“I need some advice about issues with by girlfriend’s children that are 16, 19 & 20 and her mother, who lives with us. I find that the children and mother-in-law are lazy and I am constantly having to clean up after them with many issues, such as towels left on counters, and mostly dishes. Many […]
A client of mine recently spoke about his depression and his tendency to isolate himself. The one thing he did regularly was to visit a convenience store near his home. He liked to go there and get a drink, talk to the clerks and, in that way, get out of himself and his dark moments […]
“I am a step-mom. My husband and I got married 1 1/2 years ago and I don’t have any kids of my own, nor do I plan on having any. I really like and love my step-kids. I formed a healthy bond with them when we dated for over a year. I consider us friend […]
Many studies report that having relationships helps your health, but they do more than that if you’re working it right. Relationships, however, can also help us be better people. Our interactions with others can be irritating, annoying–even maddening–but our closest relationships can also be very fulfilling and highly educational. We learn the most in relationships. […]
“How do you deal with in-laws who don’t like you? My boyfriend ‘John’ and I have been together for 37 years on and off and have been living together for 20 years. I have done nothing to my in-laws in the past to make them dislike me. I am 11 years younger than my boyfriend […]
All of us have fears, things we really don’t want to happen. No matter how strong and positive you see yourself as or simply try to be, fear is a natural emotion and it can haunt your dreams and cripple your waking hours. You may fear for loved ones–your children, your mate, your parents–or for […]
“I have been married now eleven years to my high school sweetheart. We have four boys between the ages of 11 and one. About five months ago my father-in-law died after being diagnosed with cancer. Since then my husband has had to take over his business and he hasn’t been able to grieve. He refuses […]
“I found an open email layed flat on my mother’s desk. I thought I was superclose with my brother and sisters….until…I read [her] private email and I found myself in total shock as to how they gossiped badly about me, my married life and how I raise my children. They passed judgement. I went on […]
The fallacy behind this is the assumption that you will know your dates by the third time you see him. Most relationships break-up over conflicts in how money is handled, followed closely by sex, children, in-laws and religion. I’d guess that disagreements over who does household chores make a close sixth. Really…how much of this […]
Okay this is a topic you never want to have to know about…but you may need. When a couple hits more snags than they can stand, they often call it off. They break-up. This is an ugly process and this is often when couples seek counseling. They also go back to church, but that’s another […]