It’s a Balancing Act!
Picture an old fashioned teeter totter. In order to maintain balance, if one child moves further out, the child on the other side will need to move further out as well. This is how things work on the playground. It is also a practical illustration of what often happens in couple relationships. It is a balancing act! Let’s take one of many issues that requires balancing in relationships, but especially in couple relationships—closeness and distance. A task of every couple is to figure out how to work with each other’s different needs for...
read moreHelp! I Am Disappearing!
“Being with you means disappearing into you.” A woman in counseling with her husband made that statement. Can you relate? Does it feel like you are becoming invisible in your relationship? If so, you are not alone in this personal crisis. Others have had similar experiences. When we begin to sense that we are not being seen or heard in a relationship, an internal alarm may go off as a warning, signaling a need to pay attention. Most likely, something that is not right is requiring our attention. We can choose to ignore this alarm, but at...
read moreWill You Be There for Me?
It is a privilege to hear the stories of others’ lives. Each person has a unique story that has specific details and important nuances. Each story matters. Often—if not always—the stories that are shared revolve around relationships that have been disappointing to the teller in some way. The accounts may involve work relationships, friendships, or couple and family relationships. The relationships described can be distressing and there is often palpable pain involved. This pain is usually what prompts the effort to call and make an...
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