Becoming a mom has been one of the hardest roles of my life - even more difficult than being a business owner, a wife, a friend, a sister, or a daughter. It takes all of my physical, mental, and emotional strength some days. Being a mom often robs me of the energy I want to have for other things. Don't get me wrong... most days are wonderful and a huge blessing. I can't believe how lucky I am to have a person as sweet as my little baby who is just beginning to learn how to sa

If you’ve been in a long-term relationship, you’ve probably gotten to the point of being in “the comfort zone”. This is where you and your partner have fallen into a routine of whatever is easiest, quickest, and (let’s face it) boring. Many times, it looks like this: go to work, come home, have dinner, watch TV, go to bed, repeat. If you have kids, there are a few more steps, but usually the pattern is pretty similar. The comfort zone is nice at times. There are few expectati

In my last post, I talked about how relationships are like cars in that both need proper maintenance to keep in top shape. Today, I want to give you a handy tool that I think makes a huge difference in maintaining a good relationship. It’s no secret that I love Dr. John Gottman’s work. I reference his books and ideas quite often. This tool is one of his gems I find myself talking to couples about frequently. In his years of studying many different couples, he has found that t

If you've ever owned a car, you know it takes a lot of maintenance. You have to fill it up with gas, make sure the tires have enough air, change the oil, go to scheduled mileage appointments, and occasionally go to a car wash. For owners of vintage vehicles, even more maintenance is necessary to keep those cars in top shape. Brand new cars don't take too much work at first, but the older they get, the more work they need. You should see where I'm going with this analogy. Main

‘Tis the season for engagement Fa la la la la, la la la la! Boutonnieres and flower arrangements Fa la la la la, la la la la! Rented tuxes, bridesmaids dresses Fa la la, la la la, la la la! Time to discuss marital stresses Fa la la la la, la la la la! Alright, I’m in a silly mood today, thus my little song for you about premarital counseling. On a more serious note, did you know in a study about marital satisfaction, the couples who completed some sort of marriage preparation

After taking a short break from blogging for two months, I'm excited to be back! I have decided to focus my practice more specifically to address parents of younger children. This means my blog posts will talk about children, parenting, you and your significant other, and strategies on how to improve these relationships. From here on, you can look forward to my blog posts the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month. Today, I'll be addressing whether you and your partner are in a "m

When is the last time you went on a date? A real date? Received flowers or gave a small token of your love to your partner? Dressed up and went to a fancy dinner with a date? Felt like you were the only person in the world your date wanted to spend time with that evening? Let me rephrase: when is the last time you and your spouse went on a date? If you are married, perhaps it's been a long time since you've dated. I'm here to tell you DATING DOES NOT HAVE TO DIE AFTER MARRIAG