Relationship Tips
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” This question, posed by poet Mary Oliver, resonates deeply in my heart. Each December, I pause to take inventory of my year, reflecting on this one wild and precious life of mine – the lessons learned, the moments lived, […]
Surviving Difficult Family Gatherings Every year, my friend “Jessica” and her son go on a cruise during Christmas. While others are hanging stockings and planning family dinners, she’s arranging her annual escape. When I asked her why, she smiled and said simply, “It’s better than pretending to enjoy time with people I’d rather not see.” […]
This year, I attended seven funerals. All of them were for my friends’ parents. As a relationship expert, I couldn’t help but notice something profound – something that would forever change how I understand human connection. What struck me wasn’t just the services themselves, but the stark difference in how people grieved. Through these experiences, […]
This topic always lands me in hot water, but frankly, I don’t care – because it’s one of the most common issues couples come to me for, especially during the holidays. I’m talking about the mental load, that invisible backpack of responsibilities that’s often silently crushing the holiday spirit of one partner while the other […]
Last week, I spoke about the challenge of excessive independence. Today, I want to explore another way many of us struggle in relationships: dependency. The first type of dependency often stems from our childhood experiences. Perhaps we had parents who, with the best intentions, did everything for us – making decisions, solving problems, protecting us […]
Reflections on Canadian Thanksgiving Day Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day in Canada, where I live. I find myself reflecting on the profound journey that has brought me to this moment of gratitude. There was a time in my life when I struggled to find anything to be thankful for. As a younger person, I felt adrift, […]
Then Don’t Focus on Communication For over 26 years, every couple I’ve worked with started the first session with the same request… “We want to know how to communicate better to stop fighting and get along.” And for 26 years, I’ve been discouraging couples from solely focusing on their communication skills to end their cycle […]
Is It Possible? There’s a question that I keep getting asked over the decades when helping couples. It is one of the most challenging and loaded questions. It’s also a question that is tender to me because it reminds me of one of the main reasons why my parents’ marriage failed… How do I move […]
How Connections Shape our Greatest Life Lessons You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote lately from one of my mentors (from afar), the great grief therapist and pioneer, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: If you go and dance at a lot of weddings, you will cry at a lot of funerals. If you were at […]
7 Powerful Strategies for Couples to Overcome Conflict & Rebuild Trust Let’s talk about something that hits close to home for so many of us – those moments when our relationships hit a rough patch. You know the ones I’m talking about, right? The silent dinners, the cold shoulders, the feeling that you and your […]
Why Gossip Kills Connection and How to Build Real Bonds In my 26 years as a relationship expert, I’ve witnessed countless attempts at connection. But recently, a scene in a local café crystallized a truth I’ve long observed: sometimes, our efforts to bond can actually push us further apart. Picture this: four new moms, babies […]
It’s Not What You Think Twenty-six years ago, I stood at the altar, blissfully unaware of the challenging yet beautiful odyssey that lay ahead. Today, as I celebrate my 26th wedding anniversary, I’m struck by how much we’ve grown – not just as a couple, but as individuals. When we first met, like many couples, we […]
