Is relational happiness reality minus expectations? Have you ever watched that seen from the the movie, 500 Days Of Summer, where Joseph Gordon Levitt, can’t wait to meet his ex, Zoey Deschanel at a party she’s hosting? He thinks that the meeting will go one way; they will immediately reconnect and realize that they are […]

As a clinical social worker and therapist, I spend a lot of time speaking with individuals and couples teaching them how to feel their feelings. They are a critical piece of how we make positive change and move through life’s challenges. Emotions also offer us critical information about our needs, boundaries, relationships, and the world […]

By: Brynne Kessler, MFT John Gottman’s research reflects: couples who stay together the longest are those who allow each other to be influenced by another. In other words, it is important to remain open to your partner’s perspective. As a couple’s therapist, I often witness couples get stuck in the communication challenge of needing to be […]

Studies show that 40 to 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. If you’re looking at relationships in general, the breakup rate is much higher. In some cases, the people in the relationship shouldn’t be together, and breaking up is a good thing. However, there are tons of couples that could be truly happy and content if […]

How to make marriage work and stop fighting By: Jennifer Seip, LMFT, MA 1/14/21   It is hard to make marriage work. You spend years waking up to the same person every day. You see them at their best and at their worst. Small annoyances that you thought you could let go, slowly start to […]

By: Jennifer Seip, LMFT   Do you know when it’s okay to keep something hidden from your partner?  Many believe that in a romantic relationship, there shouldn’t be anything hidden. But how close is too close? When should you disclose information and when should it be kept to yourself? In this article, I am referring […]

Yesterday, my husband and I were talking and the topic of insecurity came up. More specifically, insecure attachment. Quickly into our conversation we realized that we had two different definitions of what it means to feel insecure in a relationship. So today I think it would be nice to break down what attachment is in […]

Mentally Strong: 6 Strategies for Raising A Resilient Child What do you think of when I refer to the words mentally strong?  Some individuals will think that it means being able to suppress emotions. Others might say that being strong mentally means not caring. On the contrary. An individual who is mentally strong is resilient […]

If you prefer watching instead of reading, click here! I’m sure you’ve heard this story before. You and your partner are trying to make a decision. For example, let’s say you’re planning a vacation. You want to go to a nice relaxing beach resort and they want to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Because […]

“I never expected this.” Why some affairs happen. 12/19/2018 By: Jennifer Seip, LMFT, MA What do you think of when you hear the word cheat, or affair? Do you think of an adulterer who committed a horrible crime? Or someone who only considers themselves, and has no concern about who they are hurting? Possibly both? […]

Learn why mind reading can both help and harm your relationship Mindreading: The Good and Bad 12/28/18 By: Jennifer Seip, LMFT   Let’s say a couple walks into my office. We’ll call them John and Judy. Right away John and Judy begin talking about a small disagreement they had last week. According to Judy, when […]

The importance of having self compassion. By, Jennifer Seip   I am definitely a believer in a bit of self disclosure. Some therapists are not, but if you haven’t already discovered from watching my videos and reading my blog posts, I am. Lately I’ve been a bit out of sorts, even a little down. This […]