The feeling of guilt has been said to be one of the worst feelings in the world. Sometimes, we feel guilty for no reason at all. Other times, we sense the natural, stomach-twisting feeling of knowing we’ve done something to cause hurt to someone we love. While guilt can sometimes result from an overactive conscience,… Read More »
Humans are social beings, and the vast majority of us require relationships with each other to be truly happy. But all relationships—family relationships, such as those between parents and children and between siblings, the bonds you share with your friends, the acquaintance with your colleagues, and romantic relationships—require effort on part of all those involved… Read More »
“When you date someone, you’re dating their entire family, too.” Dating a single parent can bring a whole new meaning to this commonly-used sentiment. When children are involved, they understandably have many feelings about their parents dating and bringing a new significant other into their lives. These feelings should be treated with respect and sensitivity,… Read More »
Breaking up with friends is hard. Sometimes, it can be because you are both different people and are growing in different directions, or it can be something darker like they are a toxic influence on you. Whatever the reason, sometimes adult friendships need to end and it can be hard to know what to do,… Read More »
Divorce is often considered to be one of the most stressful events a person can go through in their lifetime—and for good reason. When you’ve planned to spend the rest of your life with someone, a change in those plans can feel devastating and life-altering. The good news is that there’s always hope of finding… Read More »
When you’ve been betrayed by someone you love or care about, learning to trust them again—if you’d even want to—takes time and effort from both parties. While safeguarding yourself and your emotions might seem like the right decision after you’ve been hurt, not being able to trust can stir up hurt in other important relationships… Read More »
In the last several decades, many couples have wondered about whether or not living together before marriage is a wise thing to do. This isn’t something that people had to think about generations ago because it was very uncommon. However, today, it is becoming more and more common and accepted. But there are a lot… Read More »
It’s hard to imagine while standing at the altar—watching your beautiful bride walk down the aisle—that one day, instead of a queen, there’ll be a witch in her place. What can possibly happen that turns your queen into a witch? Love into resentment? And makes you to say “I hate my wife?” Resenting and hating… Read More »
As author Emerson Eggerichs wrote in his book, Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs, women want love in their relationships, and men want respect. Although I disagree with the author and believe that the desire to be respected by your spouse is universal and transcends gender, there is… Read More »
When you take the plunge, marry “the One”—your life partner—you might think you’re set for life, that you’ve married your best friend, right? “No more lonely nights” as the Paul McCartney song says. But sadly, that’s not necessarily so. Loneliness in marriage affects millions of couples around the globe. And this is where at least one… Read More »
Two years ago, I left my husband. I woke up one day and decided that I’d had enough of the aggression, the constant arguing, and the merry-go-around of hearing that things would change but never seeing them actually change. I was a couple therapist, so I had a lot of ambivalence about doing what was… Read More »