So far, you’ve made it through quarantining together. Congratulations. Hopefully you both have taken the time to acknowledge that you faced adversity together and you’re coming out on the other side. Being together at home for that amount of time and sharing your space is no easy feat and you should be proud of your relationship ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 6: Gratitude
We’ve talked about several of the core foundations of love and intimacy, that I have outlined in this series: vulnerability, trust, courage, self-awareness, and kindness. However, one more remains to complete the solid foundation for the basis upon which we can expand our ability to experience the many benefits of being in a loving ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 5: Kindness
Ok. You might be looking at the title and why I am highlighting something that should be obvious – we need to be kind to one another. And you would have a point. It should be obvious but you might be surprised to learn that so many partners have actually lost sight of just how important kindness is. Here’s why. We’ve talked about ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 4: Self-Awareness
Have you ever been in a relationship, but wanted something more? Your partner may have all the boxes checked when it came to height, looks, education, income, and all the other things that we initially may find important. But then at some point, you may start to get the sinking feeling that you’re settling or you begin to realize that ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 3: Living Courageously
Do you know that feeling when you are so vulnerable and scared about something, you can barely bring yourself to even look at your partner in the face? This situation can be very painful because we may be locked into feeling shame, guilt, embarrassment, fear, sadness, or anger. And we feel that we have to keep it inside because if we talk about it, ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 2: Trust
There are those moments in every relationship when you may be looking into your partner’s eyes and wondering if you can trust them with your inner world. The ability to trust ourselves and our partner is the true cornerstone - and most important pillar - upon which to build a foundation of love and intimacy. The ability to experience trust in ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 1: Vulnerability
In relationships, we talk about taking them to another level. Maybe it’s the first time you say those three special words, maybe it’s when you take your loved one to meet the parents over the holidays or maybe it’s moving in together. No matter what phase of your relationship you’re in, you can always take it to another level of depth and ...read more
The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – A Six Part Series: Introduction
Having been in private practice for over 25 years, I have met hundreds and hundreds of individuals and couples who are struggling in their relationships…or lack thereof. Their challenges are many and as diverse as the people I work with. Each person and situation is unique. Having said that, I have learned – and, really, my clients ...read more
Three Phases of Romantic Love
People often ask in one way or another, “Should love change over time?” My response is always, “I certainly hope so!” Why do I say this? It’s fairly simple. I see far too many couples who settle for so much less in their love life. They may have initially fallen in love but after a while, it doesn’t seem to progress much beyond that. People ...read more
How to Decide If It’s Time to Move In Together
Sara (not her real name) came in for her appointment a while ago and I could tell something, other than the usual, was on her mind. She has been seeing her boyfriend for a little over a year. She’s 24 and he is 27 (not their actual ages). Sara’s been thinking about the future lately and believes she is ready for things to go to the next ...read more
3 Common Relationship Fears and How to Move Beyond Them
We all have fears in our relationships. It’s absolutely normal. I was recently interviewed by Elite Daily about what are the most common fears and how to best address them proactively with your partner. If you are in a relationship where fears are starting to get in the way of your togetherness or you simply need some relationship advice and ...read more
How Do You Know When It’s Not Right to Trust Your Gut
Do you always and should you always trust your gut? Has your gut always been right? ...or all too often wrong? Bustle reached out to me for an interview about these gut-wrenching and mind-bending questions that people sometimes struggle with. I hope you find it helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you are currently dealing with this ...read more
How to Know If You Are Marrying the Wrong Person
One of the biggest things that happen in our lives is finding a mate and getting married. This event is a pivotal moment for many people, and something they look forward to long before the event happens. Getting married can also be stressful and scary. But if you have the right partner along for the ride, then things should still be fun and ...read more
5 Signs You’re In A Great Relationship
Theodore Roosevelt once said that comparison was the thief of joy. If you are the kind of person that compares your relationship with friends, family, and social media strangers, you'll want to take a look at this. You’ll find some very common things that so many great relationships have in common. I was recently interviewed by Elite ...read more
Give Your Relationship a Fighting Chance: 23 Tips to Fight Fair and Effectively
It goes without saying that even in the best of relationships, that there are going to be the inevitable conflicts. This is perfectly normal and natural. Sometimes our disagreements with each other can escalate into arguments, and we experience intense hurt, scared, and angry thoughts and emotions. When discussions turn into full-on ...read more