Soon there will be sales everywhere. Tinsel will hang from clothing racks. Christmas trees will totter on counter tops. Holiday songs will play in loops, and couples and families will burst through aisles with shopping bags while you’re supposed to be happy, too. Oh, sometimes that holiday atmosphere can trick you into feeling giddy in love--or more alone and more down on yourself. The whole world seems to sparkle, and you wonder: “Why … [Read more...]
Boundaries in Relationships – How to Set them & Choose Your Battles.
November 11, 2013 By
Part 2 of 2: The Most Common Situations that Drive You Crazy or Make You Lose that Loving Feeling I’ve often told my clients that at any moment World War III could break out in your intimate relationship—if you let it. You really do have to pick your battles and your moment, tone, words, and emotional intensity. Here are some key ideas from Part 1. Quick Review: Managing relationship disappointments, setbacks and hurt require skills … [Read more...]
When and How to Set Limits, Draw the Line and Pick Your Battles in a Relationship.
November 4, 2013 By
Part 1 of 2: General Relationship Guidelines. When you’re unhappy in love, it’s often hard to know if you are being too picky, too “sensitive” or just wrong in your assessment of the situation. You wonder what “counts” as being a legitimate reason for you to fall out of love or feel distant from your partner. Should you break up if your partner cheats on you, hits you, lies to you? Just how do you know how to set limits, draw the line and … [Read more...]
Secrets to Happiness: Make Peace with your Past to Enjoy your Present and Future
October 21, 2013 By
Had rotten parents who abused, neglected, criticized or abandoned you? Or something happened to you later in life such as assault or rape? Or your disappointing love relationships hover overhead like mylar balloons glinting at your failures? Well, here’s the good news: rotten pasts for any reasons don’t have to mean you will have an unhappy life. Positive psychology researchers such as Martin Seligman, author of the inspiring book, “Learned … [Read more...]
Dating Etiquette for Men and Women: Who Pays When and How Much?
September 24, 2013 By
Has dating etiquette about money really changed from the days when men paid for everything? Yes and No. In the not too long ago past—talk to your parents and grandparents—men paid for almost everything on a date. Oh, once in a while the woman would treat him to something that was not expensive, but the cultural etiquette was that men were expected to pay. Yes, the sixties invited more balance and equity, but that idea faded somewhat. For a … [Read more...]
