Year: 2007
It is confusing to be in relationships and not know where we stand – whether this is on the job, in a friendship, with family members, or in a love relationship. We have a right to be direct about how we define the relationship – what we want it to be. But relationships equal two […]
READ ARTICLEIt may come as no surprise, but new research proves that younger generations of Americans hold new and evolving impressions about marriage and family, compared to those of their parents. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, younger adults see less of a moral stigma when it comes to cohabitation without marriage and […]
READ ARTICLEThe only reason that we don’t open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don’t feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else’s eyes. […]
READ ARTICLEThose in the helping professions often face the question of whether or not our own skills match the needs of those who cross our paths. Determining another person’s needs is an important part of how we serve others. Perhaps our most crucial skill may be the ability to assess self-destructive threats, including suicidal behavior. According […]
READ ARTICLEOne way that Imago Relationship Therapy differs from other couples counseling methods is that Imago therapists are required to work on their own relationships as part of their training. This can be a bitter pill to swallow for the couples therapist who might have expected to eventually be “done” with study and therefore, a “relationship […]
READ ARTICLEThere is a new archetype of partnership evolving in our culture. Marriage is alive and well, but the form of marriage is changing, as all forms do when they no longer fulfill their originating purpose. The personal marriage, which is dominant today, focuses on meeting personal needs at the expense of the relationship. This is […]
READ ARTICLEThese days, everyone from Oprah to the nightly newscasters are prone to discussions about self-esteem. Everyone seems to know the value of feeling good about one’s own qualities – it can be motivating, curative, and even essential to survival. Low self-esteem can lead to hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. But there’s more to improving self-esteem than […]
READ ARTICLEBillions of dollars are spent each year on healthcare costs to treat illnesses caused by preventable behaviors such as smoking, alcoholism, and over-eating. Meanwhile, billions more are spent on diet foods, fitness programs, surgeries, and smoking cessation products. These hefty expenditures can be boiled down to one aim – combating issues of poor self-control. As […]
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Why are couples afraid of therapy? This question circulated on an Imago listserv a few weeks ago. Therapists across the country noted the difficulty in convincing couples that therapy can be a gift to their relationships, not something to fear. The comments resonated with what I hear from clients, colleagues, and my own circle of […]
READ ARTICLEJust because you love somebody doesn’t mean you will know how to make that person feel loved. Love is a state of being, a feeling in the heart, but to generate that same feeling in the heart of another human being is a process of relationship. Unlike love, which is a gift, a relationship, the […]
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