This Valentine’s Day, go beyond chocolates and flowers—give each other the gift of understanding, connection, and lasting intimacy.

In this special 90-minute couples session, you and your partner will explore how different “parts” of you show up in your relationship—some that protect, some that seek closeness, and some that carry past wounds. This IFS-informed approach (inspired by No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz) offers a new way to understand each other with curiosity and compassion.

💖 How It Works:

✨ Start with a personalized questionnaire to uncover your relationship strengths and growth areas

✨ Engage in a guided Parts Mapping exercise to understand emotional patterns

✨ Learn tools to navigate conflict and intimacy with self-awareness

✨ Leave with a deeper connection and shared language for love

💝 Gift This Experience!

Looking for a meaningful Valentine’s gift? You can purchase this session as a gift to use with your partner at a later date! A thoughtful way to invest in your relationship beyond just one day.

Your nervous system is constantly responding to the world around you—sometimes in ways you don’t even realize. If you often feel anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally shut down, it may be a sign of nervous system dysregulation. The good news? You can begin to shift toward regulation with intentional practices that help your body feel safe, grounded, and present.

Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System

🔹 Chronic anxiety, panic, or racing thoughts

🔹 Trouble relaxing, feeling restless or on edge

🔹 Emotional numbness, dissociation, or feeling "checked out"

🔹 Difficulty focusing or making decisions

🔹 Digestive issues, tension, or unexplained body aches

Signs of a Regulated Nervous System

✔️ Feeling present and connected in relationships

✔️ Ability to respond rather than react to stress

✔️ A sense of emotional flexibility and resilience

✔️ Healthy sleep, digestion, and overall well-being

✔️ Feeling calm and safe in your body

Steps to Shift Into a Regulated State

1️⃣ Breathe with Awareness – Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your "rest and digest" state). Try box breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.

Connection is the lifeblood of any healthy relationship. It’s what helps us feel seen, understood, and supported by those we care about most. But fostering connection isn’t always easy, especially when emotions run high or when stress and misunderstandings creep in.

The good news? There are practical steps you can take to create a deeper sense of connection with your partner or loved ones. Below, we’ll explore strategies to strengthen your bond, even in challenging moments.

1. Pause and Breathe

When emotions start to escalate, your body’s stress response kicks in, making it harder to think clearly or communicate effectively. This is your brain’s way of protecting you, but it can also create barriers to connection.

What to do:

Take a few deep breaths to calm your nervous system. Try this simple breathing exercise: inhale deeply for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale slowly for six counts. Repeat this a few times to help yourself feel grounded and centered.

Why it helps:

Regulating your body’s stress response creates the space you need to approach conversations with clarity and compassion rather than reacting impulsively.

Life often feels like a series of unexpected twists and turns. A relationship falters, our health becomes uncertain, or financial struggles weigh us down. These moments can leave us feeling stuck, questioning our path, and searching for answers.

But here’s the truth: adversity, while painful, is also a powerful opportunity for growth. In therapy—whether with couples or individuals—I’ve witnessed how challenges can serve as the starting point for profound transformation. The key lies in how we choose to respond.

The Power of Choice

Adversity doesn’t define us; our response does. When life feels overwhelming, it’s tempting to avoid, deny, or resist what’s happening. But growth begins when we pause, reflect, and decide to approach challenges with intention.

For individuals navigating life transitions or personal struggles, individual counseling offers a safe space to explore emotions, identify patterns, and find clarity. For couples, challenges such as communication breakdowns or disconnection can become the foundation for rebuilding trust and intimacy.

The holiday season brings a whirlwind of emotions, from joy and nostalgia to stress and even loneliness. Amid the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to feel ungrounded or disconnected from yourself and those around you. Taking just a few moments to pause and center can make a world of difference, allowing you to move through the season with greater clarity and calm.

To help you navigate the complexities of the holidays — whether it’s managing complicated relationships, finding balance in solitude, or honoring your own needs — I’ve created a grounding holiday meditation. This simple yet powerful practice is designed to help you reconnect with yourself and approach the season with intention.

Grounding Holiday Meditation Take a moment to pause, breathe, and ground yourself amidst the holiday buzz with this simple meditation:

1. Settle In: Find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose, and slowly exhale through your mouth.

2. Anchor Your Breath: Begin to breathe naturally, letting your awareness rest on the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Imagine each breath creating a little more space within you.

