101 year old Rosa Camfield’s picture holding her newborn great-granddaughter instantly went viral across social media pages. Camfield died March 30, 2015 just after creating an internet legacy. The picture was posted by Camfield’s granddaughter, Sarah Hamm, mother of the baby pictured. It did not take long for the photo of the intergenerational duo to take storm on the internet.
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CNN (L. Jones, April 3, 2015) reported that the owners of Memories Pizza, Crystal and Kevin O’Conner, have closed down their store and have gone into hiding. This was in reaction to threats to burn the store down and personal death threats directed toward the O’Conner family after publicly stating they would not cater a same sex wedding. In reaction to the threats The Dana Show, a nationally syndicated radio talk show, (April 3, 2015) set up a fund and raised $842, 387 in less than a week
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April 4, 2015
by Cindy Ariel,Phd
Pets offer important social and emotional support to their adoptive family members. According to the American Humane Society, 164 million or 62% of American households included at least one pet in 2012. Research published by the American Psychological Association found that pet owners can be just as close to some of the people in their lives as to their pets. Because the bond can be so vital, lack of compassion regarding the loss of a pet can interfere with the healthy mourning process for many grieving pet owners.
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The science behind the “36 questions” that are the key to romance has been widely misrepresented. It seems that scientific findings trickle down from the laboratory to the general public in various forms. Sometimes it happens in the best way possible, like water through a drip coffee filter, so that one ends up with a pleasant, stimulating brew of digestible knowledge without the bitter taste of mystifying scientific terminology.
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One of the biggest causes of conflict in relationships is differences in values, goals, and habits related to money, and communication about money issues. To keep a relationship happy and peaceful, it’s important for couples to understand their beliefs about money, learn how to talk about money, and learn how to align their financial goals. If you can do these things, you will be well on your way to having one less thing to argue about!
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AMC’s most popular and stylish drama, Mad Men, is approaching its final episodes, and throughout the course of the series viewers have observed suave playboy, Don Draper, reliably destroy relationships with his prolific and alluring love interests. Underneath the façade of mid-century perfection, Mad Men reveals the demise of modern relationship constructs that are only more prevalent today.
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For most of us, meeting with misfortune and struggle is a part of life. In fact, surviving adversity is often viewed as beneficial and necessary. According to one Danish Proverb: “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man be perfected without trials.” When a person survives life’s difficulties and demonstrates the ability to withstand all of the stress that goes along with it, he or she is described as “resilient”. The Oxford Dictionary defines resilience as “The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape.”
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When stress levels are high empathy tends to be very low. This is especially true in the most intimate relationships. Stress shows up in an intimate relationship when partners begin to doubt each other. Central to the doubt is the uncertainty of really knowing the partner. The common belief is the partner has changed or is somebody different than who they presented themselves to be. These beliefs create an image of the partner as a stranger. Seeing the partner as a stranger heightens stress and blocks empathy. Blocking empathy prevents empathic communication from happening.
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February 21, 2015
by Cindy Ariel,Phd
Online dating sites are a popular place to seek relationships. While the majority of couples still meet offline at work, school, places of worship, bars and social events, today’s couples are almost as likely to meet on-line as they are to meet in any of these offline venues.
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Positive communication is consistently linked to greater relationship satisfaction (Gottman 1994 & 1999). While many couples think communicating what they want sounds too simple. Research indicates that communicating in a positive way is essential to satisfying relationships.
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