Mental health advice.
I guess the point I am trying to get at is this: What death has taught me is to live in the moment and be present. I don’t want to autopilot parent, perform my wifely duties on autopilot, or exist in a semi numb state of being. I want to live! Because the realty is, we will never get this moment back…
A lot of parents seem to be struggling with the same thing; connecting with their teen. A few things come to mind when you think about connecting with your teen.
The #1 reason why couples enter counseling is communication problems. During the initial intake with a couple I will ask what their goals are for counseling and they will respond 99% of the time, ‘better communication.’
Clients often ask how they can prevent an affair. In fact I frequently ask myself the very same question. Studies show that nearly 75% of all marriages will be affected by infidelity. This staggering statistic demonstrates how few relationships will be immune from this act of betrayal. The most common response reported among by the offended, “I never thought this would happen tome.” It is time for couples to become more proactive in their relationship in attempts to combat what seems to be growing epidemic.
For the longest time I was completely shocked by the amount of power an affair had on individuals. It was as if the grips of infatuation my clients could not think rationally, were willing to give up the life they created with their spouse, and didn’t seem to care about the consequences to their behavior. The best way that I can describe someone in the throws of a torrent affair is they appear to be under a spell, or some describe it as the affair fog.
Next week my husband and I will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. When I actually think about it, seven years…it truly does feel like just yesterday when he stopped me on campus and asked me out on our first date. Six weeks later a day trip to Vegas to marry, a move across country a month after that, two kids, two homes, four dogs, and two new careers have all manifested in that time.
Many of you have heard of The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman (http://www.amazon.com/The-Love-Languages-Secret-Lasts/dp/0802473156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378392097&sr=8-1&keywords=5+love+languages). For those who have not, this is the very first book I have each of my couples read at the beginning of couple’s counseling. In this post I plan to highlight what the love languages are and how they have changed my marriage.
I am having a flood of clients coming in to discuss details regarding their affair. It never seizes to amaze me how powerful our hormones are in the throws of passion. The endorphins that surge throughout the body during the initial stages of lust often cloud judgment and rationale. The details vary, the names are different, but the storyline is very much the same.
Have you noticed that everywhere you look, people are in a hurry? You see them weaving in and out of traffic, rushing through the grocery store, and waiting impatiently in the Starbucks line. Why is everyone in such a rush? Do they overschedule? Do they have poor time management skills? The busy bee bug seems to affect everyone. Whether you are a soccer mom or a career mom you are rushing here or running there.