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Doing the uncomfortable now—like a colonoscopy or a hard conversation—can save you heartache later. Let's talk about relationship "preventative care." A quick and effective relationship check-up that someone can do right now, today, might look like this:

1. Check-In on Emotional Connection

Ask yourself and your partner:

• "How have we been feeling lately in our relationship?"
• "Are we taking time to listen and understand each other, or are we feeling a bit disconnected?"

If the answer is that things feel a little off, this is a great time to start a conversation about it. You can use "I" statements to express your feelings without blame (e.g., "I’ve been feeling a little distant lately, and I’d love for us to reconnect").

2. Reflect on Communication Patterns

Think about how you communicate with each other.

• "Are we really hearing each other, or are we just waiting for our turn to speak?"
• "How do we respond during disagreements? Do we listen, or do we shut down or get defensive?"

If you notice any patterns where communication could improve, consider taking a moment to practice active listening: one person speaks, while the other listens without interrupting, then mirrors what was heard before responding.

The holidays can be a joyful time, but they often stir up stress, old wounds, and tricky family dynamics. Use this guide to approach difficult situations with calm, confidence, and compassion—and know that support is always available if you need it.

1. Set Intentions Before the Gathering 🌟

• Reflect on Your Goals: Ask yourself, What do I hope to experience or feel during this holiday? Connection? Peace? Humor? Let this guide your actions.
• Focus on What You Can Control: You can’t change how others act, but you can control your responses.

2. Prepare Yourself Emotionally 🧘

• Ground Yourself Before Arriving: Take a few deep breaths, meditate, or go for a walk to center yourself.
• Visualize Positive Outcomes: Imagine walking into the gathering feeling calm, confident, and open.
• Bring a Tool for Re-centering: If tensions rise, excuse yourself to the restroom or step outside for a moment to reset with deep breaths or grounding exercises.

3. Stay Curious, Not Defensive 🗝️

Self-compassion is one of the most powerful tools for inner peace, but it's also one of the most challenging to cultivate, especially when our inner critic is loud. If you’ve ever felt weighed down by self-judgment or worry, this simple “Release and Reclaim” practice may help. It’s a tool I frequently use and share with clients, designed to create space for kindness toward ourselves and release what no longer serves us. Whether you’re preparing for a potentially stressful family gathering, reflecting on personal growth, or simply looking for a moment of peace, this practice offers a gentle path toward self-compassion.

Step 1: Find a Quiet Space

Start by finding a quiet, comfortable spot where you can be alone with your thoughts for a few moments. Take a few deep breaths, allowing your body and mind to relax. Breathe slowly and intentionally, letting any tension start to soften as you settle into the present.

Step 2: Identify a Self-Judgment

Next, bring to mind a specific self-critical thought or worry. It could be something about an upcoming family gathering, a lingering regret, or a challenge you’re facing. Notice where this self-judgment shows up in your body—is there a feeling of heaviness, tightness, or unease? Acknowledge this feeling without judgment, simply observing it with kindness. By tuning into the body’s response, you’re bringing compassion to the moment, honoring the fact that these thoughts are human and don’t define you.

As the holiday season approaches, many of us feel both the warmth of celebration and the weight of loss, especially when we are grieving. For couples, navigating the holiday season while dealing with grief can be complex. There’s the desire to honor memories and also an opportunity to create meaningful experiences with the people we love today. Finding a balance between the two can be challenging, yet shared practices can help bring calm, connection, and healing. One of these practices is grounding breathwork, which can gently support both individual and shared healing during this time.

Breathwork is a simple yet powerful tool. Whether you’re moving through recent loss or holding space for long-standing grief, this practice can support you in finding grounding and presence.

A Grounding Breath Practice to Support Healing and Connection

This grounding breath practice can serve as a small moment of peace—a way to reset, reflect, and connect as you move through the season. Take a few quiet minutes to sit and explore this gentle practice.

Start by Centering

Welcome to the Micro-Growth Journey!

This practice is about noticing and celebrating the small moments, actions, and shifts that contribute to lasting growth. Even the tiniest steps forward are valuable and deserve recognition. Over time, these micro-moments of growth build up, creating a powerful foundation for positive change.

How to Begin

Set aside a few quiet minutes each day—morning or evening, whatever feels right for you. With each journal entry, reflect on the prompts below and explore small ways you can gently grow, shift, or experiment in your daily life. The goal is to go slowly and simply notice.

Daily Prompts for Micro-Growth

• What small shift in your thinking or behavior did you notice today?

  Reflect on a moment where you chose a new response or allowed yourself to see something in a different light

• Did you find a moment to show yourself kindness or compassion?

