All good relationships, whether they are between family members or business colleagues, casual or deep, are based upon mutual respect, friendship and belonging. They may withstand some disapproval of one’s actions opinions or feelings but may crumble with personal criticism. Continue reading "Criticism may be as painful as prejudice"

Learning to live with a permanent partner requires ongoing adjustments. When your mate has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), both of you are challenged to an even greater degree. Yet, with knowledge, compassion and help your marriage can survive and thrive. Continue reading "Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder impacting your marriage?"

Does familiarity breed contempt? Are relationships doomed to go stale? Does passion inescapably lose its intensity with time? Yes - but only if you allow it to happen.

All these conditions may occur only if we yield to negative inner dialogue, neglect our relationship and submit to feelings of resignation. Actually, familiarity can increase compassion and love. And, if we do it wisely, relationships can stay fresh and crisp and passion can be maintained and heightened as it ages to perfection.
Continue reading "Cultivating your love relationship"

Being raised in a healthy, loving and low-conflict family is ideal for children. Youngsters, who are not privileged to be a part of this type of family, may not be aware of the risks to their health, well-being or future relationships, but feel uncomfortable and may seek a healthier environment elsewhere. Continue reading "How healthy parents can help other families’ teenagers "

The relationships between members of the original family are often challenging enough and may get even more complex when adult children marry. Yet, why do some sisters-in-law, who as women define themselves by their relationships, develop an adversarial relationship with each other? Continue reading "Restoring harmony between sisters-in-law"

The search for personal happiness, the state of satisfaction with one’s life and being, is a fundamental human quest. People go to great lengths to attain the thrills of a happy state. Yet, there should be some consideration of others to mitigate the risks involved in the pursuit of one’s personal nirvana. Continue reading "Personal happiness at all cost?"

Text messaging, known in the vernacular as “texting,” has become a frequently used communication tool for exchanging written messages through a cell phone. Though it is an easy, quick and efficient mode of social connection, it poses some physical and emotional challenges and serious risks to the users and society.
Continue reading "The blessings and curses of texting"

Love may not make the world go around, but feeling loved certainly propels one to the highest state of serenity, calmness, security and potency. Helping your partner achieve this level of happiness is primarily within your power. Continue reading "Help your partner feel truly loved"

All parents wish to provide the best life for their children. Some parents with good intentions tend to overdo it and overindulge their children to the grave detriment of their youngsters. Continue reading "Overindulgent parents harm their children"

To establish the efficacy of new medication for certain conditions, medical researchers compare patients’ reactions to a new pill or procedure with those who receive a placebo, a dummy pill or a “fake” procedure.

It is also known that when a patient trusts the placebo as the real medication, he/she is more likely to improve, regardless of the true nature of the treatment.

Can the placebo effect also help couples in healing their relationship?
Continue reading "Use the placebo effect to heal your relationship"

Dealing with a divorce is traumatic enough. Having to contend with being alienated from your child is torturous. Continue reading "Coping with being alienated from your child"

Since today’s younger individuals marry later, the divorce rate in the U.S. is at 50 percent and remarriage is common, prenuptial contracts have gained greater prominence than they had in prior generations. For some, it is the cautious and secure path, for others it conjures images of guarded love and less than whole-hearted commitment. Continue reading " Are prenuptial agreements heartless or loving?"

Receiving attention validates our worth and bolsters our esteem. From birth on, all humans need some appreciative contact from another to survive and thrive. Those who do not receive sufficient attention in their relationships often wilt, while those who benefit from appropriate attention are happy, vital beings who are able to reciprocate with love and caring. Continue reading "Being attentive to your partner is easy and beneficial"

Women have always known how rewarding their friendships with their women friends were and thus braved the challenges these connections sometimes created. Recent scientific data has not only clarified the unique nature of women friendships but also expounded upon the health and longevity benefits they provide. Continue reading "The preciousness of friendships between women"

Jealousy is a common human emotion experienced in love relationships. It is an intense feeling that has been maligned, poorly understood, differently experienced by men and women and may gravely impact those who handle it poorly. Yet, when handled well jealousy can protect a valued relationship from perceived threats. Continue reading "How to manage your jealousy"