Domestic violence is considerably more complicated than it may seem when we bring our awareness to the fact that not all abuse is physical. In relationships where a partner mistreats the other emotionally or psychologically but never engages in physical abuse, the abuse can be more challenging to notice, and could easily leave a…
One thing I have repeatedly noticed over this past year is just how many people are not fully or sometimes at all aware of the concept of healthy boundaries. Some believe they already have healthy boundaries by having super rigid brick walls in place, or they hold the belief that establishing boundaries would be a…
Family is often thought of as the ultimate support system for a person – to be there for you, no matter what. But what if that is simply not the case for you? What if a member of your family or even your whole family, is a constant source of feuding and frustration for you?…
Do you ever find yourself looking at your friendship circle in disbelief? Wondering how on earth its changed so much over the years? Perhaps its shrunk in size, maybe its non-existent or you feel like the quality of the friendships that remain are simply nowhere near what they used to be. If so, welcome to…
More and more in the media today we hear the term; “Gaslighting” but what exactly is gaslighting? And how do you know if it’s happening to you? Psychologists use the term “gaslighting” to refer to a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is trying to get someone else (or a group of people)…
While studying child and adolescent counselling and psychotherapy I found myself becoming engrossed in all thing’s attachment related and I feel this is something we all need to understand, especially our own personal attachment styles. Recently, I have found myself on my own path of discovery, unearthing and trying to comprehend my own personal…
I have spoken about the Sound Relationship House in previous blogs (and have attached it below). It starts off with the foundation layer known as building your love map. Love maps are simply knowing the little things about your partner’s life which creates a strong foundation for your friendship and intimacy. When I meet…
“He needs to grow up!” “She is nagging me!” “She is acting like my mother!” “He is treating me like a child!” Are some of these phases familiar in your relationship? If so, Transactional Analysis in relationships could shed a light on why they appear in adult relationships. Transactional analysis is a concept created…
To follow on from my previous blog “Communication vs Confrontation”, I wanted to write about the “Pinch Crunch Test”. This comes into play at the start of a relationship, and it can lay the foundations for communication throughout your relationship. When two people meet for the first time, it’s wonderful! A physical attraction builds…
Communication vs Confrontation Communication is the basis of human extinct and as a relationship counsellor the main thing I hear from couples in the counselling room is that we do not know how to communicate. From my experience couples think that communication is or leads to confrontation. However, this does not need to be…