  Think about an instance where you softened toward yourself. Maybe you allowed yourself a break, forgave a small mistake, or gently challenged a critical thought.

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Exploring the Parts of You That Question, Doubt, and Feel Shame: How Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Can Help

Do you ever find yourself questioning, “What’s wrong with me?” or feeling deep self-doubt, especially when things go wrong in your relationships? Whether in romantic partnerships, friendships, or even within ourselves, these feelings are more common than we might think. As a Fort Lauderdale therapist specializing in couples counseling and individual therapy, I’ve worked with many people who carry this inner questioning. It's completely normal to feel like there are parts of you that question, doubt, or even carry shame. But what if I told you that these parts don’t need to be hidden or shamed? Instead, they need understanding and support.

💭 Understanding the Parts of Us That Feel Doubt and Shame

Many of us have parts of ourselves shaped by past experiences—old wounds that affect how we show up in our relationships today. These are the parts that might react with self-doubt, blame, or even guilt when something in a relationship doesn’t go as planned. In my work as a Fort Lauderdale couples therapist, I often see couples dealing with unresolved patterns and reflexes rooted in their past, but showing up now in the present. These patterns are not your fault, but they do deserve attention.

Navigating Money Conversations with Compassion: How KAP Can Help

Money conversations are often more than just practical discussions—they tend to evoke a range of emotions, some of which run deep. For many of us, money represents security, control, or self-worth, shaped by our family of origin and life experiences. When these emotions collide in a relationship, money discussions can quickly turn into conflict, avoidance, or feelings of disconnect.

If you’ve ever felt that talking about money with your partner leads to tension, it’s likely because there are emotional layers beneath the surface—like fear, shame, or anxiety—that make these conversations hard to navigate. Maybe you’ve felt misunderstood or defensive, or perhaps these talks bring up old wounds from past financial struggles or family dynamics.

This is where Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAP) can offer a new way forward. KAP has a unique ability to help couples approach tough conversations, like those about money, with greater openness, empathy, and calm.

In KAP, ketamine can gently soften the walls we build to protect ourselves—walls that often come up during charged conversations like money talks. By temporarily quieting the ego and defense mechanisms, couples are able to let their guard down and approach the conversation from a place of vulnerability rather than reactivity.

Healing Family Estrangement with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

Family estrangement is one of the hardest things to navigate. It brings up a mix of emotions—grief, confusion, anger, regret, and loss. Whether you’ve distanced yourself from a family member or are struggling with the pain of being estranged, the feelings can be overwhelming.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is emerging as a powerful way to help people process these complex emotions. It goes beyond traditional talk therapy, allowing you to explore deeper layers of grief and confusion. KAP offers a unique chance to heal from the inside out.

How KAP Can Help Heal Estrangement

1. Working Through Grief

Estrangement often feels like a profound loss. You may grieve the relationship or what it could have been. Many get stuck here, unable to let go or move forward. KAP creates a space to feel and process these emotions in a way that leads to release and healing.

2. Finding Clarity

Estrangement can leave you confused and full of questions: “Why did this happen?” or “Where did it go wrong?” KAP helps quiet the noise of these thoughts, allowing for clearer understanding. It can offer new perspectives and insights that help you make sense of the situation.

🌿 What if the key to a better relationship lies in understanding your own patterns? 🔑

In my work as a marriage and family therapist, I’ve had the privilege of helping so many couples. What I’ve learned is that real, lasting change doesn’t come from waiting for your partner to change, but from taking a gentle look at your own patterns.

✨ Do you find yourself stuck in the same conversations or arguments?

✨ Are you noticing familiar feelings or triggers coming up over and over again?

It’s so normal to get caught in these cycles—most of us do. But the path to healing starts when we look inward, with compassion, and begin to understand ourselves. This kind of growth creates the space for deeper connection with others.

If this resonates with you, I’m here to walk that path with you. 🌱

Fall is a season of transition—a time when nature shows us the beauty of change. Just as trees shed their leaves to prepare for renewal, we, too, can use this time to let go of old patterns and embrace new possibilities in our lives and relationships. As a therapist in Fort Lauderdale, I’ve seen firsthand how the themes of fall—reflection, change, and growth—can inspire profound transformation for individuals and couples alike.

Whether you’re navigating couples therapy or individual therapy, this season offers a valuable opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most. Let’s explore how fall’s natural shifts can help guide your personal and relational growth.

