Having fun together breeds a strong romantic relationship. Decades of observational studies corroborate this claim, and I can also attest to this as a couples therapist in the Washington D.C. and Bethesda area. Shared leisure experiences are strongly tied to both personal wellbeing and relationship stability (i.e., whether the relationship lasts). If you are in a long-term relationship, it ...READ MORE »
As many as 1 in 10 couples struggle with infertility but it’s something we rarely talk about. There seems to be a belief that when we want to start a family is when we will, but the truth is, that’s not always the case, and infertility struggles can feel devastating. As a maternal mental health specialist working with clients in ...READ MORE »
This week, I’m writing the 3rd blog post in our series about Dealing with Depression in Your Relationship. Two weeks ago, we discussed how to discern if you or your partner is dealing with clinical depression, which often requires medication, or situational depression, which is often treated through psychotherapy and behavioral changes in daily habits. Last week, we reviewed ...READ MORE »
I’m writing this blog as the 2nd in a 3-part series about how to assess, cope with and navigate a relationship where depression is present in you or your spouse. In my last blog, I shared how couples can discern if they are dealing with chronic, bigger issues of clinical depression versus less severe, more temporary periods of feeling ...READ MORE »
This blog is the first in a 3-part series, where I want to spend some time talking through how depression plays a part in intimate relationships. As a couples therapist in Washington DC and nearby Bethesda, MD, I often treat couples where one or both partners is coping with depression. I also treat couples who are undecided about whether ...READ MORE »
How often have you found you and your partner having “the same old fight?” As a couples therapist in Washington DC, I help couples try to communicate differently both in and out of our sessions rather than repeating that “same old fight. ” Picture this: you and your partner return home after your stressful days at work. Your partner asks, ...READ MORE »
Recently, I reread a couple of important books on adult sexuality–Passionista and She Comes First, by Ian Kerner, published in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Dr. Kerner is a relationship expert and sex therapist who writes about proper sexual functioning and techniques for giving and receiving sexual pleasure for both men and women. You can read more about his work ...READ MORE »
Recently, I became inspired by the song Where is The Love? by The Black-eyed Peas. Do you know it? It’s a song that is fast and slow, rough and soft, deep and raw–all at the same time. I found the tempo motivating. And, I found the lyrics compelling. It speaks to the dilemma of where people find love in a ...READ MORE »
For many people who haven’t had experiences with therapy before, it can seem mysterious and intimidating. As a psychotherapist in the Washington DC area for the past 10 years, I’ve had many friends and family members ask me for guidance about whether they should seek help, who to go to, what type of treatment to ask for, and what therapy ...READ MORE »
In my last post, I wrote about how to give your relationship a checkup and why our relationships often become strained over time. In thinking about committed male-female relationships, I’m often struck by how differently men and women communicate. During couples therapy sessions in the Bethesda area and NW Washington DC, I notice that men and women often have the ...READ MORE »
