Family dynamics form the foundation of our emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. They shape our understanding of love, trust, and communication. However, not all family dynamics are healthy, and understanding the impact of unhealthy patterns is crucial for our personal growth and mental well-being. In this blog, we’ll explore why it’s important to recognize unhealthy family dynamics and provide strategies for coping with them. The Importance of Understanding Unhealthy Family Dynamics: 1. Break the Cycle: Unhealthy family dynamics tend to repeat across generations if left unaddr ..read more

Insecurity can silently creep into our lives, damaging our relationships and hindering personal growth. When we lack self-confidence, we project our doubts onto our partners, eroding trust and intimacy. However, it’s essential to recognize that self-confidence is a skill that can be nurtured and developed. In this blog, we will explore how insecurity can harm relationships and provide five practical ways to foster self-confidence. The Destructive Impact of Insecurity on Relationships: Insecurity is like a toxin that slowly poisons the foundation of any relationship. It manifests in various way ..read more

Hey friends! Today, I wanted to shed some light on an important topic that can have a devastating impact on relationships: gaslighting. Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic used by some individuals to gain power and control over their partner. It involves distorting the truth, making someone doubt their own perceptions, memories, and even sanity. It’s like walking on an emotional tightrope, where your reality feels constantly undermined. This toxic behavior can leave deep scars on both your emotional well-being and the foundation of your relationship. Here are a few key signs of gaslighting ..read more

With nearly 50% of all marriages (and 41% of all first-time marriages) ending in divorce, it is no secret that rekindling love with someone else can feel intimidating. After all, when people get married the first time, they likely hope to be with that same person for the rest of their days. But let’s face it, life is not picture-perfect and divorce is an exceptionally common factor that may have shifted your life, usually for the better on both sides. But here’s the contingency: understanding how to prevent history from repeating itself. All in all, getting divorced and remarried into a now su ..read more

Divorce is tricky—not only for the couple going through it, but for friends and family who aren’t quite sure how to navigate the situation.  As a relationship coach, I often help people navigate through this process, and I’ve gone through a divorce myself, so I know first hand how difficult and alienating this time can be.  Here’s the thing— divorce remains taboo for many in our culture, especially because it is never intended to happen. When you get married, it’s supposed to be “until death do us part”, but things can happen and marriages end. All the while, people feel unequipped t ..read more

See if you can spot these common relationship red flags. True, relationships take hard work. But some relationships make you want to pull your hair out and throw large pieces of furniture out the window. Trust me, there’s a big difference between a spat between you and your significant other every once and awhile versus a full-blown argument every time you cross each other’s paths. But I have some good news: Relationship drama with your partner is often an inside job. Translation: you, alone, have the power to heal, mend and improve it at any time you want. However, before you can make things ..read more

Not many women of my generation can boast a Lindsay Lohan portrayal in a major motion picture. To be clear, my non-existent twin and I never tried to reunite my parents and I’ve never had the pleasure of cosmically changing places with my mother.  But I was a Mean Girl. The idyllic town near Columbus, Ohio, where I spent my formative years, is referred to as “The Bubble.” Affectionately named for its ability to remain immune to issues plaguing the rest of the United States, “The Bubble” was both a blessing and a curse. My hometown isn’t one of those newly chartered suburbs infested with M ..read more

While cheerful holiday decor and advertisements galore paint the holidays as a totally stress-free, warm & fuzzy time of year, we know that’s not always the case. Holiday planning and celebrations can bring familial tensions to the surface, and it can be hard to stay present and joyfull with all of these dynamics buzzing about. To help things go a little more smoothly this year, I’ve compiled some of my top tips for couples as we head into the holiday season.  Keep reading to discover my tips for stress-free holiday planning, handling in-law conflict, and making the most out of each a ..read more

Being human sometimes means dealing with negative feelings we wish we didn’t have. I can’t think of a single person who absolutely adores feeling jealous or loves waking up to start the day with insecurities. But these feelings can and do happen—in some cases, they’re a sign of an underlying issue, and other times, mismanagement of these emotions can cripple an otherwise healthy relationship. That’s because these are powerful feelings, ones that are hard to keep just to ourselves. We can project these feelings onto the ones we love in the form of anger, sadness, or resentment. It can make our ..read more

If you passed her on the sidewalk, you’d never know Jessica* was carrying an unbearable weight on her shoulders. At first glance, she had it all. A steady job, beautiful kids, and what appeared to be a sound marriage. Let’s back up to that last part. The “sound marriage” part. While Jessica seemingly lived a picture-perfect life, she was miserable behind closed doors. Picking fights with her husband over the smallest of things only made matters worse. She didn’t know why she felt the way she did, but she let resentment consume her nonetheless. Jessica felt she and her husband, Bill*, were comp ..read more