Unlike guilt, shame isn’t about your behavior, shame is a reflection of how you see yourself in your life. The most common expression of shame is a feeling that “I’m not enough” or “I’m not good enough”. The feeling of shame is crippling.
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The world tells us that retirement should be your ultimate happy place. But, for many people, retirement is a significant source of distress. The solution lies in finding meaning, not just filling your day with activities.
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Great marriages are not based on a lack of conflict, they are based on a deep sense of emotional intimacy. If you feel tightly connected to your partner, you can navigate all kinds of problems. But without that connection, each time you hit rough water it feels like the marriage may capsize.
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The desire for sex and intimacy never goes away, it remains important for our entire life. But, we may have to make adjustments for our aging bodies. Older couples can find intimacy and connection no matter what their age or physical abilities.
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Porn can become an ongoing source of pain in some marriages. It can cause fights, deeply hurt feelings, resentment, and sometimes divorce.
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Couples don’t stop having sex because of boredom. They stop because they don’t feel emotionally connected. In long-term relationships, sex is powered by emotional intimacy, not hormones.
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Download my free handbook - 5 Easy Steps to Greater Emotional Intimacy
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Are polyamorous relationships real relationship? Or is it just a different way of cheating? Can you really love, and feel connected, to more than one person? How does that work?
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Nothing is worse than feeling Gaslighted. You walk around feeling confused and you can start wondering if you’re going crazy. Even worse, you start to wonder if someone you love is making you feel this way.
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Passive-Aggressive behavior can wreck a relationship. It’s hard to spot and hard to defend against. And, it can leave the non-passive-aggressive partner feeling lost, confused, gaslighted, and alone.
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Trial separations are confusing. How long should a break last? Positive signs during a separation? Is there a trial separation checklist to help you think through your time apart?
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The change from a sexually active relationship to a sexless marriage is usually a gradual process. The couple moves from being sexually active, to less active, to infrequent sex, and then to no sex. Until suddenly they realize that it’s been months or years since they’ve had a meaningful sexual connection.
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“Radical Empathy”. Sounds like a crazy idea doesn’t it? How can empathy be radical? But applying the principles of Radical Empathy to your relationship can help you and your partner grow closer and deepen your sense of connection.
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As a psychotherapist specializing in working with seniors, I’m sometimes called into situations where middle aged children are in a pitched battle over how to care for their elderly parents. Often the kids are so focused on their own conflict, that they can’t see that their intransigence is resulting in their parents not receiving the care they need.
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When parents are emotionally unavailable, children suffer. They grow up feeling emotionally lonely. Take the childhood emotional neglect test. See if you carry the scars of an emotionally unavailable parent.
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Starting to feel intimate again after an affair is incredibly hard for both partners. Sex is sure to trigger strong feelings of guilt, shame, anger, or sadness. It’s difficult to regain that sense of trust and the belief that you are truly desired.
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Emotionally immature parents create emotionally lonely children. And this emotional loneliness then has a huge impact on their ability to love, feel loved, and connect as an adult.
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It’s not how often you fight, but how it feels during your fights. These 5 simple steps can help you and your partner cool down and stay connected even during a fight.
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When is it right to move in together? It’s a question many couples struggle with. Here are thee simple questions that can help you find an answer and strengthen your relationship.
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When to walk away after infidelity. Three reasons to consider leaving. It’s never an easy decision. But if your partner did any of these, it may be time to walk away after infidelity.
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