Episodes

No couple wants their marriage to be dysfunctional, and yet, many couples live in perpetual dysfunction. They operate like two blind people learning to dance with each other…they keep stepping on each other’s toes! It doesn’t have to stay that way. If you’re one of the millions facing constant struggles in your marriage, your first step is to change your habits. If you’ve taken on any of these 5 common habits below, work to stop them and replace them with more productive practices. Don’t lose ho...

Those in a relationship with an emotionally unavailable partner often find themselves in conflict with the partner, or at the very least frustrated or confused. However, few understand what causes such emotional unavailability, much less how to reach out to connect. The person who is emotionally unavailable rarely realises the pain and confusion caused to the very person they want to hurt the least. But they see their emotions as negative or unnecessary and internalize them to the extent that th...

Parental messaging in childhood, even without qualifying as a disorder, can strongly impact feelings of inadequacy, leaving in their wake the message of “never being enough.” This is especially true if one or both parents were on the spectrum of narcissisticattitudes and behaviors. Parents with narcissistic traits often cannot adequately provide empathy, unconditional love, and acceptance to their children. Healthy attachment and secure separation and individuation are based on experiencing thes...

Jason Hopcus’s personal mission is to advance human connection by embracing the conversation among fighters; the folks whose journeys from black to light give hope to those that deserve a 2nd or even a 3rd chance to be the ambassadors of conversation. Jason - acts as a motivator and catalyst for powerful cultural change within both for-profit and non- profit organizations. - believes connection to oneself, one’s transparency, and one’s passion allows individuals to live a wholly authentic, full ...

For as long as the concept of love has existed, so has the concept of heartbreak. A breakup brings with it a myriad of emotions; rawest of them all being grief. Conventionally, the word grief may be strongly associated with death but it is also a significant part of breakups. A breakup signifies loss. The loss of companionship and expectations about the future. The ‘heartbreak syndrome’, states that grief after a breakup is akin to grief associated with death. A breakup can mimic feelings of ber...

People whose gender identity or expression does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth are transgender. While individuals may be assigned to a sex at birth based on how they present biologically, their sense of their gender may differ. A trans man is a man who was identified as female at birth, and a trans woman is a woman who was identified as male. (Transsexual is an older term that referred to trans individuals who sought or undertook intervention to change their bodies.) Many tra...

We all have heard about the law of attraction. It is one of those popular self-growth methods used for personal and professional growth. The Law of attraction is based on the common saying “you attract what you are.” Before beginning, how many of you believe that it’s true “you attract what you are?” Tune in and learn how what we attracts effects who we become!

When it comes to the survival of intimate relationships, no matter how much love there is between you and your partner, there’s no guarantee that you both will be able to make your love last—even if you think you’re soulmates. In fact, without empathy, the love in your relationship will end up like love in tennis—one big zero. If you are questioning whether or not to throw in the relationship towel and call things quits, I am asking you to carefully pay attention to what I am about to share abou...

Cheating. It’s the ultimate relationship violation, and one of the most notorious relationship killers. But all affairs aren’t created equal. Some of these relationships are brief trysts, others are longer affairs. A partner’s infidelity can end the relationship, but not always. To understand how these different outcomes come about, we have to go back to the beginning. Why are partners unfaithful in the first place? In the quest for answers, the most common culprit is to diagnose what’s missing ...

A broad term, somatics focuses on body movement as a means to improve mental health. Its history dates back to physical education movements of the 19th century, and included many practices, including yoga, pilates, and judo. Among the most prominent schools of somatics is that created by Thomas Hanna, who, in the 1970s, introduced and named the concept of “Somatics.” He theorizes that for sufferers of chronic pain, a significant amount is a result of “sensory motor amnesia,” in which neurons in ...

Is it better to give than to get? Being a giver is an attribute valued by society at multiple levels: in close relationships with a spouse, significant others, family, friends, or co-workers; or in a broad, less personal way, such as giving to charities or volunteering time to help those in need. Giving has many benefits for one’s health, psychological well-being, and spiritual growth. Givers are valued for their prosocial traits, such as selflessness, altruism, or kindness. Yet, there may be a ...

Resentful people are always holding on to the things that hurt them like burning pieces of wood they can’t seem to let go of. They do this to be able to throw those things back at the people who hurt them anytime they please. The funny thing is that, by doing this, they only end up hurting themselves. There’s nothing positive about holding on to that burning hatred and anger for so long. Most of us know a resentful person. However, there’s one thing we must always keep in mind. More often than n...

Emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior in which the perpetrator insults, humiliates, and generally instills fear in an individual in order to control them. The individual's reality may become distorted as they internalize the abuse as their own failings. People who suffer emotional abuse can experience short-term difficulties such as confusion, fear, difficulty concentrating, and low confidence, as well as nightmares, aches, and a racing heart. Long-term repercussions may include anxiety, inso...

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or unease about a situation. We all feel anxious at times and we all worry, but sometimes these feelings can become so intense and overwhelming that they consume your daily life and your energy—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Anxiety doesn't live in a vacuum. Even in the most loving relationships, if one partner has anxiety, it can really strain the relationship and dampen the trust and the intimacy, and it can make for frustration when neither gets their nee...

It’s not unusual for a child younger than 4 to have as many as nine tantrums per week. These can feature episodes of crying, kicking, stomping, hitting and pushing that last five to 10 minutes. Most children outgrow this behavior by kindergarten. For children whose tantrums continue as they get older and become something that is not developmentally appropriate, professional help may be in order. Anger issues are the most common reason children are referred for mental health treatment. Tune is an...

When you picture a narcissist, you might think of someone who is grandiose, attention-seeking and arrogant—also known as overt narcissism. However, there’s another, less obvious type of narcissism as well—covert narcissism. These types of narcissists may show fewer outward hallmarks of the disorder, making them more challenging to identify, but they still have an excessive need for attention and admiration and generally lack empathy for others. Covert narcissism is also referred to as vulnerable...

Mania is a state of elevated energy, mood, and behavior, most often seen in those with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or who have taken certain drugs or medications. While the feelings present in mania can be positive, energetic, or even euphoric, they may also manifest more negatively—as emotions like irritation, anxiety, or grandiosity. Mania can range from mild (known as hypomania) to severe; at its most extreme, mania can trigger delusions, violence, and an increased risk of sui...

A panic attack is a sudden rush of fear and anxiety that causes both physical and psychological symptoms. The level of fear experienced is unrealistic and out of proportion to the events or circumstances that trigger the panic attack. Anyone can have a single panic attack, but frequent and ongoing episodes may be a sign of a panic or anxiety disorder that requires close medical attention and treatment. Tune in and learn all about panic attacks, how to slow them down and end them!

What does the word commitment suggest? It usually evokes a strong sense of intention and focus. It typically is accompanied by a statement of purpose or a plan of action. Very often, we utilize this word in regard to proclamations we may make about the seriousness of our relationships. For example, “I’m in a committed relationship,” or “I’m completely committed to this relationship.” In such circumstances, what exactly are we saying? We take it for granted that the word or the expression means t...

Happiness is an electrifying and elusive state. Philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and even economists have long sought to define it. And since the 1990s, a whole branch of psychology—positive psychology—has been dedicated to pinning it down. More than simply positive mood, happiness is a state of well-being that encompasses living a good life, one with a sense of meaning and deep contentment. Feeling joyful has its health perks as well. A growing body of research also suggests that happi...

Repression is a defense mechanism in which people push difficult or unacceptable thoughts out of conscious awareness. Repressed memories were a cornerstone of Freud’s psychoanalyticframework. He believed that people repressed memories that were too difficult to confront, particularly traumatic memories, and expelled them from conscious thought. This idea launched a long controversy in the field of psychology. The notion that people repress traumatic memories that can be recovered in therapy has ...

Passive aggression is a way of expressing negative feelings, such as anger or annoyance, indirectly instead of directly. Passive-aggressive behaviors are often difficult to identify and can sabotage relationships at home and at work. Instead of getting visibly angry, some people express their hostility in passive-aggressive ways designed to hurt and confuse their target. Most people will have to deal with passive aggression from others in their personal and professional lives at one time or anot...

The belief that love is true when it lasts is not an outdated concept. In her 2015 song, True Love, Ariana Grande describes how her relationship grew into true love from kisses to a commitment to last forever. But how can a person know that a relationship will last forever? Lovers don’t expect that even a genuine relationship will consist only of passionate positive emotions. In 1960, Buddy Holly’s song, True Love Ways, was released posthumously. Written as a wedding gift for his wife, Holly’s s...

Whether or not we are granted a fresh start every year, the world is set up so that we believe it’s possible. But a fresh start doesn’t just involve starting something new, it means letting go of the past – in the form of jobs, relationships, living arrangements, body types, overall health – doing whatever it takes to get out of the rut you’ve been stuck in. Letting go is the flip side of starting over. Most of the time it feels easier to stay with people, places, positions – until forward motio...