change tagged posts

May 13, 2015,  Family, Relationship  No comments

The principal challenge for couples in Relationship Stage 3

The principal challenge for couples in Relationship Stage 3 is to develop an even stronger personal identity and sense of self than each had before meeting—one that is separate from the relationship, while not so separate that the partners lose sight of each other. Each member of the couple gets involved again in career, hobbies, and/or interests in community activities independently of the partner. This stage is also about spending time with other friends and in other activities, reactivating and consolidating the development of one’s self-esteem, friendships, and personal interests.

Let me share with you one of the most common mistakes couples make while rediscovering their boundaries...

April 30, 2015,  Family, Relationship  No comments

Do you know the image of the Eternal bachelor, of Casanova, with a charming smile and shining eyes? This is the image of the love addict striving to always feel, at any price, in love and part of an endless honeymoon. This is an archetype for many main characters in movies and novels. Whether you recognize them in the movies, on the street or in the flower shop, you can be sure that this person will give you an unforgettable honeymoon, but it will not be forever.

You Might As Well Face It; You’re Addicted to Love

Some people are so addicted to love that they skip from one relationship to another just to experience the buzz of a new relationship rather than endure the heartache that Stage 2 may create.

So, instead of searching for what could come next, they abandon the relationship and se...

April 8, 2015,  Relationship  No comments

You wake up one morning only to find out that you are lying in your own bed with a complete stranger next to you. And then you ask yourself how to find the differences in this picture – from yesterday and today. Is it some kind of joke? You might be able to guess that I’m describing the “waking up” after the blissful sleep that was the honeymoon.

And even if the first stage lasted for a whole calendar year, waking up is simply an inevitable end to a time of precious sleep. Alas, even the strongest coffee cannot sober you up after you’ve made that jump into the new reality.

Let me share with you – the same happens with all couples all around the world, always and without a miss. Accept this new step as the time when we need to accept the statement:

Differences deserve to be rec...

March 25, 2015,  Events  No comments

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Relationship Recovery – Have You Recently Separated or Divorced?

If you would like to attend the free seminar please ring 02 99978518 or email admin@northernbeachescounselling.com.au with the words: “Yes I would like to attend the free seminar”.

Some excerpts from my workshops.

March 20, 2015,  Relationship  No comments

They were talking while having a glass of wine as they often did. Four women talking about their relationships until one of them shared: “…We’ve been together for six months now. But I can’t breathe anymore! He just wants to be attached to me all the time. Even when I’m working, he wants to cuddle up just like a baby … Why is that so many men do that to me…? I am not his mother! It was nice for a time. I thought he just really loved me… but I need my own space back!”

It is easy for us to guess that this woman, who has just taken off her rose coloured glasses, is now seeing her partner for real out of the context of the honeymoon stage of their relationship...

February 26, 2015,  Events  No comments

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Are You Thinking About Separation Or Divorce?

February 25, 2015,  Relationship, Relationship Tips  No comments

I met a client yesterday who told me that for no apparent reason or cause her partner came to her one day and told her he wasn’t happy. He said he wanted to take six months living separately from her to decide whether he really wanted to be in this relationship. She was dumbfounded and asked whether he was seeing someone else. He denied it. He just kept saying he wasn’t happy and needed some time separate.

Couples often do not realize the problems that prevent them from being happy. Instead, they keep searching for the answers outside of themselves and outside of their relationships rather than looking within.

Furthermore, there are many cases when following a break-up, one of the couple jumps into a new relationship before taking the time to explore their part in the breakup...

February 24, 2015,  Events  No comments

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Is Your Relationship In Trouble?

December 3, 2014,  Family, Relationship, Script  No comments

A Talk with Vanessa and Mark

The story of “Vanessa” and “Mark” that I recently shared with you is the story of a search for the point of intersection between two very different people with very different conflict management styles.

If you need a reminder of their story pop back and see the previous article where I first introduced you to them.

As you review their story you may be able to empathise with Vanessa and yet you may also understand what Mark is experiencing and be able to empathise with his experience as well. This life setting is as real as the stories of any couple you may know. It is unknown to some, but so painfully experienced by others.

This is a story of the “family secrets” – which we can, though sometimes not very successfully, manage to transfer from our pat...

September 26, 2014,  Script  No comments

Do you have any idea what really happens once a product is ready to be marketed? A product is permitted onto the market only after a series of researches of conscious and unconscious decisions, the rational and irrational motives of customers, have been explored when it comes to what the consumer is looking for and what they are then willing to pay for it.

Why do we need all this? Does good analysis ensure the future of a given product? Short answer? Yes...