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Codependency

How to Overcome Codependency by Listening to Your Anxiety

  By Athina Danilo   Is caring for others is a familiar role you may take in your relationship with a partner, friend, or family member? Are you a caretaker for someone who is struggling with addiction or mental illness? If so, do you find it hard to practice self-care? Does taking care of your needs feel like a selfish thing to do? If any of the above struggles resonate with your experience, then codependency could be dictating your life and making it difficult to begin caring for yourself.   What Is Codependency?   Codependency makes it feel...

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Relationship counseling

Expert Tips: How To Enhance Emotional Intimacy In Any Relationship

By Annie Miller, LMFT

 

This past weekend, we kicked off our new Community Enrichment Series at Sync Counseling. We partnered with Coffee.JPEG in Sierra Madre, CA for this series.  Dr. Curtis Miller, Executive Director at Sync, spoke with couples about the key elements of “Making Love Work.” As I listened, I realized that his words could resonate in any kind of relationship, not only in a couple dynamic. Dr. Miller shared that there are two ways we live in our relationship with the world and with others: objective & subjective. These two things play a big part in the degree of intimacy present in our relationships. Here’s how. 

 

Why Do Premarital Counseling?

by Bekke Abe

 

premarital counselingStatistics shows that divorce affects a variety of couples. It affects those who share the same religious beliefs, who are educated or not educated, the rich, the poor, the young, the old, those with children, and those living in the city or living out in the country. So, in the midst of the rising divorce rate, the question then arises: Why get married? Why is marriage important?

As couples get further into their relationship and their love starts to deepen, they start to think about whether or not to take the next step, which is marriage. Figuring out how to handle preparing for talking about marriage, children, finances, in-laws, and other personal problems, can trigger anxiety, worries, and doubts.

 

So, what do couples think about when it comes to taking the next step? 

  • How do I know if we are meant for each other?
  • Is my partner’s value and beliefs aligned with mine?
  • What is the big plan? Do we want children? Where do we want to live?
  • What is the expectation in regard to time spent with extended family?
  • What things do I not know about my partner?

 

So, what things should one start thinking about when it comes to taking that next step?

Why Couples Therapy Is Not Always the Answer

by Marijane DiCandia

 

couples therapyCouples find themselves struggling in their relationship and one partner or the other suggests couple therapy. They start looking for a therapist and if they are lucky they will find a seasoned professional who doesn’t give too much “helpful” advice or the worst…. vote on if they should divorce or not.

How to Add More Excitement to Your Relationship

by Amy Di Francia

 

boredom in relationshipsWe all want our relationships to be passionate and exciting, not dull and boring.

 

Often in the beginning of relationships we feel the excitement strongly – there’s an undeniable spark of attraction and interest, and it seems like this feeling will last forever.

 

This is sometimes called the “honeymoon phase” of a relationship, and this is also when we may find ourselves falling in love with our partner or starting to envision a life together.