Relationships serve as a landscape in which our insecurities and our worst qualities can surface. I believe this phenomenon happens in both safe/healthy and unsafe/unhealthy relationships. For many (if not all) of us, we often fear being abandoned or deeply wounded. If we are in a safe, healthy, committed relationship, these insecurities can be assuaged …
Singleness
Struggling with Singleness During the Holidays
I’ve put off writing about the topic of singleness for a long time. It’s something I’ve felt I should write about for a while. When I saw that it was on my schedule to write about this week, I thought, “Hmm, maybe I’ll write about something else instead.” But I decided to do what I’m …
A Reflection on Holiday Cards
I love a good holiday card. Growing up, my sisters and I would eagerly comb through the mail each day, looking for cards from friends and family both near and far, and take turns opening each card. There were the cards we looked forward to every year: those from our best friends’ families, the card …
Counterintuitive Ways of Coping with Anxiety
Ahh, anxiety. The little devil on our shoulder that can show up when we least expect it, even when nothing in our lives seems to warrant it. It’s that pesky pest, that vengeful monster, that taunts us and tells us something is wrong and that we should be very, very afraid. It can give us …
On Fearing Rejection…
“The fear of rejection is worse than rejection itself.” – Nora Profit Oh my goodness, can anyone else relate to this quote?! How much of our anxiety is centered around being rejected in some way, shape, or form by others? How much do we change ourselves, how we live, and how we relate to others …
For Those Who Hate Confrontation…
I hate confrontation. As a lifelong people-pleaser, anytime an issue arises that forces me to have what I perceive to be a difficult conversation with someone, I notice my heart rate instantly speed up and my palms get sweaty. This happens even with the people who are closest to me, and who I know are …
Freedom
Happy September! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was planning and writing about the content I’d be sharing this year, and now here we are, wrapping up the last quarter of the year! I’ve been brainstorming content I’d like to share with you all in 2020, and I’m excited about what’s in …
Toxic Relationship Beliefs?
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 …
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 …