As I sat down to write this blog post, all I could think was: Gosh, dating can be tough. Dating can be tough for so many reasons. For one, in our individualistic society today, it can be hard to simply meet someone we even want to date! When we do find someone we want to date, wading through questions about …
Relationships
Am I in Love with the Wrong Person?
Amanda arrived for her first counseling appointment. She sat down on the couch, handed in her opening paperwork, and immediately burst into tears. After a few minutes, she was able to explain what had brought her to counseling. She was afraid she was in love with “the wrong man.” Amanda was a bright, attractive woman …
Blind Love
If you’ve read my blog in the past, you probably know that my guilty pleasure TV show is the The Bachelor/ette. (**Warning: if you watch the show and haven’t watched the episode from 7/15, this blog contains spoilers!**) Every Monday night, a group of girlfriends and I gather together to eat, drink, and dissect all of …
Am I Ready to Date After My Divorce?
I was recently asked how one knows when they’re ready to start dating again after they’ve been divorced. The answer can frustrate folks, in that there is no formulaic answer – it really does depend on the individual and the circumstance. I don’t know about you, but I like formulaic answers. They tend to give me …
Dating After Divorce: A PICK Group
I’m so excited to announce the launch of our fall Premarital Interpersonal Choices & Knowledge (PICK) group! This group will be specifically for women who’ve been through a divorce and who would like a practical guide for building and establishing healthy and fulfilling long-term relationships. Dating after divorce can feel overwhelming and scary. Is the dating …
Friendships and Marriage
I’ve never been big on Valentine’s Day. (You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about Valentine’s Day in the summertime, but hang with me…I promise I have a point!) Even when I was dating someone in the month of February, I always felt the sentiment of the holiday to feel a bit…forced. I felt I had …
Emotions as Teachers
Emotions have not always been thought of in the most positive light. I’m sure most (if not all) of us can think back to a time when we experienced an emotion, be it positive or negative, and we were told to “tone it down,” “get over it,” or given some kind of nonverbal indicator that …
The Benefits of Self-Reflection
A few years ago, I had a profound experience of crashing and burning. I had been working for a non-profit counseling agency, doing in-home family therapy. I had loved my job for most of my time working there; I loved my co-workers and I believed in the work I was doing. About two years into …
Wholeness
Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe we’re into APRIL already, but I am so glad that we are! I don’t know about you, but, as much as I love the first snowfall of winter, I start to not love the fifth snowfall, especially when it’s in March! I’m excited for spring and the new growth that comes …
A Different Way of Loving Ourselves
I’ve always been a pretty sensitive person. When I say “sensitive,” what I mean is that I’ve always had a pretty strong awareness of how I’m feeling at a particular moment and how another person may be feeling, even if I can’t articulate it. As a result, throughout the course of my life, I’ve picked …