It is so easy to get swept up in the spending, the drinks, and the food. Have you paused to contemplate what you would like for this holiday season? If you could have a holiday season and everyone in the …
Tag: Relationships
Loving and Valuing Your Partner
All relationships need nurturing. I like to think of relationships like plants. If we leave a plant in sandy soil and give it too much sun and not enough water, it will quickly die. No two plants are the same. …
Family Dynamics During the Holiday Period
A good friend of mine used to joke that he could always test how much work he had done on himself the preceding year according to how much he got triggered during the holiday season. It’s true, you can spend …
Building a Deep Connection with Your Partner
This is about knowing your partner’s world. It is difficult to really love someone that you don’t know. You might read this list and think, of course, I know these things about my partner. That is great. But know that …
Are You Triggered By Your Parents?
We all carry wounds from our childhood. It might be that you were teased for being chubby, you were pushed to succeed academically, or there wasn’t enough to eat. When these wounds are left unresolved, we might find ourselves as …
Understanding the 5 Stages of a Relationship
One common myth about great relationships is that there are no arguments or disagreements. The Gottmans, fantastic relationship experts who have done lots of research in this area, disagree. It is NORMAL to have conflict in a relationship; the issue …
Strong Friendships are the Secret to Relationship Success
When there is a strong friendship, repairs in the relationship work better. In the Gottman’s book “The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work” (1999), they talk about the importance of repairs. In any relationship, we have to expect to have …
Key Components for Boundary Setting with In-Laws
This is a personal one…for me, point 3, ‘manage your expectations’ was a huge learning with my in-laws. I grew up with basically six people in my family; my mum, dad, sister, nan, and grandad (my mother’s parents), and we …
Tips for Boundary Setting with In-Laws
I have received many DMs about the struggle to merge two different families with differing expectations, norms, and values. The critical thing to remember with in-laws is to have a united front with your partner. This is where I see …
Setting Boundaries when Dating
Dating boundaries are important because they reflect the kinds of boundaries we have in other parts of our lives. If our boundaries are non-existent in the beginning, it can be challenging to reinstate them later on. Dating boundaries can be …