This blog post is the second one inspired by Kerri Grote, a woman who died of brain cancer. (Here’s the first one.) Facing life challenges without a partner or children One of the things she wrote about in the letter she left for her friends was the message we get from society: We need a romantic partner who is the “love of our life.” I’ll quote … [Read more...]
Running Toward Life or Away From Death?
A good friend from high school recently sent me a FaceBook post about someone, Kerri Grote, who died of brain cancer and left a note for her surviving family and friends. Kerri had lots of wisdom worth sharing, so I’ll quote from her note in the next few posts and use it as a jumping off point. What fuels your life: fear or … [Read more...]
The Importance of Therapy for Therapists
Sigmund Freud once said: “Anyone who wishes to practice analysis should first submit to be analyzed himself by a competent person.” The ideas in this post are important for people choosing a therapist and for therapists themselves. If you’re looking for a therapist, asking whether or not a therapist has been in treatment is an important and … [Read more...]
Feeling Anxious About Retirement? Here are 5 Tips to Help Ease Your Mind
Roughly 40 percent of Americans fear retirement more than death. Let that sink in. This fact speaks volumes about the role of “work” in our lives. For the purposes of this article, this fact also highlights just how common and overwhelming retirement anxiety is. It is a transition, and like most transitions, it involves stress. Consult any … [Read more...]
Dysfunctional & Disagreeable? 6 Signs Your Family’s Communication Needs Work
Family life can be troublesome. Yes, blood is thicker than water, but, boy, can family members make your blood boil! If you find that your family struggles to communicate and you disagree on everything, then you’re going to need to work on your communication skills. We’re all different, and we don’t see eye to eye all the time. So, is your … [Read more...]
What Is Trauma Dumping and Is It Harmful?
We’ve all vented to a friend from time to time. Whether it is to get something off your chest or to receive some sort of advice and guidance. This is a normal part of relationships. What we shouldn’t be doing is dumping our trauma and emotions on someone who unwittingly ends up on the receiving end of it. This can be harmful not only for … [Read more...]
Restoring the Passion: How to Bring Sex Back to Your Marriage
Everyone thinks their honeymoon period will never end. They hear all the talk about how lust cools over time but promise they will be different. It’s normal to assume something positive will never end. But all relationships change. Only the people involved can decide whether these changes are good or bad. When it comes to your sex life, perhaps the … [Read more...]
5 Conflict Resolution Tips for Couples
When you were young, you may have thought relationships were supposed to be "picture perfect.” You may have thought that your friends’ parents had perfect relationships or you thought you had an idea of what a positive and strong relationship looked like from TV shows and movies. In real life, relationships are more complex. … [Read more...]
6 Tips For Work-Life Balance When You Work From Home
Typically, once you enter the door of your home, you can ignore work emails or switch off your phone. Yet, there is no physical separation from your home and work life when you work from home. It can be hard to strike that balance between being at home and working from home. This can even be downright depressing and have a negative effect on … [Read more...]
What Productive Conflict Looks Like in a Healthy Relationship
Every relationship has its ups and downs. There will be plenty of times when you and your partner cannot see eye to eye. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the relationship is not going to work out. The secret to a healthy relationship is taking a break from talking if the conversation becomes heated, and coming back to it when both people are … [Read more...]