1. Letting Go

In couples counseling, we often talk about releasing behaviors or mindsets that no longer serve us. Fall is the perfect time to identify patterns that might be holding you back—whether it’s unhealthy communication styles in your relationship or negative thoughts about yourself. By letting go, you create space for more nurturing connections and personal growth.

All Couples Fight – And That’s Okay

It’s easy to think that conflict means something is wrong with your relationship, but here’s the truth: all couples fight. What matters isn’t whether you fight, but how you fight. Conflict can actually be a doorway to deeper understanding if handled with care.

Instead of seeing arguments as something to avoid, try using them as a chance to grow together. Use tools like:

• Active Listening – pause and truly hear your partner.
• Using “I” Statements – express how you feel without blaming.
• Taking Breaks – cool down before things escalate.
• Owning Your Role – recognize how you contribute to the conflict.

Fighting is normal, but fighting fairly is what makes a relationship thrive. By working through challenges with empathy and understanding, you’ll come out stronger on the other side.

Looking for help resolving relationship conflict? Dr. Corinne works with clients everyday who are breaking out of their typical communication patterns and reaching new heights. Schedule a free consult when you're ready ... we'll be here!

Are you feeling the need to pause and find your way back to peace? The October Pathway to Peace retreat is your invitation to step away from the noise and create space for deep healing and renewal. This is more than just time away – it’s an opportunity to reconnect with yourself on a profound level.

Imagine giving yourself the gift of intentional time, surrounded by nature’s serenity at Thermae Retreat, as you experience the power of ketamine-assisted therapy. This retreat is designed to help you release emotional weight, gain clarity, and find inner calm.

If you’ve been feeling a pull to pause and reflect, this could be the moment to ask yourself: “Is it time to invest in my healing?” The answers often come when we create space for them.

You deserve to feel at peace, and sometimes, stepping into a retreat is the first step toward finding it. 🌿

Take a moment to listen to that inner voice, and if it feels right, join us on this beautiful journey.

Navigating Love's Challenges: How Marriage Counseling Can Help

Marriage is full of both joys and challenges, and sometimes, couples hit rough patches that feel overwhelming. Whether it’s miscommunication or deeper trust issues, these struggles don’t have to define your relationship. Marriage counseling offers a safe, supportive space to address these challenges with compassion, helping couples reconnect and grow stronger together. Here’s a look at some of the common issues counseling can help resolve.

Common Marriage Issues

Communication Breakdowns

Communication issues are one of the most frequent reasons couples seek counseling. Over time, conversations can turn into misunderstandings, frequent arguments, or even silence. Marriage counseling helps couples break these patterns by teaching healthier ways to communicate and listen to each other. With the guidance of a therapist, partners can express their needs more openly and understand each other’s perspectives, laying the foundation for a stronger, more trusting connection.

Trust & Infidelity Concerns

When trust is broken—whether due to infidelity or other betrayals—it can feel impossible to move forward. Counseling provides a space for both partners to process these painful emotions and work toward healing. Through open conversations and support, therapists help couples rebuild trust by addressing what went wrong, setting new boundaries, and fostering forgiveness. While rebuilding trust takes time, counseling can guide couples through this difficult journey with care and understanding.

Romantic relationships can be rewarding yet challenging, often leading couples to seek counseling. Couples therapy provides a safe space to address common issues like communication, trust, and differing life goals, helping partners reconnect and strengthen their bond.

Common Issues in Marriage

Communication Breakdowns:

Poor communication often leads to frustration and distance. Counseling helps couples express feelings openly and develop listening skills, fostering healthier conversations and preventing small issues from becoming major conflicts.

Trust & Infidelity Concerns:

Trust issues, often due to infidelity, can deeply hurt a relationship. Counseling helps couples rebuild trust through open dialogue, forgiveness, and setting boundaries, guiding them toward healing and a stronger connection.

Financial Disagreements:

Money can be a major source of conflict. Counseling provides a neutral space for couples to discuss financial concerns, understand each other’s perspectives, and create a shared financial plan for greater harmony.

If you and your partner are ready to strengthen your connection and overcome these challenges, schedule a free consultation with Corinne today and take the first step toward a healthier, more fulfilling relationship.

One of the qualities that many women look for in a potential romantic partner is the ability to laugh. It’s a great thing when someone can laugh at themselves and make some truly funny jokes to ensure that anyone around them will also be laughing.

However, there can be a problem if a guy is so into being funny that it’s like he never experiences a serious moment. He can be hot, sexy and everything else that you would ever want in a guy, but if all he does is crack jokes, how can you be certain of how he really feels about you?

