Conflict Avoidance: Is Your Rug Touching the Ceiling?
All couples argue. Not having arguments is unrealistic, but a desire for conflict avoidance is very typical. We’re going to have bad days, be tired, irritable, stressed out, and so will our partner. Whenever there …
Creative Hopelessness
“I wish we would have come in sooner” and “I just want to be happy” are two statements I hear repeatedly in my office. Couples realize how much they have been holding on to their …
Accepting the Uncomfortable – Not All Spaces are Safe
Are My Emotions Facts? Emotions are just emotions and thoughts are only thoughts. They are not always facts or truth. When I first heard this phrase, I got angry. “What do you mean my emotions/thoughts …
The Gift of Pain and Loss
We are entering the second month of a new year. It has been about a full year since our lives changed because of the pandemic. Some of us have lost a loved one or maybe …
Letting Go of Resentment
What are the two most healing words in the English language? “I’m Sorry.” When those two words are genuinely said, it can repair a relationship and, in turn, allow a space for a deeper …
Regaining Self-Compassion
As I’m counseling clients virtually during this pandemic, one of the common phrases I hear is, “Others have it much worse.” There’s a lot of discounted grief and pain. There’s a certain guilt or …
