How Many Pennies Will You Pick Up in Your Marriage?

How Many Pennies Will You Pick Up in Your Marriage?

When I was a senior in college, my boyfriend and I committed to picking up all the loose change we found and collecting it in one big jar. This was from 1994 to 1995. By the summer of 1995, we had collected $128.47. We attended a wedding that summer and paid for the weekend trip with our found money (and at age 22, this felt amazing). Not surprisingly, much of the change was pennies.

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What is the Price of Admission for a Meaningful Relationship?

What is the Price of Admission for a Meaningful Relationship?

“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.” - Susan David, PhD. I shared this quote early on, at a recent relationship retreat that I taught. Because what most gets in the way of meaningful and connected relationships? Fear. Shame. Embarrassment. Sadness….

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The Contribution of Listening…It’s Not Doing “Nothing”

The Contribution of Listening…It’s Not Doing “Nothing”

“Hi, Jenn,” the front desk volunteer said as I answered the phone. “I wasn’t sure who to call…a young man just walked into The Center and he said he just tested positive for HIV. He wanted to talk to someone and I guided him into the library to wait. Could you come down and talk to him?” Shit….

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Pain During Sex - The Pain Perception Project For Women

Pain During Sex - The Pain Perception Project For Women

“It hurts when we have sex.” When a woman in my intimacy coaching private practice shares this with me, I know it can mean many things. A while ago in a nationally-representative sex research study, one-third of the women indicated that they had recently experienced pain in a sexual encounter…

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3 Career Strengths That are Detrimental in Your Marriage

3 Career Strengths That are Detrimental in Your Marriage

You excel in your career because you are logical, focused, and decisive in your leadership. But these strengths in business can create friction and resentment at home. Reflecting on these strengths through the lens of relationship distress, though, can give you a new framework to empathize with your partner and avoid these common pitfalls.

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3 Keys to Thriving Intimacy in Your Marriage

3 Keys to Thriving Intimacy in Your Marriage

Are you able to accept change? Intimacy, whether in the form of emotional closeness or sexual connection, changes throughout a long-term relationship. Shifts in your intimate connections are inevitable, because: Priorities change. Families change. Jobs change. Needs change. Hormones change. Bodies change….

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