Addressing Contempt in Your Relationship: Rebuilding Trust and Connection When reflecting on reasons that a relationship may not be functioning at a healthy level, it is important to consider the role of contempt.  We might think of a moment when we say something we don’t mean, or react to something our partner said in a

Stonewalling in Relationships: How to Re-Establish Openness and Connection Stonewalling occurs when an individual shuts down communication due to feeling overwhelmed or blocked from communicating their needs or feelings.  The individual communicates in a nonverbal way that they are unavailable or may appear unresponsive. It can be an unconscious reaction to feeling overwhelmed or unsafe,

Defensiveness: Break the Cycle and Improve Your Relationships How many times have you wished that the other person would just understand what you were trying to say?  How many times have you felt misunderstood, unappreciated, or unheard in your relationships? How many times have you said something that you didn’t mean in the heat of the

Now What?: Ways of Finding New Hobbies and Interests as an Adult In adulthood, many of us are faced with varying demands and responsibilities that compete for our time, attention and energy.  And it is common to struggle with finding a way to identify our priorities and values when we are faced with pressure and

  3 Deep Breathing Techniques to Manage Anxiety Stress has become a part of our everyday lives, especially as we are learning to balance multiple demands and responsibilities, such as work, family, finances, and relationships. While occasional stress can be normal and even helpful, chronic stress can have negative effects on our physical and emotional

Ways of Responding During Times of Grief Grief is a natural response to loss, and it can take many different forms. Some people may feel sadness, shock, numbness or emptiness in the wake of a tragedy. Others may feel angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed when faced with a sudden or anticipated loss. Grief can also manifest

An Effective Parenting Strategy to Help Increase Positive Behaviors in Teens Parenting Skills: Increasing Positive Behaviors in Teens When raising a teenager, it can be challenging to encounter and know how to respond effectively to mood changes and dysregulation, aggressive behaviors, defiant language and seemingly argumentative dialogue.  Many parents may struggle with identifying and implementing

Avoidance versus Distraction: Understanding Effective Ways of Coping with Distress Distress can be a normal reaction to a situation or a response to an unpleasant feeling.  It is not uncommon to feel distressed or overwhelmed at times and to want to alleviate such discomfort.  Often the desire to ameliorate the discomfort and distress may come

Effective Coping Strategies for Managing Panic Attacks According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “about 1 in 25 adults has a panic attack in a given year.” A panic attack is a sudden, intense feeling of fear or terror that reaches its peak within minutes. It usually comes with physical symptoms such as shortness

Understanding and Overcoming a Fear of Commitment  It’s natural to feel apprehensive about committing to something new, including a relationship, opportunity, request or event, especially if that commitment requires a significant amount of time, effort and energy. But when it comes to our personal relationships, a fear of commitment can cause us to miss out

How to Build Stronger Emotional Connections in Relationships When it comes to our personal relationships, we all want to feel a sense of emotional connection. Whether it’s with our partner, our friends, or our family, we crave that sense of mutual connectedness. But what does it mean to have an emotionally connected relationship?   What is

5 Ideas to Consider in Finding Your Purpose in Life In life we are faced with a number of choices and decisions that shape our experiences and contribute to our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.  At times we may be faced with an existential dilemma in which we are considering the magnitude