Some couples do a better job of prioritizing their relationship than others. And some couples are simply more comfortable having a more casual attitude toward making time for their marriage. But a new study shows that all couples–even the ones with a more “don’t sweat it” attitude toward couple time–experience a greater risk of marital problems over time if they don’t learn to cultivate their “relationship work ethic.” Is a date with your partner as important to you as a... Read more
I admit I never saw this coming. Check out the story here which includes an anti-contraceptive pill tweet from Ms. Lake herself. Here’s a sample of the article. Lake will act as executive producer alongside director Abby Epstein in a full-length film based on Holly Grigg-Spall’s book Sweetening The Pill: or How We Became Hooked On Hormonal Birth Control. “In the 50 years since its release, the birth control Pill has become synonymous with women’s liberation and has been thought... Read more
This is fascinating. In doing some research for a client with generalized anxiety disorder, I found this double-blind, placebo-control study on the effectiveness of lavender oil capsules (silexan) for treating anxiety. Remarkably, the study appears to show that the lavender oil capsules were as effective as lorazepam (Ativan) AND it had no side effects or potential for abuse. Additionally, participants experienced relief from their anxiety without any drowsiness. Here is an excerpt from the conclusion section of the study. In... Read more
Praise God for this incredibly important step toward better pastoral care for all Catholics–and all people–with mental illness. It’s very brief but completely worth the read. I hope you’ll take a moment to look it over and then meet back here to discuss it. My thanks to Deacon Greg for alerting us all to the exciting things happening in his neck of the woods. Here’s a sample…. Our society has made great strides in our understanding and treatment of mental... Read more
Kathryn Lopez posted her interview with Lisa and I on what it takes to make marriage last a lifetime. ‘All the research says that a good marriage has little to do with where you and your mate come from and everything to do with whether you are willing to learn the skills it takes to have a good marriage — and to learn about each other to build your unique marriage,” husband and wife Gregory and Lisa Popcak write in their... Read more
Nunc Dimittis! Bacon Roses! There is really nothing left to say. Read more
Of course you all know what today is…. That’s right! Sts. Cyril and Methodius Day! On the official Church calendar, we do not celebrate St Valentine, but rather, the Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, evangelists to the Slavs, on February 14th. You might ask, “Why does the Church promote devotion to Sts. Cyril and Methodius on the same day as St. Valentine’s Day? Well, the answer is quite simple. There is an ancient saying in the Church, “Lex Orandi,... Read more
The way a couple treats each other outside of their arguments is the best predictor of the couple’s ability to get something positive out of their arguments–even if they’re more heated than they ought to be. Obviously, no couple likes to argue, but some couples seem to weather it better than others. Therapists often think that the best way to deal with arguments is to avoid them, but is it possible to help teach couples to not be overwhelmed by... Read more
Elizabeth Scalia has her Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas post up. By all means check it out. My favorite recommendation of hers was this little gem… Also, keeping with the books for a minute, Dr. Gregory Popčak’s classic, Holy Sex!: A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind-Blowing, Infallible Loving. It is indeed something special. It is everything the world doesn’t get about Catholic teaching on sex, but it’s funny, warm and — as everyone I have ever talked to about... Read more
Breaking up is always hard, but some people rebound more easily than others. According to new research, it turns out a person’s ability to recover from a break-up has even more to do about their attachment style than it does with the depth of feeling for the object of one’s unrequited affections. New research shows that people with secure attachment styles handle breakups much more efficiently than those with less secure attachment styles. There are 4 basic attachment styles (Secure,... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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