Vol 1, Sept 2015 - Relationships

New Beginnings!

Welcome to the first issue of my newsletter blog, Growth & Insight. I am excited to be launching my new digital presence, and this newsletter blog is part of that endeavor. I have also recently updated my website, created a Pinterest site, and added a Business Facebook page as well as a Business Google+ page. Additionally, I am test-driving an online scheduling service. It's all pretty crazy and confusing, but it's awesome and I'm having a blast.

In this issue, I am highlighting the topic of relationships. Below you will find excerpts from the article I have written for my website about my approach to relationship counseling. I have also included in this newsletter a couple of links that I have pinned to my Pinterest page.

Additional pages are slated to be added to my website over the coming months, including pages for Eating Disorders, Gender Identity, LGBTQ Wellness, Mood Disorders, Anxiety, Self-Advocacy, and Adolescents.

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Relationships

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Often, by the time a couple comes to me, their relationship is close to gasping its last breath. Couples can be feeling hopeless, and sometimes are not even sure if counseling will help. I have written this article to help you understand some of the ways that I can help you get your relationship back on track, and perhaps give you some faith that there is still hope. (more ...)

Whatever it Takes

For couples counseling to work, both parties need to be willing to do whatever it takes. So if you already have a foot out the door, I am unlikely to be able to help you. Couples counseling is not something that works just by going through the motions; for it to work, both parties need to be willing to do whatever it takes. (more ...)

Grow your Relationship

When I am working with a couple, I view the relationship itself as my client, rather than any particular individual. I see the relationship as a plant, and each member of the relationship is responsible for the care they are or are not providing to it. (more...)

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Infidelity and Betrayal

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I define infidelity very broadly as anything that is siphoning away energy that should be put into the primary relationship. These activities could involve addictions such as gambling, chemicals, or work. It can involve sexual infidelity, but also emotional infidelity and even cyber-infidelity through texting, chat rooms, and pornography. (more ...)

Earning Trust - How is trust earned back? As I recall Dr. Phil saying once, “You can’t talk your way out of something you behaved yourself into.” What does this mean? It means talk is cheap. You can promise a hundred times over that you’ll never do it again, but your partner will not begin to trust you again until they see a change. (more ...)

Giving Trust - When there is a betrayal or loss of trust, both parties need to work hard in order to rebuild a healthy foundation. This can feel unfair to the betrayed party. Why should they have to work hard when it’s their partner that messed up?

Yes, the partner who broke trust must earn it back. But the betrayed partner must make room for that possibility to happen. (more ...)

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On the Internet

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Below you will see some online articles I thought might be of interest to my clients. You can find more of these articles on my Pinterest page!

3 Steps to Rebuild Relationship Trust - Merriam Webster defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something “. Essentially, trust is earned feeling of security. Within relationships, trust is created through experiencing a partner as someone you can continually rely and depend upon. If you want to build trust in your relationship, focus on your actions (not words) and be consistent with the following steps: (more ...)

24 Real-Life Habits Of Actual Couples - When it comes to relationship advice, sometimes it’s more effective to see what’s working for others than seek out so called ‘relationship experts’. So when one person asked how he could improve his relationship on this Reddit page, not only did he get a lot of responses, but they were actually real life things that the people sharing them were actually doing in their own relationships. (more…)