The Olive Branch

Have you ever gotten so familiar with someone that you can read your partner’s mood in a split-second? Turns out, there’s actual science behind that.

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone – only to discover a)he/she isn’t listening at all 2) he/she is distracted by technology or c) he/she is already getting defensive even before you start to speak?

Being a teenager can be confusing — it’s a time filled with significant changes, growth and uncertainty. It’s easy to forget what that felt like. And this can impact your ability to communicate with your teen. Your world view is so different. Here are a few tips that I found online that can perhaps help […]

These days, the word “role” can garner a pretty negative reaction – few of us like being defined by anything, much less a “role” we’re supposed to play in our relationships. But, the mental health community agrees – roles can actually be pretty useful, as long as they’re healthy.

When I talk to clients about grief, they often think I’m referring to the physical death of a loved one. But, I remind them that grief is much larger than that – yes, it usually refers to the mourning process over the physical death of someone. But, grief is also the process by which we […]

Do you ever find yourself in the midst of “drama” you just can’t seem to escape? If you’re like a lot of my clients, you may be involved in family drama, friend drama, or (my favorite) relationship drama, some of which just seems to constantly revolve around you.

It’s tiring …

WARNING – you’ll need to set-aside conventional wisdom to read this post! Haven’t we all been taught that the less conflict in a marriage, the better? Well, recent studies say that’s actually NOT true. In fact, studies now show that couples who have regular conflict actually are happier in their marriages!

Who out there remembers what it was like to first fall in love with your partner? Remember how he/she could do no wrong? What about now? Do those same feelings pop-up 20 years later? Or, are they a little -er- different?

When I have couples come to me for their initial session, we nearly always spend a lot of time on the current problems in the relationship. Both parties are typically relieved to find someone who will listen to the day-to-day problems they face in the marriage.