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How to Complain Without Hurting Your Partner… or Your Relationship
If only every couple knew this. It’s the strategy employed by married people who, 25 years later, still can’t get enough of each other.
It’s knowing how to express how you feel without hurting your partner’s feelings or immediately putting them on the defense.
Here’s how it’s done.
How to Manage Stress and Anxiety
How to Manage Stress and Anxiety
The past few years have been a lot. The uncertainty. Inflation. Politics. That underlying thought of, what’s next?
Balancing all of that, PLUS daily life. Let’s just say, if you searched “how to handle stress,” or “how to stop a panic attack,” you’re definitely not alone.
While a little stress and anxiety some of the time is totally normal, if you’re constantly in that frame of mind, it can wreck you both physically and mentally.
If you’re currently in that state, here are some tips that can help. It’s worth noting right off the top: the best way to fully extinguish chronic stress and anxiety is through therapy. Having the support of a licensed clinician who helps you navigate is way more effective than trying to soldier through alone.
If you reside in Northern California, please. Reach out. We offer counseling in Roseville and Fair Oaks, and always love the opportunity to help people reclaim joy in life, and feel better overall.
Teen Mental Health: How to Know When Your Teen Needs Help
Here’s something you’ve said or thought, probably more than once:
I’m so glad I’m not a teenager in today’s world—I’m so glad social media wasn’t around when I was a teen!
Yet, if you’re a parent of a teen you likely still feel some of what they’re feeling—plus an added layer: powerless.
According to a 2023 study by the CDC, almost half of teens—42% felt persistent feelings of hopelessness in 2021.
It’s more important than ever to be aware of how these things can impact the swiftly changing teenage brain, and be on the lookout for signs that your teen needs help.
The truth is, we don’t know the long-term effects of technology and how it’s shaping our young people. It hasn’t been around enough to develop any studies that have any real longevity. And that—coupled with the pandemic—the disruption to schools, education, routine and the world at large, has had quite an impact on today’s teens.
Codependent? Self-Care is not Selfish
Is self-care selfish? Memorial Day weekend was coming up, and I had three days off to decide what to do. Because I am balancing a job, my counseling...
How to Love Your Partner Using the 5 Love Languages
If you don’t know your partner’s love language, or worse—you know it, but you’re not “speaking” it—you’re missing out.
Love is an incredible thing, and understanding and nurturing your partner’s love language is an excellent way to make them feel appreciated, cared for, and of course: loved.
Whether new to the concept or are looking for a refresher, think of this as the ‘Rosetta Stone’ of love languages.
From defining the 5-types to tips on expressing each—and more—this is all about Love Languages
7 Ways to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy
Are you your own worst enemy? Do you do what you shouldn’t and fail to do what you should? Maybe you know you shouldn’t eat certain foods because of...
Find your best therapist: Make sure the therapist is the best fit
From the Expert Roundup - How to Find the Best Psychotherapist? Secret Unlocked Nancy Ryan, LMFT and Certified Gottman Therapist, was one of the...
How Childhood Trauma Affects Adults
Kids don’t have a choice. They can’t simply pack up their belongings and leave a horrible situation. And rather than see the trauma or abuse for what it is, many adjust their inner world to try and explain it away, dismiss it, or make it “ok.”
Studies show that if left unchecked, the effects of a turbulent or trauma riddled upbringing have the capacity to haunt people for the rest of their life.
In addition, kids raised in unhappy homes are 40% more likely to have some type of cognitive impairment.
There are other less visible yet equally challenging wounds from childhood trauma such as self-esteem issues, relationship issues, and problems with self-regulation and self-soothing.
Let’s take a look at how the different types of childhood trauma—from mild to severe—has the capacity to hold us back… if we let it.
What is Attachment and How Does it Influence My Relationship?
You’ve just had another bad fight. Maybe, you spent the whole weekend fixated on your phone, and they never called or responded to your texts.
“It’s rude, disrespectful! You told me we should do something Saturday, and then…nothing!”
You were literally a bundle of nerves, hovering over your phone. You needed them to call—text—something with such intensity, you described it to your friend as though it were a drug and you needed a fix. When your friend called, you’d reached for your phone in relief, only to feel your stomach sink upon realizing it wasn’t who you were desperate to hear from…. Of course, you don’t tell your friend that part.
Have you ever experienced something like this? Something that you know is dysfunctional and toxic, yet you feel powerless against it? Where the intensity and desire for the person is so strong and all-consuming that it feels as though you must be soul mates?
If so, you’re likely caught up in a powerful force known as Attachment Theory.
Help for Depression: Using Journaling as Part of Your Wellness Strategies
Have you ever considered keeping a journal? Is journaling helpful for depression or anxiety? If you think about using journaling as part of your...
Ways to Increase Passion in Your Marriage
We all know how incredible it feels to be consumed by desire. Clothing gets ripped off, phones forgotten, and—you know what happens next.
As the years go by, what once felt so powerful and incredible dwindles. It becomes obligatory, routine. And that’s if it even happens at all.
In all honesty, most people experience intimacy dry spells in their marriage. If you find yourself in one or you’re just hoping to crank up the heat a couple notches, here are some of the best ways to reignite passion in your marriage.
Why Authenticity is Important in a Relationship
Is being an adult basically just trying to undo the damage that occurred during childhood—that and a hefty dose of never-ending paperwork?
Maybe.
Childhood is a confusing maze of trying to please adults while also trying to fit in with peers. From an early age, almost everyone is shown an example of who they should be, and a lot of that imprinting happens during our formative years.
The result? A lot of us have grown pretty accustomed to hiding our authentic self, or major parts of it. Find out Why Authenticity is Important in a Relationship.
The Four Horsemen and Their Antidotes
If you’re in a relationship, there are four seemingly inconsequential things that—if you’re not careful—have the ability to take what you’ve worked so hard for, and smash it to pieces. The Four Horsemen as they’re often called are the main reason most relationships fail.
The good news? There’s an antidote for each. Four tools you have at your disposal that are powerful enough keep you from driving to the courthouse and filing for divorce.
Keep reading to learn what they are so you can keep your relationship safe.
What Makes You Anxious?
Anxiety is a bully. Because it has complete access to your mind, it knows your deepest fears. It knows the exact buttons to push—all your nightmare scenarios—that send you spiraling.
If you give it an inch, it takes a mile. The more you acquiesce and give in to its whims, the smaller your world becomes.
Knowing what makes you anxious is a great way to fire back and regain some control. In some cases, the trigger may be obvious. In other cases, it’s just there.
Here we’ll explore some common causes of anxiety and how you know when it’s time to get help.
Why Some Men Avoid Couples Counseling
If you’re a male who’s skeptical about couples therapy—or more likely, if there’s a male in your life who is—this is a ploy to expose the misconceptions. This list debunks some of the most common excuses men use to avoid couples counseling.
Feel free to share this article with anyone you think could benefit.
Reach out to start your healing journey today