Posts Tagged ‘Relationships’
The Developmental Model: A Couples Therapy Essential || By TJ Dubovich, MA, LMFT
In the world of couples’ therapy, there have been a handful of dominant models that have become popular to utilize with clients in recent years. Some of these include the Gottman Method (created by John and Julie Gottman), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (created by Sue Johnson), Relational Life Therapy (created by Terry Real) and my personal favorite,…
Read MoreHow to Forgive || By Laura Zwisler, LPC
I once saw one of those customizable signs outside of a church that said, “Forgive someone today.” If only forgiveness worked like that. If it were simply an act we chose, we would get over things so much easier and more completely. Most people don’t want to hold grudges, they simply don’t know how to find closure.…
Read MoreLet’s Get Physical || By TJ Dubovich, MA, MFTC
When it comes to understanding our bodies from a sexual perspective, I find many clients don’t even know where to begin. This isn’t a critique on them but a concern as to why this exists and what we can do as practitioners to equip our clients with deeper somatic congruence and knowledge of their bodies…
Read MoreJealousy Is Not the Enemy of Non-Monogamy: Befriending Jealousy and Deepening Intimacy || By Taylor Arroganté-Reyes, LPCC
When I work with relationships that are exploring non-monogamy for the first time, how to manage jealousy is often one of the first questions couples ask. Even partners and relationships that have been around the block with non-monogamy for years have an ongoing relationship with jealousy. Whether we are new or seasoned, understanding how to…
Read MoreSex Therapy: What it is, What it isn’t, and What to know before starting || By TJ Dubovich, MA, MFTC
What Sex Therapy Is Sex therapy is a specialized form of talk therapy that focuses on sexual health, intimacy, and relationship dynamics. It’s grounded in psychology, communication, and evidence-based techniques—not performance or physical demonstrations (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists – AASECT), A sex therapist helps individuals and couples explore concerns such as:…
Read MoreRelearning How to Love (or, Stop Consuming Your Partner) || By Taylor Arroganté-Reyes, LPCC
Much of the work of therapy is learning to tolerate what we cannot control. Difficult, of course. But theoretically, simple enough.Enter scene: partner. Not so simple. A Pew Research poll from 2021 found that nearly 70% of adults rated their dating lives as “not going well,” and a little over half said dating has gotten…
Read MoreThe Art of Compassionate Communication – Part 4: Speaking Your Needs Clearly || By Kevin Culver LPCC
This blog series has examined how to build deeper understanding and connection in relationships using Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s framework of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). In the last post, we looked at the importance of identifying and expressing our core needs (previous blog link here). In this final blog, we’ll explore the last component of NVC: learning…
Read MoreThe Art of Compassionate Communication – Part 3: Identifying Needs || By Kevin Culver LPCC
This series of blogs is focused on how we can improve communication in our relationships, both professionally and personally, specifically by using Rosenberg’s framework of nonviolent communication (NVC). In the last blog, we identified the importance of objectively observing our experience and circumstances and then connecting it very specifically to how we feel (previous blog…
Read MoreThe Art of Compassionate Communication – Part 2: Observing & Feeling || By Kevin Culver LPCC
This series of blogs is focused on how we can improve communication in our relationships, both professionally and personally, specifically by using Rosenberg’s framework of nonviolent communication (NVC). In the last blog, we identified the roadblocks that often get in the way of understanding and collaboration in our communication – namely judgment, comparison, denial of…
Read MoreThe Art of Compassionate Communication – Part 1: Identifying Roadblocks || By Kevin Culver LPCC
As humans, we all have needs, emotions, and feelings, but we often struggle to express them, especially in the context of relationships. Many never learned how to identify our needs or feelings, much less communicate them to others. And when we try, it often ends up in misunderstanding, disappointment, and hurt, amplifying our feelings of…
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