First of all, decide if he really does have all of the qualities that you require in the ideal man for you. If he’s easy on the eyes, that’s certainly a factor that counts near the top of the list.

How does he treat you?

Does he take you to nice places on dates?

Does he remember important days such as your birthday?

Is he someone you can depend upon if you need comfort?

All of those things also matter.

Now, let’s look at that joking thing.

Does he make jokes at inappropriate times?

What about when he starts laughing at other times that are meant to be romantic?

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying - Tony Robbins

Ready to take the first step towards positive change and growth?

Schedule a counseling session now with Dr. Corinne Scholtz, and begin your journey towards a happier, healthier life.

Body Language Secrets You Should Know!

Even when you don’t say a word, other people can still learn a lot about what kind of person you are and what you are thinking and feeling. How do other people do this? By studying your body language. The term body language refers to the messages you send out with your body gestures and facial expressions. Some body language experts claim that only about 7% of our messages to other people (especially our spouse, family, and friends) are communicated through the words we speak. The rest of our messages are conveyed through our body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions.

During your entire life you have been sending messages to others through your posture, gestures, and facial expressions. When you were an infant, before you learned to speak, people were peering into your little baby face, looking at your gestures, and listening to your little cries and gurgles, trying to decipher what kind of mood you were in, and what you were trying to say. And you have been reacting to the body language, voice tone, and facial expressions of the people around you all your life, even though you may not have been consciously aware of it.

We all know that relationships can be difficult. One of the best methods we have for making every relationship less stressful and more enjoyable is to show a little patience. Patience has been defined as what we lack for the driver in front of us and demand from the driver behind us.

In truth, patience is nothing more than time.

• Time before we say something: Think of a time when someone was not patient with you when you needed them to be. Think of how you felt. Think of how deeply you might have been hurt. The next time you find yourself losing patience with another, take a moment to remind yourself of how you felt when someone had no patience with you.

• Time before moaning and groaning: Patience takes time, but no more time than the showing of anger; of stomping or yelling or whining or complaining. A little patience can often resolve a conflict that a loss of patience will only escalate.

• Time to just let things run their course: Arnold H. Glasow said, The key to everything is patience. You get a chicken by hatching an egg, not by smashing it.î Some things require a certain amount of time. Losing patience only hurts ourselves and won't speed up the process.

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We are all human. We all come from somewhere. Our pasts are a historical record of wonderful and painful moments that have happened to us. We all come wired with soundtracks from the past. And even the healthiest among us, are not immune from being triggered by other people.

Relationships can be a harmonious adventure or a disaster just waiting to happen. Two people sharing different perspectives, lifestyles, and experiences can be a breeding ground for emotional triggers. And it takes a lot of work and commitment to manage our reactions to the people we love, strangers we meet, and even ourselves. It takes practice, emotional intelligence, and a lot of self-awareness.

We are built for connection. To love and be loved. To feel seen and be heard. To feel supported and understood. We aim to find a partnership where we can feel safe, secure, and protected.

The human body has survival instincts that when threatened, engage in a fight, flight, or freeze response. This protects us when there is danger. It helps us manage stressful situations until the threat is gone and our body returns to its natural state. This instinct can often get in the way of our present world.

How many times have you found your attention wandering when listening to your husband or wife?

How many times have you nodded your head in understanding even though you may have missed the main point?

There is nothing wrong or irregular in this behavior. It happens to all of us, all the time. We may hear what another person is saying but unless we listen we can't comprehend what he or she is saying!

How do we learn to listen in our most important relationships? Listening can 'make or break' the quality of connection in our marriage and intimate relationships.

The first thing is to control your thoughts. You cannot be a good listener if you allow your thoughts to wander. This happens most often when some word or statement made by the speaker triggers your memory, and you drift off. Once you are aware you are drifting, try to pull your thoughts back, and refocus. This is not easy because the mind is a powerhouse!

How do you train your mind to focus to your partner? Practice! Try listening to something that maybe interests you, or maybe not. Let it run for a few minutes. If your mind loses track of what the speaker is saying, then restart the speech! Next, increase this time to ten minutes, and repeat the exercise.

Why Is Love Important?

So often we spend most of our time taking care of our physical needs. We make sure our bodies are fed, cleaned, clothed, exercised and rested. We also make sure intellectual stimulation and entertainment is a priority. Yet we also overlook the most important need -- love.

