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Marriage/Couples Jim Duncan, MA, LPC Marriage/Couples Jim Duncan, MA, LPC

What Is Emotionally Focused Therapy and How Can It Help Your Relationship?

By Jim Duncan, MA

Relationships often need support to remain strong. That’s where Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) comes in.

When you are in a close relationship, you want to maintain your emotional connection while successfully managing conflict.

What is required to do these things? A deep attachment to your partner or loved one.

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Marriage/Couples Jim Duncan, MA, LPC Marriage/Couples Jim Duncan, MA, LPC

Communication in Relationships: Stop Struggling to Talk to Your Partner!

By Jim Duncan, MA

Have you noticed lately that you are struggling to communicate with your partner? If you are finding it harder to talk about important problems or even the everyday struggles, you are not alone.

Good communication is the foundation of every relationship, yet, we sometimes struggle to have even basic conversations.

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Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan

Neediness vs. Valid Relationship Needs: How to Navigate Both

Few of us want to be labeled the “needy” one in a relationship. We like to seem independent and in control, rather than insecure or clingy. Neediness in our romantic relationships hints at an insatiable desire to be affirmed, validated, sought out, and attended to. We tend to think of a needy partner as someone who strains and emotionally exhausts their partner. Not the most attractive qualities.

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Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan

Overcome Sexual Anxiety! Tips to Reclaim Fully Functional Intimacy

Do anxious thoughts, self-sabotaging behavior, and a troubling disconnect with your partner seem to accompany attempts to get close physically? You may be experiencing sexual anxiety.

Doubt, insecurity, and worry are not the kinds of feelings that you want to characterize your sex life. Yet, if you’re experiencing them on a regular basis during intimacy, the joy of sex may now be seriously hindered.

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Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan

5 Ways Mindfulness Improves Sex

Sex is not just a physical activity, it is a mentally intimate experience, too. At least, it can be when you know how to tap into the best sexual experience possible. How can you do that? The practice of mindfulness improves sex in ways you and your partner can find exciting and wholly satisfying.

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Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan

How Negative Self-Talk Affects Intimacy with Your Partner

Closeness and intimacy are the joys of your relationship with your partner. That is what we see in romance movies and crave--a sense of closeness. However, we can easily dismantle that joy if we fail to curb the critical, snarky, insulting voice so many of us have in our heads.

That voice can be a constant soundtrack of negative self-talk that runs down your self-perception, self-esteem, and partnership. This can happen so thoroughly that you end up sabotaging yourself, your love, and your libido. Intimacy just doesn’t have a chance in that environment.

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Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan

How to Deal with Condescension and Criticism in Your Marriage

Do you find yourself succumbing to critical thoughts when disapproving of your partner’s behavior? If so, you may in dangerous marital territory.

When negativity, criticism, and a condescending, superior attitude begin creep in to your marriage, you may be on a slippery slope toward letting these relationship-damaging factors begin to override the positives in your relationship.

Hurtful, damaging behaviors such as criticism and contempt may be difficult to identify as it often becomes ingrained in spousal interactions over time. Consequently, it becomes an unfortunate and alienating part of your communication.

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Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan Marriage/Couples Elizabeth McMahan

How to Keep Your Relationship Strong When Struggling with Anxiety

Anxiety disorders have been documented from antiquity to the present. Anxiety is a normal emotion, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to manage.

If you or your partner are struggling with chronic anxiety, you know the impact it can have on your relationship. It’s important to do whatever you can to keep your relationship strong despite struggling with anxiety. You and your partner will both need to be understanding, flexible, and willing to work together to combat anxious thoughts and feelings.

It’s possible to have a wonderful, fulfilling, successful relationship, even if one or both partners are struggling with anxiety symptoms.

Use the following tips to keep your relationship solid.

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