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Stress in the United States is at an all time high, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association (APA). The poll showed that top sources of stress for people in the United States were an increase in prices due to inflation, issues with the supply chain, global uncertainty and Russia invading Ukraine. [More]

Life in a pandemic for married couples can lead to feelings of sadness and anger. Many couples across the country are co-existing at home for extended periods due to COVID-19. Now, researchers have found the more a person feels their spouse disrupts their daily lives, the more they view their relationship as turbulent. [More]

By some predictions, the COVID19 pandemic will cause the worst financial crisis in the US since the Great Depression. Already across the United States many are experiencing pay cuts and job losses, and for couples this may mean a lot of pressure on romantic relationships. Whilst financial struggles are never easy, research from the University of Arizona has found that some couples are better prepared to cope with financial stress than others. [More]

It is easy to fall in love. Staying in love, when we are facing difficulties, is the tough part. [More]

Communication is an act of transferring information from one place to another. This seemingly simple act is pivotal to our success within our relationships, our education, our workplace, and other important areas of our life and throughout our lifetime. Therefore, it is safe to say that communication is one of the most important aspects of our everyday life. [More]

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. [More]

Brushing problems under the rug or stuffing hurt feelings to avoid a conflict will likely do more harm than good. Those issues and feelings never really go away, they just go underground. Giving our partner the “silent treatment” may result in silence, but also results in no communication. As much as we may dislike or fear conflict, being able to do it well is essential for a healthy relationship. [More]

Intimacy is one of the most important facets of a relationship. It is the connection and bond formed between two individuals; and the deeper the connection and bond, the higher the intimacy. In a relationship, intimacy can be experienced both emotionally and physically. When it comes to sex, some believe the act of sex creates deeper intimacy, whereas others feel that intimacy leads to sex. [More]

You don’t have to be a therapist to know that becoming close to a colleague can potentially lead to becoming more than just friends. One needs to be aware of the danger signs, especially if they’re already in a committed relationship (with someone outside the office, that is). To be clear, it is possible to work closely with a person of the opposite sex without crossing the line into intimacy or a full-blown affair. The key is setting boundaries and sticking to them. [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]