Do you expect your partner to "complete you" and meet all of your needs at any given moment?

If so; you aren't alone!

In this month's Therapy Moment, Irene Schreiner, LMFT shares with us the importance of having proper expectations of your partner so that you can be successful in your relationship.

Plus learn why meeting some of your needs outside of your relationship will actually make it stronger.

Have you ever been triggered by your partner? 

Maybe your spouse offered you some advice on how to do something around the house better and more efficiently. You took that as your partner being condescending so it triggered you to get defensive.

If you’ve ever felt this way; you aren’t alone! 

Your partner may not have meant to elicit that kind of a response from you but you can’t help but feel the way you do.

So, how do you work past feeling triggered by the things your partner may say or do?

Are you currently experiencing what many couples do that have been together a while? Possible stagnation, going through the motions, negative interactions, a loss of connection, etc. These things happen over time and tend to build. Today I’m going to teach you a tool that you can use to combat these experiences and strengthen your relationship again. 

As our world becomes more accepting of broader and more diverse identities, you may have questions about how you can better support the LGBTQ+ community, or what LGBTQ+ even stands for.

Every person has their own journey in understanding what it means to support LGBTQ+ people, whether you’re LGBTQ+ or not. We hope this resource can help you begin that journey.

First, let’s define what it means to be an Ally!

Everyday there seems to be something in the world happening that is really hard to deal with. Whether it be racial injustices, shootings, war on other countries, politics and so much more, these things are not easy to deal with, let alone talk about, and they all impact us in different ways. As much as it would be easier for us to ignore or pretend like nothing is going on, that’s not the reality we live in. 

Do you struggle with how to empathize with others?

Oftentimes, people listen to a loved one share something troubling going on in their life and their initial reaction is to help them "solve" or "fix" their issue. What's often missed is the importance of empathizing with their difficult emotions first.

Empathy is incredibly important because it allows you to connect with someone important to you on an emotional level.

Do you ever notice your emotions get the best of you when confronted with conflict?

 It’s easy to get lost in your reaction or emotional response to things that sometimes it can be difficult to reflect on what’s truly happening in the present.

Mindfulness can be a useful way to reflect on the present moment.

Do you want to start couples counseling but fear your partner may be turned off by the idea?

A common statement heard in a therapist’s office is, “We need help, but my partner is hesitant about couples counseling”.

If you feel this way about your partner, know you aren’t alone! There are ways to help encourage a positive conversation with your partner about the benefits of doing couples counseling together.

Are you currently struggling with the topic of trust within your life? If you are, know you aren’t
alone as trust is something that many people struggle with.

Trust is something that is difficult to identify but we often know within our gut whether we have
trust for someone or not. In fact, you may be surprised that many people find that they lack trust
even within themselves.

Since trust is a tricky thing to identify and put into words, I wanted to share with you something
I’ve come across that helps in explaining it to my clients.