Relating

The decorations have been stowed away in the loft, and the Christmas leftovers have been fashioned into various curries, soups and sandwiches. As our attempts at playing festive happy families come to a close, the cracks that have developed over

‘Tis the season to be jolly but ‘tis also the season for careless remarks from the in-laws, petty little squabbles, and countless hours spent pounding pavements in search of miscellaneous items you’ve been led to believe will create the ‘perfect’

Gone are the days of lazy picnics in the park and gazing into one another’s eyes over a table you booked weeks in advance. You might escape the house once in a blue moon for a quick dinner washed down

You’d love to increase the intimacy in your relationship, but life always seems to get in the way. Between meetings that could’ve been emails, social engagements, parenting and endless life admin, you feel as if you’ve barely got a moment

Do you sometimes get overanxious or panicky and find yourself unable to deal with everyday life? Do you feel vulnerable helpless and afraid when faced with certain situations, as if your usual coping mechanisms have suddenly failed? Most of us

Are you keeping things to yourself? Is it difficult for your partner to understand what you are going through and provide the right levels of help and support? Do you find a busy day at work, a poorly child, frequent

Are you struggling with low libido and find that you have no interest in engaging with your partner and are always rejecting his or her sexual advances? Or have you experienced a sexual trauma in your past and are now

Are you friendly, generous, self-sacrificing, well-meaning and driven to maintain harmony whatever the cost? In a relationship, do you find yourself taking on the role of peacemaker, often resulting in a parent-child dynamic, where you sacrifice your own needs it

Are you struggling to communicate your feelings or differences of opinion to your partner? But instead of feeling valued and understood, do you find yourself frustrated angry and resort to shouting as you know your thoughts, concerns or ideas have

The start of a new year is filled with the promises of new beginnings. It’s also the most popular time for couples to separate or file for divorce. There’s usually a journey with many stumbling blocks and relationship cracks that

Many unresolved relationship issues contribute to high stress levels, and if left unresolved can lead to much bigger problems, including separation or divorce. What once started as small frustrations often become big irritations when ignored. Sometimes we go into denial

Are you caught up in the weight loss and weight gain cycle? Do you turn to food for comfort or do you stop eating to gain control? How do you view food when your emotional centre is out of balance?

What happens when you discover your partner is having an affair? Does how you find out have an impact on how you deal with it? Or do you want to know all the intricate details of who, when, where and how often? 

As September begins, many youngsters are embarking on a new phase of their life – university. Parents prepare to wave good-bye to the child they nurtured for the past 18 or 19 years. Gone are the days when you tucked

In today’s busy lives with increasing pressures and demands on time, as well as coping with the changes the current global pandemic brings, it’s easy to let your relationship slip down the list of priorities, take it for granted and

Tension, resentment, anger, arguments and power battles in relationships can quickly build up. They are the result of communication breaking down long before you become aware or willing to admit. Like a dripping tap – it builds up until the

Most couples whether married or cohabiting work full-time, some have children, others don’t. By the time you get home after a full day at work, having collected the children on the way (if you have them), you are already tired

Do you often feel low, down or sad? Do you find yourself struggling to concentrate, lethargic, tired, stressed, angry, irritable or lacking in motivation? Have you lost enjoyment or enthusiasm for usual activities and started to withdraw from your social

We are born with a set of basic relational needs – acceptance, affection, security, attention, appreciation, approval, encouragement, respect and support. When one or more of these needs are missing in childhood, the child learns to adapt their behaviour in an

Are you struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one? Was it sudden and unexpected, leaving you with things left unsaid or unresolved feelings? Or were there issues in your relationship, so the only thing you

Are you struggling to remember what it felt like to be in love with the person that you now find yourself in conflict with? Do you yearn to experience that dream like, fuzzy feeling you had when you first fell

 Twenty years ago, saying the word porn in public may well have resulted in raised eyebrows and silent murmurings. The once British stiff upper lip attitude towards sex has now evolved and our cultural attitude towards it has changed. Pornography

The current global pandemic has forced us into a life we’ve not experienced before. For those working from home and in co-habiting relationships means working and living with your partner or spouse 24/7, with or without children.  Any relationship cracks

In my previous article I referred to how any relationship cracks you’ve avoided addressing before the lockdown can become great big chasms after being cooped up for nearly three months. Those fragments of frustration, quirky behaviours, lack of communication, misunderstandings