Relient K’s song says, sometimes we prefer to hold our grudge rather than let go of it. Holding onto grudges is not…