Theravive Home

In extreme examples, partners who worry that their boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse is unhappy with the relationship will often do anything they think their partner wants them to do. On the other hand, if you sacrifice your own wants and needs in the process, the long-term results are usually disastrous. Even if your partner directly asks for a change in your lives, like moving to a new house, getting a dog, or buying a new car, always take time to make sure it’s a desire you both share. If you have doubts, talk about them. [More]

How did you get back on the dating scene at this point in your life? The circumstances are usually not pleasant at this stage of the game. Maybe you are a widower who is still in mourning or maybe you recently went through a nasty divorce. The fact is, you're not alone. [More]

Are you among many people who have switched "traditional" roles with your spouse? Lately, there have been many layoffs, downsizing of companies, and other reasons causing spouses to switch roles. Additionally, many spouses have traded places and have gone from family breadwinner to stay-at-home parent. There are many people in this same situation, and many people who are having trouble adjusting to their new roles. [More]

In all intimate relationships—whether with family members, partners or spouses—we do know how to push one another buttons, because these are the people we’ve been around the most. Consciously or not, we’ve learned how to get under their skin: Maybe it’s bringing up issues we know are sensitive to them (usually in an insensitive way), or reminding them of a past mistake that should be relegated by now to the “done that, talked about it, moved on” column. Maybe it’s comparing them to a family member in an unflattering way, like saying, “You’re just like your (notoriously thrifty) mom!” at moments when he or she disagrees with you about a big financial decision .If you’ve been guilty of doing this—hitting your partner where it hurts (often because you’re angry, and you want to hurt them)—the first step is to recognize the habit for what it is: a form of passive-aggressive behavior. [More]

It’s a basic truism of coupledom. You get to pick your partner or spouse, but you can’t pick his or her friends. In fact, a lot of these friends probably precede you; they were part of the package when you met. So what do you do when it turns out that you and your partner’s best buds are far from a match made in heaven—or worse, their friends become recurring source of conflict in your relationship? [More]

This blog began in starts and fits. I wanted to lighten things up a bit by extracting some wisdom from couples on popular television shows—and, as it turns out, you can learn quite a bit from them. But it seems it’s a lot easier to learn what doesn’t work than what does, with contemporary television basically obsessed with dysfunction.Nevertheless, here are five who stand out as those from whom we can glean a bit of relationship wisdom. [More]

You've done everything you can think of, including selling some of your belongings, to make an effort to make ends meet and get the bills paid. But no matter what you do and how much you try to pay everything, it just isn't enough. You're only making the minimum payments on your bills, but every month a few unpaid bills remain. You feel as though you have nobody to turn to; nobody to lend a hand or give you a loan…and it’s taking its toll on your mental health and the health of your relationship. [More]

Like a shiny new car you just drove off the lot, the excitement of new marriage and the infatuation of new love almost always changes after the proverbial honeymoon period. That doesn’t mean it goes away; far from it. It’s just that as you begin to tackle some of your first challenges together as a couple and return to some sense of normalcy—or at least the “new normal - most couples inevitably trade novelty for the maturing of the relationship,”It’s not a bad thing, and it is also inevitable. [More]

The time when your teenager moves toward adulthood is an important time; however, it can be among the most difficult for a child AND their parents. Books, music, and movies many times refer to the theme of coming of age and relay the challenges associated in the transition. For families, this is a most emotional time because parents often are faced with disappointment and broken hearts as they feel their child no longer needs them, while their teenager is separating from them and developing new social circles. And although most teenagers are excited about this time in their lives, some are saddened or miss the safety that they had in their childhoods. [More]

There are a multitude of reasons why people remain silent, even when something in a relationship is really bothering them. Maybe you dislike conflict. You think you score points by always saying the right thing. Or maybe you have a tendency to downplay your own concerns, because living with them is easier than risking offending your partner or even making them angry and causing tension between the two of you. [More]