Improve Communication

People-pleasing is often so unconscious that we don’t know we’re damaging our relationships. Here’s why it’s important to recognize and stop it…

Annette was stuck. She felt like she’d been a pushover all her life in her family growing up and now it was the same with her new husband. In the past, when she’d tried to stand up for herself, she felt like she either came

Monica silently ground her teeth as she once again tried to please everyone in her family and believe that inner voice that shamed her if she didn’t. Her thoughts ran something like this… “I should take dinner to my mom because she’s lonely.” “I should

There was about a two week window of time after I told my first wife I was leaving her that was totally real, raw and vulnerable. Most of the time, I’d just as soon forget all the stuff that happened before (and after) that caused

Many of us grow up thinking that “vulnerable” is a dirty word and a sign of weakness. We’re taught we have to protect ourselves and be safe from physical and emotional harm by holding back our true feelings. We don’t want to hurt the other

As Judy mulled over what her sister had said, she felt hurt and very angry. In planning a family reunion on zoom, her sister who Judy had always been close to… Abruptly told Judy that she didn’t care what happened at the reunion and left

As the paralyzing fear of confrontation built inside her, Paula found herself once again lying to her husband. She knew it was wrong, but couldn’t stop doing what she’d done her whole life with everyone she’d been close to. When she sensed the other person

Sometimes and in some situations, it IS uncomfortable opening up about your feelings–to yourself as well as to other people. You may not even want to feel certain feelings–but you do. Whether it’s that you love someone, have fallen out of love with someone, there’s

We love getting questions from our readers and here’s a really great one  about verbal disrespect we received awhile back… “Sally” asks… “It’s said that these days what is killing more marriages even more than infidelity is ‘verbal disrespect.’ Which is the best way to

Heidi was beyond frustrated when her husband Ted once again refused to have “the talk” about their finances. They had combined their incomes when they got married–a second marriage for both of them–and she’d taken on paying the house bills because Ted said he wasn’t