When I started dating my husband years ago, I remember getting so mad when he didn’t feel like discussing an issue that came up. I would keep asking questions and pushing the issue until he said something. The thing is, that rarely got me anywhere. He would get annoyed and shut down even more, and I would get angrier and ask more questions—until I realized I was talking to … [Read more...]
Ladies, If He Really, Truly Loves You, He’ll Do These 5 Things
I believe that love does not conquer all. And not only do I not believe it, but as a happily married woman, I have no problem sharing that belief with others. It’s not that I don’t believe in the importance or power of love, because I do. I’m actually a romantic at heart (no really, I am). The thing is, I am also a realist. And as a realist, I really can’t sit here and tell … [Read more...]
Bad Communication: 5 Reasons Your Spouse Doesn’t Listen to You
I love talking to people. Frankly, I can be a chatterbox. My husband knew what he was signing up for, so he’s rolled with it, even though he’s a lot quieter than I am. I suppose we balance each other out. My son is quite the chatterbox as well, and my husband always laughs and looks at me when my son won’t stop talking. The apple doesn’t fall too far. With my love for … [Read more...]
Rephrasing Things So Your Husband Can Actually Hear You
I think men often get a bad rep for not being the best listeners. I’ve heard women complain about how their husband tunes them out or doesn’t quite get what they are trying to express. But as communicators, we have to really be willing to ask ourselves some tough questions if our messages are not being well received. Sometimes the problem is not the message or the receiver. … [Read more...]
5 Ways the Gift of Listening Will Benefit Your Relationship
As a seasoned clinical psychotherapist, I am blessed with a wonderful opportunity to listen to people share their joy, sorrow, pain and happiness. Over the past two years alone, I have had 1,980 client encounters and have spent over 300 hours listening to family and friends bear their hearts and souls. Within the past fifteen years, I have listened to over 20,000 people from … [Read more...]