The ultimate goal for every relationship is “happily ever after.” When you are at this stage, you just know in your heart that it is exactly where you should be. It really is about forever and knowing in your heart … Continued
Stage 4 is for recoupling. The relationship between you is now reaching a critical stage as you learn about holding and nurturing your own individuality while holding and nurturing the individuality of your partner. The challenge in Stage 4 is … Continued
The third relationship stage is about discovering not only who you can be as a couple, but who you can be as an individual within it. When you can resist the pull back to the stage of exclusive attachment, you … Continued
The second relationship stage that normal, healthy couples pass through is one of rediscovering their differences and managing the uneasiness that comes with it. Despite what you believed in Stage 1, there really are differences between you. These deserve to … Continued
The first stage of a relationship is a time of exclusive attachment. It creates such a strong connection that it seems that the couple cannot survive separately. The honey bee has the same attachment to a flower where both the … Continued
This is why rebound relationships generally do not work. When a relationship ends, you need time to grieve. Even if you were the one who decided to separate, you still need time to heal and to learn your lessons. The … Continued
Aggressors are not OK, and for them, no one else can be OK either. They need someone Helpless to persecute. The Aggressors hope in putting someone else down is as a vain attempt to feel a little better about themselves. … Continued
Your script is activated by the chemical response you have when you first meet the person you think will be the love of your life. In other words, you have a neurological response to every thought you have, every feeling … Continued
This is what I believe about similarities and differences between individuals in relationships: while differences often attract us to another, in the long term, our similarities—areas of compatibility— keep us together. So, I think that it is good for you—necessary, … Continued
The answer may be not just in what Vanessa and Mark observed in their families of origin but also in how they were treated. Once we began working together what came to light was two very important points. For Vanessa … Continued