March 8, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
If saving the marriage is important to both partners, finding a good marriage counselor is probably the most important thing you will ever do. The tips for finding a good marriage counselor are no different than what you would do…
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February 23, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a marriage but any couple that doesn’t recognize the sensitive nature of financial decisions and money management styles is in big trouble from the beginning. It may not be…
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February 17, 2015 Communication
Unless you are forced to communicate with a narcissist because they are in your family or you work with them or, God forbid, for them, I would just stay away. Narcissists have very poor interpersonal communications skills themselves and are…
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February 7, 2015 Communication
Nonverbal communication is very important in understanding the full meaning of any verbal communication. Understanding nonverbal communication is an art and takes some time and practice. There are some simple tips that you can begin to use with your friends….
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February 6, 2015 Communication
Assertiveness is sometimes confused with aggressiveness and there is a point at which the two might meet and even overlap a little bit. Essentially, aggression suggests attacking and violence. It is a word used for war. In its more positive…
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Blended families create all of the problems of relating to another human being and more. The best thing to do is start as early as possible getting your kids ready for their new situation. Start as soon as you know…
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February 1, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
Dealing with dating after a divorce is potentially one of life’s most difficult endeavors. The difficulty with the children depends somewhat on their ages but some children are going to be upset about you starting to date again regardless of…
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January 30, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
As for the actual dollar cost of marriage counseling, it is generally the same as for individual counseling, which means the range is quite large. You must decide together what you are able to pay or willing to pay. How…
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January 24, 2015 Communication
One of the biggest obstacles to self-expression is knowing which self to express. It could be said that our purpose in life is to discover the true self. If we are afraid of expressing ourselves, it is likely that the…
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January 21, 2015 Communication
Dealing with conflict can take courage in any setting. It is especially important at work. A conflict at work can cause a real slow-down in productivity and hurts the bottom line. Unaddressed conflicts can smolder over time and eventually blow…
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January 21, 2015 Communication
Providing feedback that has an impact but which does not cause the other person to become defensive is an art. It is always best, when providing feedback, to begin with something positive and, if possible, end with something positive. The…
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January 21, 2015 Communication
Honest feedback can be brutal if you’re too thin-skinned. On the other hand, improvement in your chosen field will go much slower if do not solicit and accept honest feedback. It helps a great deal to know yourself well. It…
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January 21, 2015 Communication
As an experienced speaker, I appreciate the work that Toastmasters does. It’s a little too structured for my taste but at least individuals have plenty of opportunities to speak in front of a small and supportive audience. The short one…
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January 20, 2015 Communication
The difficulty with communicating cross culturally varies with the amount of difference that exists between the two cultures. An American won’t have too much difficulty communicating with any other English-speaking person from another country. (Although when I traveled in the…
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January 20, 2015 Communication
Toastmasters is the one of the oldest and easily the largest speakers’ clubs in America, having been holding meetings since 1924. It has thousands of chapters all over the US and is being imitated in many other countries. The goal…
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December 6, 2014 Communication
People lie to protect their ego and/or their self image. We lie because we think the truth will diminish how others see us. Even as children, we lie when we have done something wrong, something bad. If we expect our…
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There are plenty of stereotypes regarding homosexual relationships. The fact is that every gay and lesbian relationship is as unique as any heterosexual relationship. It is only the sexual act or expression that is different. Even in heterosexual relationships, it…
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Coming out in a heterosexual relationship usually means there has already been infidelity. This of course must be addressed right away, preferable with a counselor or therapist. Infidelity is always serious regardless of the orientation involved. It is always a…
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Do gentlemen prefer blonds? Not being a gentleman, I wouldn’t know. What I do know is that preferences regarding hair color, body type, race, and nationality are pretty much culturally determined. Society determines who is cool and who is not,…
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August 30, 2014 Friends and Peers
Demonstrating respect at work isn’t much different than demonstrating respect anywhere else. The relationships are different at work, except for those coworkers who are also friends, but human interactions are the same in most situations. Showing respect for others is…
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August 24, 2014 Marriage and Divorce
There is more divorce today because of changing attitudes and values. There are also very different expectations of marriage today. Attitudes & Values Fifty to 100 years ago divorce was a rare and unacceptable event. It was the cause for…
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July 9, 2014 Friends and Peers
If you have lived in the same city or area for a long time, you may already know a number of singles, especially if you have been single for some time. If you are new to the area or new…
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June 14, 2014 Marriage and Divorce
In today’s America, it would be very surprising to find a newlywed man or woman without a sexual past. Fundamentalists preach “just say no” and don’t let their girls use birth control. As a result, there are more pregnancies among…
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April 27, 2014 Marriage and Divorce
What we can say about so-called “love” marriages is that the percentage of successes versus failures is the same as the flip of a coin. The number of divorces per marriage alone makes love marriages a losing bet in the…
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The most common and often the most injurious consequence of low self-esteem in dating is that we aim too low. We seek out someone who experiences the same lack of self-esteem that we experience. These are not relationships made in…
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January 16, 2014 Marriage and Divorce
There are plenty of marriages that prove the point that marriage can continue without the couple being in love. But there is a big difference between a loveless marriage and a couple that is no longer “in love.” In a…
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November 24, 2013 Communication
Parents shape our dreams whether they intend to or not. Every word and every action of a parent influences a child, especially in the formative years. A single sentence or action can shape a child’s life well into adulthood. Because…
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October 13, 2013 Marriage and Divorce
Marriage counseling is a dynamic relationship between three people, the couple and the counselor. Marriage counseling is not something that works or does not work. It is the couple that goes to marriage counseling who either work or don’t work….
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Welcoming a new sibling can be a tough one for a child, especially if it is the first child. The more years that first child has been an only child, the harder it may be to accept an interloper who…
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