Welcome to our Blog
Here we post articles and practical exercises for couples who wish to improve their marriage or relationship. Look through the title and beginnings of articles below, and click any title to read them. It’s good to know you’re not alone.
Letting Go of Resentment
What do Timothy Leary and Couples Therapy Have in Common? Remember the old saying “Turn on, tune in and drop out” by the Harvard Psychology Professor and counterculture figure Timothy Leary? It may have been a prescription for hippies in the 60’s, but there’s a deeper message behind it and one that’s actually applicable to mending relationships. Hear me out on this. With the recent resurgence in psychedelic therapy, perhaps it's prudent to revisit the underlying meaning for the movement derived from one of the original psychonauts. Here is Mr. Leary’s explanation of the famous phrase: “"Turn on" meant [...]
Managing stressors this Thanksgiving holiday
Holidays are always a hot topic in couples therapy, whether it’s whose family couples will be visiting, how much time to spend there, what activities will be included or avoided, how to enjoy the day when there is relational tension... the list goes on and on. Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner. For many, this is a time to reunite with loved ones, play games, cheer on a favorite football team, and gobble down all the delicious food. Yet just like so many other special events, this Thanksgiving Day is one more causality of the pandemic. In this [...]
When You Love Someone With Complex PTSD
This article gives a brief overview of some basics about Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and what you can do to support yourself as well as nurture your relationship when you love someone with Complex PTSD. You may be wondering if reading this article will be helpful to you. If your partner experienced significant trauma during childhood and you find yourself in awe of all that they are in spite of what they have been through, yet uncertain at times about how to provide the right kind of support, then this article is for you.If you recognize the wisdom [...]
Navigating Pandemic Concerns Between Partners
How many people can we socialize with? Can we know how many people they are socializing with? Are our kids old enough to be responsible? What is the degree of risk of getting sick? How sick will anyone in our family get? What are the rewards of socializing for me, for my spouse, for my kids? These are some of the many questions that couples are being challenged with during the pandemic.However, underlying these questions is a central theme related to different levels of risk tolerance between partners. As with many of these types of conflicts, people have a [...]
5 Strategies To Start Your Marriage With Healthy Communication!
“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” ~ Albert Schweitzer You find that special someone that you want to be with, and you want to be sure it withstands the test of time. Research shows 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce. Research also shows that couples tend to wait 6 years before getting help with a negative pattern. Congratulations for getting started early and [...]
Communication in Relationships
Communication in Relationships - Podcast with Stacy Lee, LMFT Communication! We have all heard it’s important, but why? And if we all want good communication why is it so hard? Do you know you struggle but don’t know the first steps to take? If you want to learn more about the answers to these questions and more, listen to my interview hosted by Zach Beach on the Learn to Love Podcast.
How Covid-19 quarantine could impact couples deciding to split
In a recently published article in USA Today, Maria Puente explores how the Covid-19 quarantine could impact couples deciding to split. Maria interviews a number of relationship experts to explore this issue I was grateful to be able to give my perspective on the issue. Along with what was quoted in the article I wanted to elaborate a bit more. Relationships are hard during the best of times they push us to communicate differently, be more vulnerable, compromise, and face our own baggage and weaknesses. When you add any stressor it gets harder, our brains can only handle so much [...]