Of course, as a society, love is not overlooked. Popular media constantly places great emphasis on what we need to do and how we should look to attract "love". But being loved is not as powerful an emotional need as that desire to love someone else. The need to love and care for others is built into us biologically.

This need is what allows parents to forgo sleep, food, and sanity while raising their children. This need is what allows people to put themselves at risk to save others from natural disasters and human threats. This need is what makes human society work on both a small and a large scale. Loving others allows us to put the needs and desires of others before our own.

In our intimate relationships, marriages, friendships with family and friends, love comes in different shapes and sizes. In every relationship, we express and receive love differently. Many times in our couples or marital therapy and counseling sessions, the 5 Love Languages comes up. This is a super popular book that has changed the way we give love and express love.

But I Didn’t Mean That!

Communication is the key to any relationship. With bad communication, problems crop up at unexpected places. This is a classical case. Sometimes, we say things we don’t mean without even realizing it. We continue to go about our day, unaware of the fact that we hurt someone's feelings. It is important to let someone know when they hurt your feelings with their words. They will learn your sensitivities, and be able to explain what they actually meant.

What you say can make a big difference to your relationship. How will the listener know what you mean? The listener only picks up your words and makes interpretations. Choosing the right words while communicating is important. If you know about your partner's sensitivities about a subject, you have to be very careful while talking even in jest. Your tone has to be perfect and you have to be careful while speaking. You never know when you will hurt your partner's feelings. This communication care is very important in keeping a healthy relationship.

Freedom in communication can be taken if you are sure that your partner understands you well and will not take any talk otherwise. In that case, you both behave like close friends, who speak their mind without bothering. If the relationship has not reached that level you have to be careful while talking. Loose talk can spoil a relationship.

A Good Communication Technique To Try For Couples

Human beings are social beings and we interact with people every day of our life. Often, our happiness depends a great deal on how the interactions with each person turn out. This is especially true of those whom we care about e.g. in close friendships as well as in marriage. However, because each personality we deal with is unique and presents its own challenges, managing the myriad of relationships requires us to consciously observe the process and impact of our interactions so that we continue to gain knowledge, understanding and experience in developing relationships in a positive way.

I have realized that to have good management of relationships, we need to be assertive and honest in sharing our thoughts, feelings and concerns. However, this needs to be done in a way that does not provoke the other party, but is instead respectful and encourages both parties to listen to each other. A good way to do this is through the communication technique of "I" Messages.

• In "I" messages, statements are made about ourselves, how we feel and our concerns, and what actions of the other party has led to the concerns.
• "You" messages focus on the other person and would usually lead the other party to become defensive unless the "You" message is a positive statement of the other person.

10 Tips For a Successful Relationship from a couples counselor!

What's the key to a successful relationship? Some say that truly is the “million-dollar” question. Sometimes it's just the simple things that we easily forget or think are unimportant that hold the key to a healthy and happy relationship. Read through the helpful tips below on how to make your relationship go the distance. These tips are directly related to couples counseling sessions and reflect real life solutions for many of the couples I've worked with in therapy.

• Without quality time together, your relationship will not survive. Aim to devote at least half an hour a night, and at least a couple of days a month when the two of you spend time exclusively together.

• You both want to feel secure within the relationship. A good relationship is built on compromise and a lot of give and take from both of you.

• Often those little things that first attracted you to your partner can turn into nasty annoying habits. Learn to love your partner, warts and all. Don't try to change them into something they're not, after all you fell in love with them just the way they were.

Great relationships don’t just happen, they require work from both ends. Here are some tips to get started based on years of counseling with individuals and couples! Even one person taking steps to change will affect the relationship dynamic. Want to work together to improve your relationship? Contact us for a free consultation to see how we can best help you flourish in 2023.

1. Take Responsibility for Yourself. This is the most important choice you can make to improve your relationship. This means that you learn how to take responsibility for your own feelings and needs and treat yourself with kindness, caring, compassion, and acceptance instead of self-judgment.

2. Kindness, Compassion, Acceptance. Treat others the way you want to be treated. We all yearn to be treated lovingly with kindness. We need to treat ourselves this way, and we need to treat our partner and others this way. Relationships flourish when both people treat each other with kindness. While there are no guarantees, often treating others with kindness brings kindness in return.

3. Learning Instead of Controlling. When conflict occurs, it is easy to become defensive. The desire to “win” an argument appears. But when one partner loses, both lose. It is important to communicate your feelings in a neutral manner (not with high emotions) and listen to understand, not rebuttal.