Relationship and Marital Problems
Marriage Counseling and Relationship Counseling in Center City Philadelphia : Perhaps you've experienced a divorce, or have simply been single for a while and are hoping to enter a new relationship. Maybe you're not sure if the one you have now is worth saving, as the passion may have waned and you've begun fighting with your partner. This section is designed to help you answer all those questions and to develop the skills needed to work through common relationship problems.
Below you will find all the tips written on this topic. For more specific browsing, see the "now browsing" section on the left side of the page.
5 Ways to Fix Communication With Your Partner Today
Communication with your partner can be a struggle at any stage in your relationship. The following 5 steps provide you with an overview of effective strategies to improve your communication with you partner now.
About Loss
A tip about loss
Accepting your partners limitations
Techniques for accepting your partners limitations
All Kinds of Grief
This article explores the varied types of grief: death of a loved one, losing a job, divorce, children growing up, and bankruptcy. Additionally, some ideas on how to cope are suggested.
Assertive, Aggressive, and Non-Assertive Communication Styles
This tip is designed to explore three different styles of communication, the payoffs and effects of each, and provide some tips for becoming more assertive.
Befriending your Ex: When is This Okay?
Are you ready to enter into a friendship with an ex? Do you know how to be friends with your ex? Here are a few important areas to considering before agreeing to a friendship.
Blaming and Codependency
Learn how to effectively communicate to your partner, friends, or family, without the use of blame or attacking messages. These steps will help you be heard, rather than lead you to arguing about the insignificant details.
Common Cognitive Distortions
This is an overview of Common Cognitive Distortions. Cognitive Distortions tend to occur when we are stuck in our negative thinking. These types of thoughts are especially common for individuals struggling with anxiety or depression. Take a look over the list to see if you can connect with any of the definitions or examples. It is possible to have more than one cognitive distortion at a time.
Coping with a passive agressive partner
Recognize and cope with a passive aggressive partner: learning to read between the lines. A tip geared for women.
Couples and Money
This tip is geared for couples with a shared bank account.
Examples of Blame-Free Communication
In order to effectively express yourself and to address conflict, there are six basic steps to follow in order to successfully confront conflict with a friend, loved one, partner, etc. Read the following examples to learn how to apply these 6 steps and how to develop your own sentences.
Facebook and Breakups
Do you use Facebook as a way to keep you connected to past relationships? Do you find yourself checking Facebook updates of an ex often as a way to stay updated? Facebook is still new to us when it comes to the dating world and the breakup process.
Family Roles: In the Addictive System
Often in family system struggling with addiction, or addiction and depression, it is common for family members to take on specific roles with the intention of helping the addicted person. Unfortunately the dysfunctional roles can contribute to more problems, rather than solving them. Learn the difference between the roles in a dysfunctional family versus a functional family system.
Having a conversation to assert your boundaries.
A walk-through guide to have a conversation to assert boundaries.
Hidden Hostility
Hidden hostility: uncovering passive-aggression.
How is a Personality Disorder Diagnosed? And What Does That Mean?
This tip will help explain how someone gets diagnosed with a personality disorder and what that can mean and look like for their life and relationships.
How to care for yourself after a breakup
In the days after a break-up, we usually find ourselves in an emotional world-wind. We are not only experiencing overwhelming emotions, but also having to re-organize our lives. In those early days one needs to go back to the basics. In order to handle the stress load of a break-up one needs to take care of themselves most of all.
How To Nurture Your Relationship
The following exercise is a way for you and your spouse to demonstrate your ability to care for each other by meeting the other’s identified wants and needs on a daily basis. This is a great way to track your needs, and your partners. As we grow and change, so do our needs and wants in a relationship.
How To Speak Up
How to Regain the Equality in Your Relationship – A Guide for Men.
Improving Relationships
Improving Relationships - requires taking action. How to take the initiative.
Letting Go of Expectations
It's always good to strive for more, but sometimes when we have too many or too high of expectations, they can create rigid thinking of what's "supposed to be." Sometimes having no expectations can lead to the best results.
Maximizing your Pre-Cana experience
How to maximize your Pre-Cana experience.
MTV True Life Documentary
Are you willing to share your story on TV? If so, keep reading . . .
New Relationship and Facebook
If you're thinking of communicating with your new partner on Facebook, learn helpful tools on how to successfully manage a budding relationship in the land of social networking.
Positive Thinking
Positive Thinking to Counteract Low Self Esteem.
Practicing Fair Fighting
A step-by-step guide to fair fighting techniques.
Protecting yourself from your partners anxiety
How to protect yourself from your partner's anxiety.
Psychotherapy and Counseling: What’s the Difference?
Have you often heard various types of words to describe therapy? Have you wondered if there's even a difference between Counseling and Psychotherapy? There's many different labels for psychotherapy, and there are many different labels for the psychotherapist. Keep reading to find out the difference.
Psychotherapy and Family History
It is common for new clients to question the purpose or necessity in exploring their family history, but exploring our past can help us gain a better understanding about ourselves and how we behave today.
Quick Boundary Tips
Short statements you can practice to use in the moment to set boundaries.
Re-framing the Concept of Boundaries
Having boundaries in your life means having awareness of what you are comfortable with when it comes to your relationships with others. When we know what works for us, we can give those around us clear lines and expectations, which in turn improves the quality of our relationships.
Redirecting your Post-Wedding Day Blues
For many newlyweds, as happy as they are to finally be married, it is normal to experience a sense of loss for your wedding day. Develop effective tools to put your focus and energy on your marriage, and learn to cope with your "big day" being in the past.
Resolving an Argument
Fair fighting techniques - resolving an argument.
Separation with Adult Children
This is a vignette about the emotional impact a parent's separation can have on their child, even when the separation occurs later in life and the child is now an adult.
Shacking up: Should I or Shouldn’t I?
You know your goal with your partner is marriage, and possibly one day have children, but you're not ready to get engaged. Right now, all you are trying to do is figure out “should I or shouldn't I shack up?”
The Addictive Family System
Often in a family system suffering from addiction, or addiction and depression, there's many dysfunctional tendencies that develop over time, from enmeshment, enabling, to secrecy. Read on to identify the difference for yourself between a dysfunctional and functional family system.
Wedding Survival Strategies
Eight strategies to help manage your stress and expectations for you and your fiance for your big day.
What Does It Mean To Be Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder.
This tip enlightens readers on the DSM-IV-TR criteria for BPD, and explains the basic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with the disorder. Also included is some references for treatment.
What is ADD/ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a medical condition resulting in hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility. You cannot prevent or cure your ADD, but you can learn strategies to better manage your symptoms and in turn reduce the ADD’s impairment.
What is Codependency?
Have you wondered if your loyalties to loved ones and friends have been borderline codependent? Have you been called codependent, but you're still not sure what it is? Read this tip to gain understanding on the typical behaviors of someone who struggles with codependency.
What is Self-Esteem?
An overview of healthy vs. too low self-esteem. Including factors that influence positive and negative self-esteem.
When You Give Too Much
When You Give Too Much - Helping Individuals Regain Equality in Their Relationship:
Working Towards Healing After a Loss
Developing a plan of action.