“The scars you can’t see are the hardest to heal.” Astrid Alauda Are you in an emotionally abusive relationship? Emotional (or psychological) abuse differs from physical abuse in the sense there are no outward signs, thus, making it more difficult to recognize. In this post we will unpack what emotional abuse DOES NOT look like
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Every once in a while, a certain phrase is uttered on my couch: brutally honest. Often, it’s claimed as a point of pride as a client tells me that they believe one of the reasons they struggle in relationships is because they’re “just brutally honest, and some people can’t handle that,” (this is not a
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In this day and age, it feels impossible to avoid technology. The car is a computer on wheels; restaurant menus are giant scrolling TV screens; and everyone seems to be holding a tiny tablet in their hands at all times. On one hand: it’s pretty awesome. Technology allows us to do things we thought impossible
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Summer always brings with it an influx of new couple clients, and I’ve noticed that there seems to be a trend in what these new couples are bringing to therapy. Perhaps because summer opens up some free time and creates a sense that we should get things done that we’ve been putting off, I see
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We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. It comes on suddenly at times and seemingly out of nowhere. It’s that feeling that you just want to shrink into a hole. Maybe you said something you wish you hadn’t, maybe it was the response of silence to your self-disclosure, maybe it’s just a
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Summer is a special time of year where we often have the opportunity to spend extended time with friends and family. It can be a wonderful time of creating lasting memories, or it can be a challenging time of adjusting to increased interaction with others who can be difficult to be around. Others’ opinions and
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I don’t actually want to spoil anything for anyone here, but lately it’s been difficult to avoid the topic of disappointment when it comes to talking about favorite TV shows ending. By now I’m sure most people are sick of hearing about how Game of Thrones came to an end, and there were very strong
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People who come to our offices for couples therapy generally enter the room for the first time with a list of things they want and need from their partners. The items on their lists vary, obviously, but a few themes stand out — more connection, more collaboration, more honesty, more support. Struggling couples come to
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When my first child was born and we were being discharged from the hospital, I remember having this overwhelming sense of responsibility and a healthy dose of fear. I remember asking the nurses if they were sure we were ok to go and didn’t they need to check to make sure we at least installed
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“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is that we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.” Roy T. Bennett What is effective communication? Effective communication
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