Marriage/Couples

No Going Back? How Couples Change After Becoming Parents


Before you and your partner were parents, you were a couple. Everything was all about satisfying the two of you. Now, baby makes three.

It didn’t take long to discover how much adding parenting to the mix changes the dynamic of your relationship. Even though your little one is a bundle of joy, your baby can also present a lot of challenges. You may be dealing with increasing stress related to everything from your baby’s cries, diaper changing and feeding, to financial issues, reduced intimacy, and sheer exhaustion.

5 Ways to Self-Soothe During Conflict with Your Partner 

Think about the way you respond to conflict and problems in your relationship with your spouse or partner.

What’s going on when things get tense or conflicts arise?

That flooded feeling that sucks you down into your feelings, overwhelms your thoughts and carries you away from reason and logic isn’t unusual. It takes skill to work through what’s happening in your body and mind before you behave in a way that may be damaging to your relationship.

One skill you can learn will make a big difference: self-soothing.

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Are You A High-Conflict Couple? 5 Clear Signs

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By Sylvia Beligotti, MA

When we think of relationships, we tend to picture a couple who gets along well, listens to each other, and has a mutual feeling of respect. While these elements often exist in relationships, this mindset tends to idealize and gloss over issues or tensions that many couples have, too.

Could Living Together Today Ruin “Together Forever”?

Moving in with your significant other might seem like a dream come true. You imagine that the two of you will make delicious Sunday morning pancakes together, have endless cuddly movie nights, and maybe even adopt an adorable dog.

After all, what could be better than living with the person you love most and waking up to their smile every day? The decision to take the leap and move in together is not one to rush into, take some time and consider the impact on your relationship.

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How to Connect Romantically When You’re Stuck at Home

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By Jim Duncan, MA

After a year of staying at home and quarantining due to COVID-19, many couples are getting restless. While the idea of staying in and doing nothing with your partner may have been exciting at first, the routine is starting to wear a little thin. Has the romance in your relationship plateaued? You aren’t the only one.

The Kids are Gone, Now What? Reviving Connection After 20+ Years Together

You did it! Your nest is officially empty. Decades of child-rearing at home have come to a close.

Is it what you thought it’d be? Are you and your partner free to lounge in each other’s arms all day in bed? Is your time together a second honeymoon, free of homework, carpools, and messy bathrooms?

Or is it kind of strange to be alone together in the clean quiet spaces, just the two of you, with few distractions and much less to say than you thought?

Don’t panic.

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Relationship Dissatisfaction: 5 Ways You Can Beat It

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By Jim Duncan, MA

Every relationship goes through highs and lows. No partnership is perfect. While these might sound like nothing more than uplifting, motivational sayings, there’s a lot of truth to them. But when your connection feels like it’s in a rut, it’s easy for relationship dissatisfaction to take hold.

When you cling to those feelings for too long, it can start to cause more problems between you and your partner.

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Improve Your Communication as a Couple: Speak the Language of Love

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By Kassie Soni, MA

Good communication is the foundation of healthy and happy relationships. At times, though, some things get lost in translation. To improve your communication, recognize that each of us has a dominant love language. Becoming fluent in your partner’s love language is the ideal path toward understanding, growth, and evolution.