I have always said that whenever I need to work on something “the universe” has a way of letting me know. Recently, everywhere I turn the topic of relationship improvement is surfacing. I am reading about it in various books, listening to speeches about it, seeing it on social media and my friends (so many […]
We are constantly taking inventory of different things in our lives. How much food is in the refrigerator, how many clean outfits we have left to wear before taking a trip to the dry cleaner, how much money is in our bank accounts. But, do we stop often enough to take inventory of the relationships […]
Maybe John Lennon was on to something when he wrote the song Love is All You Need. In our society today love is looked upon as something whimsical, mysterious, intangible and fleeting. You are lucky if you experience it and even luckier if you can hold on to it. If we look at love as something […]
The final step in Gottman’s Sound Relationship House is Creating Shared Meaning. This area focuses on rituals of connection, roles, goals, and symbols for the couple. Gottman posits that each family creates its own unique culture. Within that family’s culture, different things, holidays, traditions, etc. hold great importance. For example, some families insist that dinnertime […]
This aspect of Gottman’s Sound Relationship House focuses on partner’s helping each other achieve their goals, dreams, and aspirations. Not only do the partner’s listen and learn about what the other hopes to achieve, but they work on ways to help each other reach those goals.
I am old enough to have experienced several seasons of life. Some life seasons are easier to forge and maintain relationships in than others. In my late teens and early 20s I felt like I had all the time in the world to forge relationships. During grad school, while working, interning and taking classes simultaneously, […]
We live in a time when we are more connected than we have ever been thanks to things like social media, the internet and smart phones. And yet, some of us feel more DIS-connected than ever.
What is my communication style? Does my birth order affect my current relationship? What is my philosophy on finances and spending? What makes me feel heard and understood? What are my personal and professional expectations for the future? These are all questions that one should be asking before making a serious commitment to another, but […]
The next step in building your own sound relationship house is learning to manage conflict. I believe that conflict is part of every relationship, but it doesn’t have to be something that blows up or makes our relationship less enjoyable.
The next step in building your own sound relationship house is learning to create a positive perspective or positive sentiment override instead of a negative sentiment override. Many couples experience positive sentiment override at the start of a relationship.
