Sitting in my office, Felicia, 35, described the bitterness and resentment she has toward Erik, 37, because he invited his mother to visit for two weeks without consulting her. She has never felt close with her mother-in-law, who she feels is intrusive and gives unsolicited advice. As is the case with many mother-in-law and daughter in law relationships, Felicia feels like she has to walk on egg shells around Erik’s mother, Karen. Their relationship is very complicated and has been... Read more
Sitting on the couch in my office, Jessica, 32, shares her struggle with opening up to her fiancé Stephen, 36. She says, “It’s like I freeze when we are talking about sensitive topics. Since we are engaged, I worry that my difficulty sharing my true feelings with backfire later on.” If we have been let down in the past, the prospect of needing someone can be frightening. Opening up to our partner can make us feel vulnerable and exposed but... Read more
While it’s normal to go through a period of self-reflection when your relationship ends, it’s important that you keep things in perspective. Losing a partner, even if you made a decision to end the relationship, can disrupt your life on so many levels because your ex was undoubtedly a part of your daily existence. As a result, breakups can weaken your ability to sleep, eat well, and function at work and in social spheres. To complicate matters, studies have discovered... Read more
When Kelly, 42, sits on the couch in my office for a couples counseling session, she seems hesitant to talk but opens up after I ask “Why are you here?” She glances at her husband, Jack, age 41, and explains that they have been experiencing tension in their marriage for over one year since Jack lost his job. Kelly puts it like this, “My counselor told me that we have a destructive relationship and I’m tried of being the person... Read more
Most experts advise against rebound relationships because newly divorced people need time to recover from their divorce and any emotional baggage that needs to be dealt with. Put simply, we need to put these ghosts and past memories in their proper place so that we can be fully available for a new partner. However, in certain cases when people go into them with realistic expectations, they can help facilitate healing and boost a person’s self-confidence. Dating a few different people... Read more
Teresa and Carl, both in their late-forties, met at work a year after Teresa’s divorce. In no way did she feel ready to fall in love or to enter another relationship so soon after her marriage ended. However, Teresa finally gave in and agreed to go on a date with Carl because he was so charming and persistent. From that point on, they were a committed couple who spent most weekends together and they were married within six months. Things... Read more
If you find yourself attracted to a partner who is emotionally unavailable or distant, or someone who is a taker, you may be inclined to have one-sided relationships and love too much. Perhaps you grew up in a family where you were a caretaker or focused more on making others happy rather than yourself. Maybe you even felt that you had to be in a good mood regardless of your true feelings so you became a people pleaser. There are... Read more
I have often heard it said that the best partner will compliment you and bring out your finer qualities. When you are with him or her, you will begin to see untapped possibilities within yourself and in the world. However, in any relationship, you will face difficulties and your love will be tested. But if want to attain long-lasting love, it’s important to make intentional choices to be loving to your partner every day. That said, if your expectations are... Read more
As a therapist, many parents complain to me that there is too much conflict and that they’re all going in different directions. As a result, communication between members can be ineffective and tense. This is especially true when parents are trying to raise children and teenagers who participate in afterschool activities and have converging interests and needs. For instance, Alana, 46, a single mom with three children, ages ten to fifteen, wants her kids to get along better, stop bickering... Read more
Hi Terry, I hope you can save my marriage. I’ve been married to Kevin for ten years and things are getting worse since we had our second child. He says he loves me and our kids but seems very distracted and doesn’t listen to me. It feels like he wants me to keep my problems to myself so I don’t bother to share anything personal with him anymore. Kevin says I’m critical of him and he is just busy with... Read more
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