There is a great deal of focus in the therapeutic community for empathy in relationships. Many a therapist in a couple’s counselling session has attempted to increase the empathy of one spouse toward the other in the hope of increasing their emotional intimacy.
In therapy, we can talk a lot about the problem, but the better option is to flip the problem and create clarity by asking what the opposite of the problem is. In my practice, I ask people how they would be experiencing their relationship differently if there was a miracle in the night and it was fixed.
Resolvology has added a new member to our team. Ryder is our 8-month-old Golden doodle puppy. Ryder was chosen from a litter of nine puppies and we chose him because he displayed a friendly yet calm disposition. We have been working with Ryder to socialize him and prepare him to be a working dog. Ryder has attended a ten-week training program to help him with basic training. He will attend further training closer to his first job in the therapy office.
Christmas is a time of year that can easily overwhelm all of us. It is often the case that our relationships are low on our priority list and during the Christmas season our spouse can land even lower. So how do you keep your partner as a priority when it makes sense to divide and conquer the many events, recitals, hosting obligations and financial obligations?