To pause does not mean to avoid, withdraw, dismiss, or ignore your partner's feelings. In fact, it signals, “I care enough to truly listen to what you have to say, but my brain isn’t in the right place to do that right now”.
AI offers a very different kind of interaction. It is private, predictable, and emotionally neutral. That can feel safe, especially if vulnerability has felt uncomfortable in the past. But that same safety does not gently challenge us to grow in real time
The moment we pick something up, our brain starts asking: How can I get better at this? How can I optimize this? Is this a productive use of my Saturday? The result? We never actually relax.
Change can be exciting, a chance to start over and experience new opportunities and challenges. We are often taught and expected to celebrate these transitions. So it can be confusing when we feel emotions other than joy or excitement.
How to get your honey to listen—and actually understand—what you are saying.
How many times have you had the feeling that even though your honey was listening to you, they weren’t actually hearing you? How would you like to learn the secret to effective communication so that you can feel both heard AND understood?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) is an evidenced- based treatment that has been shown to significantly reduce depression and anxiety which may be contributing to problems in your relationships. Frequently, couples come in to session making broad generalizations about one another: “You never listen!” “You always forget to take out the trash”, “Your work is more important to you than I am!” We then infer meaning from such generalizations such as “You don't love me enough,” “You are losing interest" or “You don't understand me.”
What is healthy communication? How do I know if my partner and I are communicating effectively?
While many of us consider ourselves to be “good listeners”, the truth is that many of us do not really listen. The skill of Active Listening can move you and your beloved lightyears forward in your ability to communicate effectively with one another. This series of entries will introduce various tips to improve active listening skills in your relationship.
What is co-dependency? Is it always unhealthy? Learn more about healthy types of dependency here.
It’s a common experience to become overwhelmed and fearful in relationships. Something I hear frequently in working with couples is the underlying question, “How do I know that this person won’t leave me?”.
