When couples consistently practice a series of unnatural acts to calm themselves down, while staying connected and protected, they are well on their way to building a successful relationship. I am continually moved by the fearlessness of some of the Read More
Communication
23 Nov How to Manage Holiday Season Stress as a Team
The holiday season is a time of year that can easily overwhelm us. Our relationship may become a low priority during this busy time of year unless we pay attention to it. Below are six ways for you to manage the holiday season while making sure your Read More
22 Sep Learning to say “No” in healthy ways
You may think that learning to say “No” is a simple matter. But this is not necessarily true. We usually expect our partner to respond to requests pretty quickly after we make them. What we often don’t realise is that some requests are not so simple Read More
12 May Is your relationship charge gone?
Is your relationship charge gone? You've probably not been taught that relationships require an ongoing investment of attention, time and energy to maintain and enhance their vitality. Relationships are like gardens - they are living Read More
23 Jan 10 Minute Relationship Miracle
There is a secret behind the 10 minute relationship miracle. This touching email describes the pain that many people experience when they feel disconnected from their partner: “I get the feeling that my partner is becoming emotionally distant. Read More
06 Sep I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You
I love you but I’m not in love with you. I can’t tell you how frequently I hear these words in my relationship counselling practice! I understand them to mean something like: “Is this relationship really over or does my unhappiness mean that Read More
17 Jul Re-create Your Relationship Vision
Can you re-create your relationship vision once your relationship has lost its energy? Can you get the energy and juice back? Yes, you can. Creating a shared vision helps you regain control of your own story. It helps you re-focus on working Read More
22 Jan Our primitive brain in relationship – the science
Biology has played a cruel trick on your relationship. Although your partner thinks you’re responsible for most of the troubles in your relationship, it’s not you. It’s your biology. To be more accurate, it's the primitive parts of your Read More
16 Dec Surviving Christmas as a Couple
Christmas time can be a stressful time for couples. Making joint plans for surviving Christmas ahead of time may help you fill this supposedly joyful season with maximum love and minimum heartache. Joint plans help you manage holiday season stress as Read More
28 Jun Avoiding disagreements hurts your relationship
Sorry to bring you bad news. But what I’ve learned from doing counselling for over 30 years, backed by research from the Gottman Institute, is that constant efforts aimed at avoiding disagreements hurts your relationship. A lot! The Gottman Read More