It is that time of year that we get graduation announcements in our mailboxes and maybe even attend a graduation ceremony or two. Graduating high school is one of the first major milestones we accomplish in life. We start on our academic journey as a 5 year old and emerge as a young adult prepared […]
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 […]
I have a dear friend who lost her husband a few years ago. She is a single mom now with two young boys. I remember wanting to convey to her that I would be there for her, no matter what. I came across this story that conveyed beautifully what I wanted her to know.
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.
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 […]
How many times do you realize you are putting yourself down for what you haven’t done, or when you did something incorrectly? We tend to be very critical and hard on ourselves for falling short on many of life’s challenges. This kind of self-criticism can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety. The concept […]
Beginning March 3rd from 5:30pm – 6:30pm every Monday, Life Enhancement Counseling Services will facilitate a six-week self-esteem group for girls, ages 13-17. The group will be led by Baret Melton. We are really excited to get this group started as building feelings of positive self-esteem can be crucial in things like enhancing decision-making skills, […]
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.
A new year, a new set of resolutions. Unfortunately, many of our New Year’s resolutions rarely make it through all 365 days. How can we make our goals more attainable and sustainable for 2014?
