Category
Love & Relationships
Browse the love & relationships library by topic first, then narrow into articles, websites, videos, or events.
Topics
Love & Relationships Topics
Like the legacy category pages, start with the full topic folder list. The selected lane controls where each topic opens.
Everything37,834Browse the category resource libraryArticles31,922Read expert articles and newslettersWebsites5,912Browse recommended websites and resourcesVideos0Watch category videosEvents0Find upcoming sessions and events
Topic clicks are currently scoped to Everything. Choose Articles, Websites, Videos, or Events to open that resource type for every topic below.
Blended FamiliesChild DevelopmentDatingDivorceDomestic Violence and Abusive RelationshipsFamilyForgivenessFriendship & LonelinessIntimacyLoveMarriage CoachingMen's PsychologyOvercoming Adultery and InfidelityParentingPassionRelationship AdviceSexualitySinglesTantraTeenagers and ParentingTrustWeddings and Wedding Planning
Everything
Love & Relationships Resources
Browse a compact directory list below, or use the topic folders above for a focused legacy-style path.
30 resources
ARTArticleAccepting Your Child's MistakesOne of the most difficult parts of being a father is learning to accept your children's mistakes. It's certainly easy to be loving, supportive, and helpful when your children are mistake-free, but most fathers who are paying attention don't find too many mistake-free periods of their children's ...ARTArticleAccessing Your Spiritual GuidanceFor the last 35 years, I have been working with individuals, couples and families, as well as business relationships. I have 8 published books on relationships and healing, some of them best-sellers. In the first half of my career, I worked as a traditional psychotherapist, and was not happy ...ARTArticleActions of LoveMyrna, 38 and a successful physician, sought my help because she often felt inadequate. While she really valued herself as a doctor, she did not value herself in her important relationships with friends and family. In addition, she said she wanted to be in a loving relationship but she took no ...ARTArticleAddiction to NumbnessLinda sat opposite me at one of my five-day Inner Bonding Intensives. She had decided to attend the Intensive because her depression, which had plagued her for years, was not being helped by medication or by the numerous forms of therapy that she had tried.
As she sat opposite me, telling me ...ARTArticleAddiction to PerfectionThe following email was sent to me by Karen, a member of our website:
“For no obvious reason this morning, I was feeling anxious and depressed. I looked at it and realized that the false belief creating all this was that I have to be perfect in order for me to allow myself to feel happiness. ...ARTArticleAddiction to Self-Judgment“I’m such a jerk. How could I have said that?”
“I’m a looser. I’ll never get anywhere.”
“I’m so stupid. I should have learned this by now.”
“I don’t fit in. I don’t belong with these people.”
“I’ll never be good enough. I’ll never do it right enough.”
“I’m permanently emotionally damaged. I’ll ...ARTArticleAddiction to Venting"I was up too late with my friend Peg last night," Abigail told me in our phone session. "She was needing to vent. Then I had a problem falling asleep, but at least I was there for her."
"How often does this happen?" I asked her.
"Oh, fairly often. At least every couple of weeks."
"Why do you ...ARTArticleAlcoholism and HealingJeffrey showed up at one of my 5-Day Inner Bonding Intensives to deal with his alcoholism and resulting relationship problems. His past two marriages had ended in messy divorces. His business was falling apart. Yet in the face of all of this, Jeffrey could not or would not stop drinking.
Two ...ARTArticleAlcoholism: Why Can't I Stop Drinking?The underlying basis of all addictions - and alcohol is no exception - is the avoidance of pain. While there is evidence that some people have genetic and biological predispositions toward alcoholism, not all people with these predispositions abuse alcohol or become alcohol dependent. Many ...ARTArticleAnger and Hurting and Fears….oh dear!!Have you ever thought about how ill-equipped we are to handle our emotions? I know, that is a terribly negative opening statement, but really think about it…how many people do you know that are really okay with all their emotions and the expression thereof? I suspect not many; at least that has been my experience. But then again, how often were you instructed with the skills and attitudes that would result in healthy emotional processing and expression? Not much, if any, is what I have heard from many hundreds of people.ARTArticleAnxiety: A Lack of RealityBrent started to work with me after his wife, Carla, suddenly decided to leave the marriage. They had been married five years and Brent thought everything was fine. Then Brent became ill and Carla withdrew. And then she was gone.
Brent was devastated. He loved Carla and wanted her back. ...ARTArticleAre You a Perfectionist or Someone Who Values Doing Things Well?Are you wondering if you are a perfectionist or just someone who values doing things well? Answer the following seven questions:
When you fail or fall short of your expectations, do you:
Beat yourself up in your mind with negative self-talk? People who value doing the best they can understand that they will make mistakes no matter how hard they try. Perfectionists don't allow themselves to make mistakes and are extremely hard on themselves when they do.ARTArticleAre You Love Addicted?Imagine that you have a little child - a son or daughter, but that you are only 15 years old. How are you going to feel about this child? There is a good possibility that you will feel that this child is a burden, limiting your freedom. You will likely feel that the child is too demanding, ...ARTArticleAre You Stuck in Your Life?Are you constantly reading self-help and motivational books yet nothing changes? Have you tried many different forms of therapy yet still feel unhappy, anxious, depressed and alone? Do you often have the answers for others but not for yourself?
