With a lilt in her Western European accent, master relationship builder Hedy Schleifer told a gently humorous and familiar story when control came up in her couples’ workshops. Hers was a rich and beautiful marriage to Yumi, her partner for 50 years. She would say:… Read More

Anxiety is a natural human response to uncertainty or the perception of danger or threat. It arises from natural cues delivered through our amygdala, an almond-shaped organ in the center of our brain. It’s the origin of our instincts for “flight, fight, or freeze”… Read More

In part one of this series, we talked about some of the easier questions we pose in a period of figuring out if we fit for long-term success. In the breezy beginning of relationships, it’s easy to feel good. Buoyant. Our optimism is high. We… Read More

It’s interesting to see the shift toward older couples thinking about marriage. Years back, it seemed that 25 was about the time young adults began to imagine themselves making a marriage commitment and tying the knot. In many premarital relationship therapy sessions, I now see… Read More

We give away our power in relationships for many reasons, most of which lie below our conscious awareness. From a desire for approval to an idealization of our partner, we can allow our needs to become so intertwined with our relationships that the power shifts.… Read More