I just finished a session with a couple today where this question loomed large. This husband and wife have been married for 15 years and have a couple of kids. While they both have talked about reconciliation, the reality is that he wants to save the marriage and she just wants to escape. Why? Because…
Now that may seem like a strange question. You may be thinking, “I don’t want to ‘use’ my friends. That wouldn’t be good.” And I agree. I am asking more about the role that your couples friends play in your own marriage. For example, I know of couples who feel as though their mate never…
Now if you are like me, the first time I heard this term I thought, “Now each generation has a new label, so what in the world differentiates a Gen Z?” Author/Speaker/Researcher Josh McDowell recently reported these characteristics of those labeled “Gen Z:” They are between the ages of 6 and 24 They are the…
Lisa walked into the room, took one look at Sammy and, without saying a word, turned and walked out. Perplexed, Sammy silently wondered, “What was that all about?” Thinking that perhaps Lisa had come into the room and then remembered something else that she needed to do, he went on about with what he was…
Have you ever made that statement or felt that way? If you are human, then you probably have. As I sat with a client yesterday, I was reminded of this very tendency. You see, we don’t like being in the hot-seat, feeling attacked or unfairly accused. Therefore, when we do, our first reaction is usually…
You come home from work and find your wife despondent. You ask “What’s the matter?” and she unloads on you about what one of your grown children said to her that left her feeling rejected. Wanting to help, you indicate that you will call that child and get this straightened out. But to your surprise,…
I still recall being at a Parent-Student dinner when I was working as a school counselor in California 30 years ago. I worked with some great students and one in particular who I was anxious to brag on to his parents. As I greeted his father, I began to speak of the tremendous strides his…
Recently my wife and I took a weekend to reorganize our office and the work spaces at home. As a guy who still wears some shirts from 20 years ago, I didn’t feel a strong compulsion to need to change things in our offices. However, I can’t tell you how invigorated my wife was by…
Relationship Tips Tuesdays Let’s face it – we all want to be viewed as caring and empathetic. And sometimes it is easy while other times it is an uphill battle. Perhaps your spouse or your kiddos have taken advantage of you. Or perhaps they continue to contribute to their own troublesome situations in ways that…
We have all heard so much in the news and on social media about how great it is to be done with all of the calamities of 2020 and how much better 2021 will be. While 2020 was without a doubt a difficult year, here we are in February of 2021 and not a lot…