So you moved in together, got married, or are in a long-term relationship. Things were going great, but recently something has shifted and changed. Either that passion has faded or conversations are more and more becoming heated arguments. You still love your partner, but are wondering, "How do we make things better?" 

I (Lindsay) work with couples and partners experiencing relationship stress and difficulty communicating. Together, we work to understand different relationship dynamics and practice new skills. But what is couples therapy and how can it help? This article will answering some commonly asked questions to help you know if couples therapy or marriage counseling is right for you and your partner.

It seems, recently, a lot of people have been asking about gaslighting and wondering, “Am I being gaslighted?” So let’s talk about what it is and how to know if you’re being gaslighted. We’ll also look at some strategies to deal with it as well.

Last week was a doozy, wasn’t it? We are on the edge of losing rights to our bodies and to our reproductive and sexual health care. There’s speculation and dread that marriage equality rights are next. Gender-affirming health care rights are being stripped away state by state. Ukraine is still being destroyed. Oh ya, and this week it will be in the 90’s. If you just planted your precious starters outside that you’re hoping will nourish you this season, you probably tried to frantically find shade cloth at the garden centers, but there was none. They only had frost blankets in stock. Why’s that? Because it’s not normal for it to be this hot this early. In the West, it has been the driest two decades in 1,200 years.

This is happening.

On top of all that, your boss keeps emailing you asking for tedious reports and numbers. They’ve marked these obtuse emails with the dreaded red exclamation mark as if their crisis, passed down from upper management’s anxiety, is the only thing that matters in the world.

Sigh…

An invitation.

Before you open your email this morning, take a moment to find center.

Values are like the North Star. In the night’s sky, the North Star is nearly still as the northern sky moves around it. For this reason, the North Star can be used as an old school way of navigation. Getting to know your values is about finding direction and your life’s purpose, finding your True North. Take a moment to reflect on the relationships or practices in your life that keep you steady when things in life threaten to uproot you.