Written by Raechel Russo, LMFT-C If you’re in a committed relationship, it is likely that you have had some uncomfortable conversations with your partner. It is an inevitable fact of relationships that partners will disagree at times. When you do need to have these difficult talks, how can you start them in a way that […]
Why Timing is Everything When it Comes to Marriage Counseling
Seeking help from a marriage counselor is not unlike seeking help from a mechanic. It makes little sense to take your car into the shop a month after it started making a horrific noise. By that time, too much damage may have been done and your engine may be beyond repair. By the same token, the effectiveness […]
3 Ways Individual Counseling Can Help Your Marriage
Even happily married couples can hit obstacles along the way. When this happens, couples can either go it alone and try to work through their issues themselves, or they can seek the guidance of a trained and experienced marriage counselor. While some couples feel their problems should be kept private, many more are finding the […]
How to Reduce Fighting Over Money & Budgets
If you and your partner argue about money, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, 27% of Americans said that disagreements about finances tend to erupt into full-blown arguments. This means couples fight more about money than they do about work, chores or the kids (http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2010/10/18/the-biggest-money-mistakes-couples-make). Perhaps even more disturbing is that arguments about […]
Communication Tips for Couples in Recovery
If you have found yourself in a troubled relationship, there is a very good chance you grew up with parents who argued and fought often. Your household was most likely filled with the sounds of angry voices, raised in an attempt to be heard or to simply drown out the other person. This means you […]
How to Recover from Infidelity
In my time as a marriage counselor, there is probably one statement I have heard more than any other, and that is, “I just don’t think I will ever get over this.” This statement is often said by my clients who have recently learned their spouse has had an affair. The second most common phrase […]
4 Ways to Improve Communication in Your Relationship
If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you and your significant other have hit a snag in the relationship. Maybe you’re spending less time with each other and you’ve grown apart. Or maybe you do little else than argue these days. All relationships go through their ups and downs. No matter the good intentions […]
When is the Right Time to Try Couple’s Counseling?
For better or worse. Those words seem easy to say at the time, but when worse gets really bad, many couples are ready to throw in the towel. That’s because they didn’t seek help in time and let things get out of hand. The Stigma of Counseling It can be hard to make the decision […]
Can Marriage Counseling Really Help Your Relationship?
When I first started my practice, I remember reading a statistic about divorce that I found shocking. And that was that 40-50% of all marriages in the United States ended in divorce. According to recent surveys, however, the divorce rate in the U.S. fell by 18% between 2008 and 2016. While everyone has their theory […]
Starting Over: Dating After the Death of a Significant Other
Whether it’s expected or sudden, losing a partner is always a devastating heartbreak. The finality of the loss of the love of your life, and the idea that you will move forward in the world without them by your side, might be one of the most difficult challenges you will face. If you’ve suffered the […]
How to Tell Your Partner About Your Past Sexual Abuse
Relationships always start out on a high note. Your mutual attraction combined with your commonalities stirs up your feelings, while finding out about your differences and exploring the world together makes your relationship fresh and exciting. When your relationship starts to become more intimate, you may start to wonder when the right time is for […]
The Impact of Grief on Relationships
Experiencing the death of a loved one is one of the most painful things each person must face. The shock of your beloved friend or family member having passed away, along with the finality of their death is difficult to deal with. Everyone Mourns Differently The process of mourning is a very personal experience. Because […]
5 Ways to Reignite the Spark in Your Relationship
‘The spark’ is a phrase that’s used a lot when it comes to romantic relationships. In fact, you might have felt ‘the spark’ in the beginning of your relationship, and as a result, the early days were very exciting for you and your partner. However, like every other flame, ‘the spark’ needs to be kept […]
Feeling Angry and Frustrated With Your Partner? These Tips May Help
A lot of couples who come for therapy usually cite frustration with their partner as one of the major issues they face. This frustration usually stems from unmet expectations. Expectations play a huge role in relationship satisfaction. Couples who are frustrated say things like ‘You weren’t very supportive of me when I quit my job […]
The First Counseling Steps Towards Leaving Domestic Violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. I thought it might be a good idea to just review some facts regarding domestic violence and offer some help for those who are in the midst of the battle. At Legacy Counseling Service in Tulsa, we counsel people who are healing from the wound of domestic violence. Domestic […]