6. Don’t let a committee interpret your partner’s text. Source: Syda Productions/Shutterstock While waiting for a table at a busy restaurant the other day, I witnessed a man angrily banging away on his phone. This well-dressed man in a charming suit had a grimace on his face and would pause to look at his phoneContinue reading “The 7 Rules for Texting in Relationships”
Tag Archives: Relationships
Teaching About Social Meanness In Middle School
Developmental insecurity in early adolescence can cause cruelty at school. Several books ago I wrote one, Why Good Kids Act Cruel, to help parents help their early adolescents in middle school deal with mistreatment from social cruelty in any of the five forms it commonly takes: teasing, exclusion, bullying, rumoring, and ganging up. Why isContinue reading “Teaching About Social Meanness In Middle School”
5 Better Ways to Deal With Disappointment
…and why being hard on yourself isn’t part of the solution. When people marry, they are usually determined to make it through thick and thin, impervious to divorce and discontent, even though two out of five couples will separate and only 30 percent will enjoy a happy marriage. Nearly 80 percent of people have an optimism bias when itContinue reading “5 Better Ways to Deal With Disappointment”
4 Ways to Survive Unexpected Situations
Expert advice for maintaining your confidence and finding a positive outcome. Life throws unexpected things at us all the time. Some we like—such as finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk—but many of them we don’t, such as missing a flight due to an extra long line at airport security. Sometimes unexpected events can be muchContinue reading “4 Ways to Survive Unexpected Situations”
The Power of “No”
How rejection can be a positive form of support. When we talk about our most valuable friends, we usually begin by listing those who are kind and caring, there when we need them, and supportive of our choices. While these qualities are certainly important, there is one other type of support from trusted friends, colleagues,Continue reading “The Power of “No””
4 Mistakes We All Make When Trying to Cheer Someone Up
We’ve all been there: A friend seeks us out to open up about an issue in their life that’s causing them distress. Maybe we think what they’re going through is trivial, so we spout off a quick reply in attempt to reassure them it’s nothing. Or maybe we think what they’re up against is soContinue reading “4 Mistakes We All Make When Trying to Cheer Someone Up”
How to Support a Partner Dealing With Depression
As a mental health counselor and someone who has battled depression for most of her life, I’m no stranger to the toll it can take on relationships. While it differs from person to person, at its core, the illness causes people to feel lonely, inadequate, and misunderstood—even isolated. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want toContinue reading “How to Support a Partner Dealing With Depression”
Margaret Cho Wants You to Embrace Your Darkness
Using creativity to cope and connect Margaret Cho has been finding ways to entertain us for decades. From her stand-up routines, such as The Notorious C.H.O.; to her books, such as I’m The One That I Want; to her roles in films such as Face/Off, Cho continues to come up with new ways to exploreContinue reading “Margaret Cho Wants You to Embrace Your Darkness”
20 Rules to Live By
14. Be kind, not nice. 1. Bring your sense of humor with you at all times. Bring your friends with a sense of humor. If their friends have a sense of humor, invite them, too. Remember this when going to hospitals, weight-loss centers, and funerals, as well as when going to work, coming home, wakingContinue reading “20 Rules to Live By”
What Is Therapy? — The Complete Definition of Psychotherapy
Therapy [psychotherapy] is the process of working with a licensed therapist to develop positive thinking and coping skills and treat mental health issues such as mental illness and trauma. Answering the question of “What Is Therapy?,” however, goes far beyond this basic definition. The definition of psychotherapy depends on the therapist, type of therapy andContinue reading “What Is Therapy? — The Complete Definition of Psychotherapy”
