Psychologist, Relationship Expert, Couples Counseling, Individual Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Newlyed Counseling, & Marriage Counseling, in Newport Beach, CA By Dr. Meredith Hansen
‘Tis the season to begin thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions.
As important as it is to identify personal resolutions, it is also important to think about relationship resolutions. Below are a few tips to help you and your honey get on this same page in 2013.
- Set a time to sit down together or go for a long walk. Begin by acknowledging the positives aspects of your relationship.
- Next focus on areas for growth, not necessarily change. Pinpoint
The holidays are in full swing! Thanksgiving has passed and now the focus shifts to holiday gifts, parties, travel, and more.
For most couples, the financial pressure that comes with holiday shopping often gets in the way of enjoying the season together. Arguing, fighting, and distance typically increase for couples who find themselves unprepared to manage these demands. Fortunately, relationship problems DO NOT have to be a part of your holiday season.
The video below will teach you how to work as a team with respect to your money over the next next four weeks, which will keep you
October is here, Halloween is just around the corner, and you’re probably already beginning to feel a little stressed about the upcoming holidays. For most couples, this is one of the busiest times of the year. Social gatherings, sporting events, back to school meetings, 4th quarter work goals, and family obligations can easily fill your calendar leaving little time for romance and passion.
The good news is that small efforts daily will make a big difference. Couples who focus on their relationship throughout the week are more satisfied and have healthier relationships. To help you with this, I have listed 5 really simple actions you can implement each week that will keep your love strong. Make a habit of doing each item weekly
When we fall in love, we fall hard. Romantic love is extremely powerful and is often filled with passion, romance, and unending thoughts about one’s partner. As we grow together as a couple, this passion can shift, change, or dwindle, but researchers are beginning to find that this shift may not be something we can control.
In my private practice, I hear many couples discuss the changes that have taken place in their love lives. They often long for the days when they couldn’t keep their hands of each other, miss the special looks their honey used to give them, and wonder why going to sleep is sometimes more appealing than making love.
Recent research has found an answer to this question. From a
If you’re a newlywed (or about to become a newlywed), it is important for you to know that a strong marriage takes time to build. For those of you who have parents who are still madly in love, or have seen couples that just seem to get each other, take care of each other’s needs, and have a special rhythm it’s critical to understand that this unique rhythm has been established over years of a living a life together.
Yes, you and your new spouse are in love, understand each other, and have some sort of a rhythm established, but this isn’t the same. Often when working with newly married couples I hear one or both people desire unrealistic expectations for their spouse and/or relationship. They expect their partner to read their mind and needs, feel disappointed when they aren’t in complete unison or agreement, or feel envy when they observe older, more established couples who seem to be in sync. This is a dangerous
When was the last time you kissed your spouse? I mean really closed your eyes and passionately kissed?
As we grow more and more comfortable in a relationship, we sometimes begin to let go of the sweet, small gestures that keep a marriage close and strong. Seemingly irrelevant behaviors like passionately kissing your spouse before bed or texting “I love you” mid-afternoon can be pushed aside as you focus on work projects, caring for the children, or making it to the gym. We often take the one we’re with for granted and before you know it, you and your spouse co-exist in your home and experience a decline in passion and desire for one another.
The good news is most couples can reverse this pattern. Keep in mind that it is normal to fall into a rut or get caught up in your day to day routine, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can revive your relationship, reignite the passion, and enjoy living with your spouse, rather than co-existing.
Below are 5 simple steps to help
Married life can be filled with ups and downs. Whether you’re a newlywed or have been married for years, there will definitely be times in your relationship when you feel frustrated, sad, angry, annoyed, or irritable. Sometimes a simple chore like taking out the trash can push you over the edge, and other times a more serious issue, like a forgotten anniversary, can cause you to question everything.
On the flip side, there will also be times in your marriage when you feel completely in love, bonded, connected, secure, and happy. Moments of thoughtfulness, playfulness, exploration, discovery, and quiet time together can make you feel like you’re on top of the world. There is nothing better than feeling loved, like everything in your relationship is just clicking.
Serious problems arise in a marriage, however, when a couple gets stuck in a down-swing, unable to shift into a better place. Often unaware that it’s natural for all relationships to ebb and flow, some couples become paralyzed when their relationship isn’t working or fighting occurs. Clinging to maintain their foot hold or strength, they argue and fight, resist “giving in,” won’t back down, and push their partner away, which eventually
Have you ever thought about the way you start a conversation with your partner?
If you want to be able to effectively discuss and work through an issue or problem in your relationship, it is essential that you learn how to use a “soft start up” when initiating a conversation.
Researchers have found that couples who begin conversations using a soft start up are more satisfied in their relationship and are more likely to remain married.
Want to know the details of a soft start up?
Have you ever been angry with your spouse, felt hurt, frustrated, or disappointed and wondered, “Why am I married?” ??
There are a lot of great benefits that can come from being in a healthy marriage. Men, women, children, and the community all benefit from couples who stay together and work to improve their relationship.
So, this week I’ve highlighted 10 of my favorite marriage benefits. Remember, working towards creating a healthy relationship with your spouse will
I just finished watching this week’s episode of the Kardashians (yes, I’m a fan, it is my guilty pleasure and I love watching the family dynamics) and was inspired to revisit the topic of boundaries and in-laws.
For those of you who may not watch the show, this week’s episode demonstrated the struggle that can exist between a couple when boundaries with extended family are not clearly communicated.
Boundaries are essential in any personal relationship. They’re our way of setting expectations and preferences for how and when others interact with us. Without boundaries issues can arise in relationships and feelings can be hurt, resentments can build, and relationships can eventual
