Marriage Counseling Chicago
Maintaining effective communication within a relationship can be a challenging task, yet when individuals within a relationship are able to express their needs and wants appropriately, the relationship is much more likely to flourish and prosper. Expressing our desires to our loved-ones, however, can sometimes be difficult due to extraneous factors such as our fear of rejection, disapproval, or embarrassment for wanting something. Marsha M. Linehan, the founder of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and professor of Psychology…
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It is often a terrible gut-wrenching feeling when you start suspecting your significant other might be cheating on you. Maybe there was an unexplained situation that put you on high alert or possibly a comment from him/her/them or a friend that made you start suspecting. Whatever the situation might be, it is often discouraging, saddening, and isolating. Here are some suggestions to try and navigate the situation. Consider what you are feeling. You are the expert of…
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It’s no secret that going through a breakup feels terrible no matter which side you’re on. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most universal experiences humans encounter throughout their lifespan. If going through a breakup seems inevitable at some point, it’s important to understand the healthiest ways to begin to move forward when this stressful time occurs. Transitioning from being in a relationship to being single can be an uncomfortable change as individuals in your life will…
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Hannah Hopper Often times when a couple comes in to see me for counseling, one of the biggest things they are trying to work through is how to communicate better with one another. This could be from not getting enough time together to talk throughout the week, not knowing how to express their needs without getting into an argument, or being unable to respectfully listen to their partner when they disagree and hold different opinions and values.…
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John Gottman is one of the country’s leading experts on what makes romantic relationships work. He and his wife, Julie Gottman, have conducted research at their Love Lab for decades and created the Gottman Institute. The following findings come from Gottman’s own research and are found in his bestseller The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert. This is the final part of a two-part blog series. In my…
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John Gottman is one of the country’s leading experts on what makes romantic relationships work. He and his wife, Julie Gottman, have conducted research at their Love Lab for decades and created the Gottman Institute. The following findings come from Gottman’s own research and are found in his bestseller The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert. This is part one of a two-part blog series. We don’t set…
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Hannah Hopper There are some things that your partner does that initially seemed cute and endearing, but as the months go on you’ve started to feel uncomfortable and question if these behaviors are healthy or not. Sometimes in the midst of an unhealthy relationship, it can be hard to spot the warning signs and red flags, but this blog focuses on some ways that a relationship can be unhealthy. Not Accepting You as You Are Yes, we…
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It’s no secret that going through a breakup sucks. No matter which end you’re on, feelings are hurt and dynamics are shifting. Change is hard, breakups are hard, and social media is making it even harder. Social media adds even more things to think about when going through a breakup such as changing your relationship status on Facebook or if you’ll have to see your ex on Instagram and Snapchat. Our minds lean towards negative viewpoints so…
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Hannah Hopper It may just seem like you have really good chemistry with someone from work. Or maybe it is a friendship where you can always be met with a listening ear and someone who gives you a lot of special attention. Going from casual friend to someone you’re having an emotional affair with is a blurry line, and sometimes this can happen so gradually that it’s difficult to even notice when it first began. Verywell Mind…
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Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Screw the golden rule! That’s right, you read it correctly. The golden rule states that we should always treat others how we want to be treated. According to Dr. Gary Chapman, this isn’t how it works with love. In his book, The Five Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman “dissects the principles behind communicating love, which remains relevant and useful in many different types of relationships, from family and friends to romantic partners.”…
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