The 3 R’s: Redefining Conflict Do you avoid conflict like the plague? Many people fear conflict because they believe it will lead to loss of connection, intimacy, or trust. Interestingly, …
Life Skills to Learn Before High School Graduation
Life Skills to Learn Before High School Graduation In this time of COVID, parents are feeling the pressure to ensure their kids are engaging in their schoolwork. I think family …
Trauma Bonding
TRAUMA BONDING I work with a lot of people who have or are experiencing trauma bonding, and yet many people have never heard of this phenomenon before. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary …
Emotional Labour
Emotional Labour Many of the couples that I work with experience what is known as an emotional labour imbalance in their relationship. An emotional labour imbalance occurs when one individual …
BLACK SHEEP
BLACK SHEEP The “black sheep” is a common idiom used to describe someone who is considered disreputable or a disgrace in any group (such as communities, schools workplaces, or religious …
Adult Attachment
Adult Attachment Many people experience failed relationships. Some people feel as though they experience the same relationship over and over, but with different partners (“why am I a magnet for …
The Golden Years?
The “Golden” Years? In collectivist* societies around the world, older people (“elders”) are most often considered people of authority and esteemed for the wisdom they have cultivated during their years …
Vigorous Stir
Vigorous Stir What the heck is a “vigorous stir”, you ask? A “vigorous stir” has become an inside joke between me and my partner. When we first got together, I …
Affairs in the Digital Age: Death by a Thousand Cuts*
Affairs in the Digital Age: Death by a Thousand Cuts* Let’s face it: affairs have always been hurtful to the one who has been cheated on. Interestingly, relationship expert Esther …
Gaslighting
Gaslighting The term gaslighting* refers to an emotional abuse tactic that causes a victim to question their own feelings, instincts, and sanity, putting the abuser in a position of power. …