Arguments often escalate because both partners feel the need to be heard immediately. When emotions peak, the brain’s ability to think clearly diminishes, making it harder to listen or respond thoughtfully. The Gottman technique of stepping back interrupts this cycle.

Our relationship to plants is primal and emotional. Our relationship to the beautiful rose flower is unparalleled. The flower's gorgeous scent, its lush flowers have a profound effect on our brain's emotional centers - the limbic system. Because of this intense emotional effect, the rose has been written about in poetry and song for centuries and red roses are universally known as symbols of enduring romantic love and sexual passion.

I get alot of questions about friendship in my psychotherapy practice. What does research say about friendship?

Parasocial relationships, where individuals form one-sided emotional bonds with public figures such as celebrities and politicians, have become increasingly common in modern society. These connections often feel real and meaningful to the individual, despite lacking direct interaction. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of these relationships is essential as they influence public opinion, mental health, and social behavior.

Feeling lonely during the holidays is a real challenge, but there are effective strategies to help manage these emotions. Research in psychology and mental health provides guidance on how to cope and find moments of connection and peace.

If you feel untethered through life or don’t know who you truly are—that’s natural. For most people, their sense of self doesn’t strengthen or develop until their mid-twenties to thirties, and that’s because up until that point, you’re still taking in the world around you, trying out new things, and gaining experience which you can then use to truly define your sense of self.

Humans thrive on interactions with others, with relationships of all types helping to bring meaning to life. Friendships, in particular, help you connect with like-minded individuals and flesh out your sense of self.

Learn how to strengthen your relationship with yourself, and explore how self-love, acceptance, and positivity can improve your emotional well-being

Dr. John Gottman’s work is based on 20 years of research, studying couples as they lvie together in a naturalistic environment. Gottman's work is clear, evidence-based information distilled from his many years of research about what predicts divorce. Changing your own emotional and communication dynamics is not easy.

During a heated discussion, paradoxically, walking away for a break can help you stay connected!

Successful couples turn towards each other 86% of the time while distressed couples, who eventually divorce, turn towards only 33%!

What we’re shown during the holidays often reflects an idealized version of family and togetherness, not the full range of human experience.

Like learning carpentry, learning good communication is a skill. Both have subtleties and nuances. Achieving prowess in either one takes...

Marriage Is a Complex Emotional System Marriage is not a simple relationship. There are so many levels of differences in individuals. And so many ways for a couple to feel connected, both physically and emotionally. And also so many ways to feel alone. And there are varying levels of need to draw a boundary and have that alone time sometimes. Add in biological children, step children, careers and jobs, ex-spouses from prior marriages, and aging parents and it can be quite

DARVO is a common response used by perpetrators when abuse is named. The term stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender, and it describes a pattern that shifts attention away from harm and back onto the person who was harmed.

Have a peaceful holiday season, with a side of realism! In May of 2018, Cigna surveyed 20,000 Americans about their feelings of connection to others. The study found that nearly half of the respondents felt lonely most or all of the time, 43% don’t feel their relationships are meaningful and 43% also felt isolated from others. These are staggering statistics. Current research, with a large number of participants, finds that loneliness is a defining feature of American soc

Trauma survivors are made particularly anxious by the hoopla around the holidays. Because of the fear and pain created by emotional and physical abuse, the nervous system of a trauma survivor is already on high alert, armed to scan and protect from potential danger. The extra stress of social gatherings (even happy gatherings) with the accompanying sensory and emotional inputs inflames a nervous system whose set point is already uncomfortably high. The sensory input at a

It was a few months before Sarah felt she trusted me enough to reveal what she felt was her deepest internalized shame. Initial consultation Sarah came to therapy at the suggestion of her primary care physician, who had prescribed an anti-anxiety medication and encouraged her to seek counseling. She described persistent anxiety, frequent tearfulness, increasing irritability, angry outbursts she struggled to control, and disrupted sleep — “for no reason,” as she put it. When I

You hopefully have plenty of lovely people in your life. Friends and family can be an amazing support network when it comes to dealing...

As you go through your divorce, do you think you are acting out your unconscious hurts and anger on yourself and others, possibly your...