Tom (to therapist): We’ve been dating for four years. Rachel wants to get married “someday,” but it feels like that day will never come. We’re both 34 years old and want kids. Rachel (to therapist): Tom pressures me to commit. Getting married is a huge decision and I don’t feel ready. Tom: What else do [...]

Since airlines are charging for bags these days, traveling light is the only way to go. Baggage fees can significantly increase your costs. And so it is in relationships. The more baggage we carry to a new destination – our new relationship – the higher our emotional costs and the more turbulence we will experience. [...]

What we remember from childhood we remember forever – permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen.~ Cynthia Ozick You can’t deny it. There is not one of us who escapes our family without some sort of emotional baggage. The question is not whether you have it or not; it’s how heavy are your bags. As [...]

What do we learn about relationships from our families? Everything. Lauren and Max came to see us after Max discovered Lauren’s affair. She was remorseful and said she wanted their marriage to work. Max was willing to work on forgiving Lauren but knew they needed help. He thought he was a loving husband and had [...]

The Story of Joan and Steve Joan: You never spend time with me. After work, you come home, eat dinner and then head to the basement to watch ESPN. I ask you to come upstairs when I go to sleep and you say, “Be there in a minute,” but I am usually asleep before you [...]