The problem may be that you are intent on ...ARTArticleBe a Failure...To Succeed!I bet you have never had anyone encourage you to be a failure before! Seriously, learning to fail forward will catapult you to success and happiness. The key to understanding failure is that when you fail YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! Take the “you” out of failure. It is not personal and it has ...ARTArticleBeing A FatherAnother Father's Day has passed. This was a time of family gatherings to celebrate fathers. Family traditions of cookouts, picnics, sports, and dining out are fairly common.
I believe that the role of fathers has been diminished over time. There’s been an evolution of his earlier role of going out and killing the beast for supper to being more involved emotionally. Numerous articles and books have been written about this. There is a tremendous amount of research about being a father. It has been dissected from every angle and from numerous counseling theories.ARTArticleBeing a Happy Parent – Part of Good ParentingWhen you were growing up, did you ever wish that your parents were happy? Did you feel safe when they were happy and peaceful?
My mother was rarely a happy person. Most of the time she was anxious, angry and felt overburdened, even though I was her only child. She rarely laughed and was often ...ARTArticleBeing a MotherMother's Day is just around the corner. This is a time of family gatherings to celebrate mothers. Family traditions of cookouts, picnics and dining out are fairly common. It goes without saying; mothers play a very important role in our lives. Many articles and books have been written about this. There is a tremendous amount of research about being a mother. It has been dissected from every angle and from numerous counseling theories. Attachment theory says that Infants form attachments to any consistent caregiver who is sensitive and responsive in social interactions with them.ARTArticleBeing a MotherIt goes without saying; mothers play a very important role in our lives. Many articles and books have been written about this. There is a tremendous amount of research about being a mother. It has been dissected from every angle and from numerous counseling theories. Attachment theory says that Infants form attachments to any consistent caregiver who is sensitive and responsive in social interactions with them. The quality of the social engagement is more influential than the amount of time spent.ARTArticleBonding With Your Partner - Without Candles, Wine or Lingerie!A jou
alist interviewed me regarding intimacy in relationships. One of her questions was, “What are some of the easy ways in which husband and wife can bond - without candles and wine and expensive lingerie?”
Easy ways? Well, it depends on what you mean by easy!
Bonding has ...ARTArticleBreaking the Cycle of Unhealthy RelationshipsRepeats are nice if you are the Los Angeles Lakers or Lance Armstrong, but when it comes to unhealthy relationships, forget it. Nobody wants to repeat the same mistakes over and over. However, when it comes to relationships, far too many people marry for the second or third or fourth time and ...ARTArticleBringing Vitality Back Into Your FamilyThe dictionary defines vitality as:
1) Capacity for survival or for the continuation of a meaningful or purposeful existence: the vitality of an institution.
2) Power to live or grow: the vitality of a language.
As a parent, what do you feel brings vitality to your families? How do you preserve what is meaningful and important and pass that onto your children?ARTArticleCan This Relationship Be Helped?I have been counseling couples for 35 years. Quite often individuals come in for help wondering if it is really possible to save or improve their relationship. Perhaps their partner is totally uninterested in working on the relationship. Perhaps their partner is an alcoholic or drug addict. What ...ARTArticleCaretaking Parents, Entitled KidsDemanding children – children who have entitlement issues – seem to be common these days. Like the obnoxious child, Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, who was constantly demanding that her father get her whatever she wanted (“I want an Umpa Lumpa! Get it for me NOW!”), we hear ...ARTArticleChangeOne thing in life is certain---change. Things never stay the same. If you are hoping for the status quo, then I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Just think back to how things were five years ago and you will realize that there is so very much that’s already different in a very short time.
I’m ...ARTArticleChild Violence - STOP Bullying & Improve Your Child's Self-esteemDid you know that over 6 million boys and 4 million girls are involved in fights every year on school grounds? Many are physically threatened while a large number of students are also robbed.
Bullying has become a very serious "Hot" topic today. It's been in the news, and the theme of several talk shows in the past couple years. The problem has been around for as long as people have been around, but it's only been recently that we've become aware enough to do something about it.
What signs can parents look for to find out if their child is being bullied?ARTArticleChristian Codependency: Changing the Beliefs Underlying False GuiltAre you struggling with Christian codependency? If you answered yes, then you probably experience feeling guilty often in your relationships. Codependents struggle with guilt in relationships because they hold untrue beliefs about relationships. They need to change their inaccurate beliefs about relationships to the following true beliefs:ARTArticleChristian Codependency: Does God Want You To Be Codependent?Are you looking for help for your Christian codependency? If so, do you wonder if God wants you to be codependent? Christian codependents tend to overly give, ignore their own needs, tolerate mistreatment, and lose themselves while believing God is pleased with them. Many of the beliefs people commonly hold about what the Bible teaches about relationships appear to support the view that God wants us to be codependent. These four Scriptural teachings are often taken out of context and applied in ways that are unhealthy and unbalanced:ARTArticleChristian Codependency: Four Beliefs That Prevent You From Nurturing YourselfMost of us don't do well with nurturing ourselves. We are experts at taking care of others' needs and ignoring our own needs. Some of this self-neglect comes from four Christian codependency beliefs that prevent you from nurturing yourself.
Which of these beliefs have contributed to you not nurturing yourself?ARTArticleChristian Codependency: Four Biblical Reasons You Need Strong Relationship BoundariesIf you are struggling with Christian codependency, you probably have weak boundaries. This article will give you four biblical reasons you need strong relationship boundaries.
People will know their choices carry consequences. God has established the law of reaping and sowing to teach people that some of their choices aren't good. Galatians 6:7-8 says that if you sow bad things, you will reap bad results; if you sow good things, you will reap good results. When the violation of your boundaries has consequences, people will learn to make better choices.