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The unity of marriage not only brings two individuals together, but it also blends families. While you and your spouse may have worked through the challenges of getting to know each other and how to coexist, your families may still be trying to figure out how to interact and be a part of your new chapter in life. There are plenty of marriages out there where one spouse and their in-laws are polar opposites, making it difficult for them to get along. It's also not uncommon for cohabitating couples to have to deal with their parents' dishing out wisdom from their years of marriage. [More]

In 5 Tips for Building and Keeping Healthy Relationships we discussed some of the things couples do in successful relationships. Relationship researchers like John Gottman spend time working with couples to learn from them. Gottman is well known for his work in the ‘love lab’ where he and other researchers conduct studies to learn more about the very difficult subject of successful relationships. [More]

With marriage comes the thick and thin. Having your parents move in with you is most certainly in the “thick” category. Rather than stress yourself out and damage your marriage, follow some of these tips to keep the love alive. Once mom and dad are back on their feet, you can mark this down as another challenge you conquered together as a team. [More]

The first year of your marriage is likely the most challenging (though some will disagree). As time goes by, the blissfully "in love" feelings fade and you’re left with reality. Learning to live with and cope with another individual on a day to day basis takes time, practice, and cooperation on both sides. A lot of mistakes will be made along the way, but it is how you recover and learn from those mistakes that will make all the difference. [More]

Jealousy is one of those feelings that’s very complicated, yet natural. We can be jealous of the way someone’s body looks or jealous of someone else’s relationship. There might be times we become jealous and don’t know why. Getting past jealousy means taking the proper steps in your relationship to reassure your loved one that you’re on their team and no one else’s. [More]

When you first got married, the thrill and anticipation of learning about someone new kept the flame alive. There were so many new experiences for the two of you to delve into as a couple that boredom or mundane routine was the last thing on your mind. Fast-forward a few years and what was once an exciting experience has now come close to being an “obligated responsibility”. Your life is routine, and it seems that you have learned everything there is to know about your spouse. [More]

You’ve moved on and found your new guy and things are going pretty well – or so you thought. The guy you’re with is really nice and tries his best to make you happy, but there is something about him that is, in your opinion, “missing”. You often find yourself reminiscing of times with your ex and comparing it to your present relationship and you don’t know how to stop. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. [More]

I do not believe that counselling needs to be isolated and enclosed within four walls… what happens in sessions should be able to be used on the outside, in someone’s lived life. Sometimes this is called experiential therapy and is why I believe that horses help creating practical applications of the utmost importance. Can you imagine having 40 acres and five horses as a part of the counselling experience? What kind of a world would that create to allow the freedom to explore and express yourself. [More]

As much as you adore your children, since their arrival it seems that you get less and less time with your significant other. Your day to day living has become a tiring routine that includes getting up, getting the kids ready, preparing meals, getting out of the house to get to work and school on time, picking up the kids, taking them to extracurricular activities, preparing dinner, and finally going to bed. While you are grateful for the life you have with a family you love, getting just a few moments to take a deep breath and focus on your spouse seems like a near-impossible feat. The good news is that it is possible to find a bit of time for yourselves without disrupting your routine or breaking the bank. [More]

Jealousy is an emotion, a negative emotion, and negative emotions can suck the life right out of you if you dwell on them. Although not many people can say they've never felt jealous or envious of somebody else, being jealous, especially of your best friend, is dangerous territory. There are ways to work through the feelings you are experiencing. The first thing you have to do to start getting past the jealousy is to admit it. [More]