Category: Relationships & Love

We Are Allowed to Be Irritated

It is Month Number 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 . . . (what difference does that make anymore?) of being cooped up with our spouses in the Pandemic-Protective isolation units of our homes. We are not doing the things we used to do as a matter of course—the things we did and called “life”. It’s hard… Continue reading We Are Allowed to Be Irritated

Quarantined with Your Partner? 3 Common Relationship Struggles to Watch Out For

Through many years of helping couples and studying the nature of relationships, I’ve seen my fair share of relationship struggles. And let me tell you, no one’s relationship is perfect. Here are the three most common issues I see repeatedly with the couples I counsel. If any of these describe what you’re currently going through or have… Continue reading Quarantined with Your Partner? 3 Common Relationship Struggles to Watch Out For

6 Ways to Celebrate Singlehood This Valentine’s Day

These days, more and more women are referring to Valentine’s Day as “Single Awareness Day”. Gone are the days of moping around lonely and longing for a relationship. Many women who are fulfilling career ambitions, focusing on meeting financial goals, traveling and having fun with friends and family are perfectly fine with their singleness. When… Continue reading 6 Ways to Celebrate Singlehood This Valentine’s Day

As Married Couples Age, Humor Replaces Bickering

Honeymoon long over? Hang in there. A 2018 University of California, Berkeley, study shows those prickly disagreements that can mark the early and middle years of marriage mellow with age as conflicts give way to humor and acceptance. Researchers analyzed videotaped conversations between 87 middle-aged and older husbands and wives who had been married for… Continue reading As Married Couples Age, Humor Replaces Bickering

“Relationship ADHD”: Have We Lost the Instinct for Commitment?

Relationships have always been complicated. It takes time and effort to develop trust and intimacy and the deep love that sustains a couple over many years and through the rough patches. It takes sacrifice and compromise and putting another person’s wants and needs ahead of your own. These are timeless truths. Yet it seems that… Continue reading “Relationship ADHD”: Have We Lost the Instinct for Commitment?

Hugs May Help Protect Against Conflict-Related Distress

Receiving hugs may buffer against deleterious changes in mood associated with interpersonal conflict, according to a study published October 3rd 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Michael Murphy of Carnegie Mellon University, along with co-authors Denise Janicki-Deverts and Sheldon Cohen. A release from the publisher notes that people who engage more frequently in… Continue reading Hugs May Help Protect Against Conflict-Related Distress

Are You Stuck in A Toxic Friendship?

  Friendships can bring about some of life’s greatest joys and shared moments. But what happens when a friend makes you feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells and doing something wrong? Even if she’s a close friend, it doesn’t mean she’s a “good” friend—in fact, it means she’s a toxic one. “A toxic friendship… Continue reading Are You Stuck in A Toxic Friendship?

It’s Complicated: Our Relationship with Texting

Texting has the power to both help and hinder our relationships, whether we’re tapping our fingers to stay in touch or using our smartphones to avoid difficult situations, according to research on texting and sexting presented at the 2018 annual convention of the American Psychological Association (APA) in San Francisco. A release from the APA… Continue reading It’s Complicated: Our Relationship with Texting

Age Differences in Relationships: What Are You Comfortable With?

When I was 26 years old, I became involved with a 40-something man. . He was a high-ranking New York City homicide detective who moonlighted as a Hollywood stuntman. Fire suits and high falls were his specialty. Our relationship lasted five amazing years. He was supportive and enthusiastic about my budding career as a writer… Continue reading Age Differences in Relationships: What Are You Comfortable With?

Why Is a Breakup a Good Reason to Start Therapy?

Many times, when we feel less confident, anxious, irritable, or depressed, we try to “fix” it on our own. We ignore our feelings hoping that they will get better with time, but unfortunately, they do not. Although we may be able to bury them for a while, eventually those feelings do resurface and come back… Continue reading Why Is a Breakup a Good Reason to Start Therapy?

Volunteering 2 Hours Per Week Reduces Loneliness in Widowed Older Adults

Widowed older adults can reduce the loneliness that results from the death of a spouse by volunteering 100 hours per year, which is about two hours per week, according to a study done in April 2018 done at Georgia State University. The study examined whether becoming a volunteer at the time of widowhood is associated… Continue reading Volunteering 2 Hours Per Week Reduces Loneliness in Widowed Older Adults

How to Help When Your Friend Has Cancer

I wanted to do something when Kathleen, my younger single mom friend, was diagnosed with Stage 3A lung cancer. It turned out the irritating cough she had that progressed to alarming non-stop coughing was a symptom of adenocarcinomas. She had never taken a sick day off work, never smoked. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I… Continue reading How to Help When Your Friend Has Cancer

Marital Marijuana: The Key to Wedded Bliss?

Frustrated by poor communication, a fizzling sex life, or lack of intimacy in your marriage? Say goodbye to couple’s therapy and counseling. There’s a new marital guru in town, and she goes by “Mary Jane.” These findings come in part from a recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, which found that marijuana users… Continue reading Marital Marijuana: The Key to Wedded Bliss?

Solving the Senior Loneliness Problem During the Holidays

Known by the clinical community as “The Christmas Effect,” it has been well-established that many people experience increased feelings of loneliness and isolation during the holidays. In fact, one study found that, among people who reported a psychiatric emergency during the holidays, the most common stressors reported were loneliness (40%) and being without a family… Continue reading Solving the Senior Loneliness Problem During the Holidays

How to Help End Your Spouse’s Infernal Snoring

If your spouse snores, you may have just endured another sleepless night. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are steps you can take – or at least have your spouse take – that could end the snoring and perhaps even save your spouse’s life in the process. “A lot of people think… Continue reading How to Help End Your Spouse’s Infernal Snoring

Playing the Field: Planning a Sporty Date Night

So you’re finally ready to lace back up your dating shoes and play the field. Planning a fun date at a sporting event can be a great way to break the ice, stay entertained and have a memorable evening without blowing your budget or inviting too many awkward silences—as can often be the case with… Continue reading Playing the Field: Planning a Sporty Date Night

Married Couples with Big Age Gaps Are Less Satisfied Over Time

Men and women both report greater marital satisfaction with younger spouses, but that satisfaction fades over time in marriages with a significant age gap between the partners, according to research done at the University of Colorado Boulder and published online in August 2017 in the Journal of Population Economics. A release from the university explains… Continue reading Married Couples with Big Age Gaps Are Less Satisfied Over Time