For a majority of students, the college experience offers a safe, accepting environment to learn, socialize and gain support from friends, professors and mentors. College graduation marks an important achievement, but also the beginning of what can be a difficult transition into “adult” life. With their tightknit college support system suddenly gone, many recent grads […]
4 Signs Your Marriage Has Unhealthy Dynamics
When navigating the road to a happy and fulfilling marriage, it’s important to understand the difference between healthy marriage dynamics and those that are unhealthy or toxic. One of the most notable characteristics of a healthy marriage relationship is an equal balance of power between two partners, meaning one person doesn’t call all the shots […]
The Biological Reason Why Teens Act Differently From Adults
In our family therapy sessions, we see many parents who struggle with the challenges of parenting teenagers. Teens are well-known for their tendency to act in an irrational, impulsive or even dangerous way – something that can completely confuse and frustrate even the most well-meaning moms and dads. At times, it can seem like teens […]
Tips for Helping Teens Transition Into the New School Year
Starting school in a new grade is usually nerve-wracking, even for teens. Older kids must cope with increased academic pressure while also adjusting to major social changes. However, there is much that parents can do to help a teenager settle into a new school environment, no matter their grade level.
4 Simple Ways to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It has been said that gratitude is directly correlated to one’s happiness, and research has now proven this link. In his book Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Dr. Robert Emmons demonstrates […]
What to Do When You Want Couples Counseling But Your Partner Doesn’t
Have you reached a point in your relationship where you feel like you need some guidance? Couples counseling is therapy designed to address the needs and improve the relationship of a couple. Sounds great, right? Except in the case where your partner doesn’t want to go.
Identify Stress in Your Life Before It Reaches the Point of Overload
Have you ever had a morning that starts off with the realization that you are very, very late waking up? In your rush to get ready for work, you spill coffee on your white shirt, which means you have to return to your closet to find something clean to wear. Your stress level rises as […]
Improve Your Well-Being by Developing an Optimistic Outlook
How do you react when bad things happen in your life? Do you blame yourself for not doing things differently, or dwell on what you did wrong for long periods? If this sounds familiar, you may have a pessimistic explanatory style, as described by American psychologist Martin Seligman. In a nutshell, this means that you […]
Finding Healing in the Chaos of Couplehood
Many times I have new clients say to me, “What is Imago Therapy?” I start off by explaining that the word Imago means ideal mate. And then, let’s just say, I don’t see the “Oh, now I get it” look on their faces. So I quickly follow up with my usual explanation.
What to Do Before You Say ‘I Do’
One of my favorite movies is Notting Hill. There are several reasons this movie makes my must-see list, but one comes from the moment when Julia Roberts reminds Hugh Grant that “she’s just a girl, standing in front of a boy wanting him to love her.” That resonated with me because don’t we all want […]