How to Communicate Proactively in Your Relationship

How to Communicate Proactively in Your Relationship

*This blog post on how to communicate proactively with your partner was originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

What does proactive communication mean?

Communication is key in any healthy relationship. Instead of waiting for a problem to arise in your relationship or for something to go wrong to start a conversation, establish an open channel of communication. This includes active listening, expressing yourself and your needs, and encouraging your partner to express themselves. This fosters an environment where both of you feel heard and respected, leading to less drama!

 

There are three ways to communicate proactively in your relationship:

1. Establish Clear Boundaries

2. Listen Actively

3. Ask Questions & Encourage Open Dialogue

Click here to learn more about how to establish proactive communication. This will help you have more meaningful conversations and lead to a more positive, loving relationship where you can overcome future disagreements in a healthy way.

 

If you are looking to strengthen and deepen your relationship, contact me for your free consultation. I offer couples counseling online across the state of Florida via secure telehealth and in person in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale.

Posted by jackieschwartz in Couples Counseling
How to Maintain a Positive Perspective of Your Partner

How to Maintain a Positive Perspective of Your Partner

*This blog post on maintaining a positive perspective of your partner was originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

 

What is a positive perspective?

Having a positive perspective is when our feelings and sentiments towards our relationship are mostly positive, overshadowing the negative feelings (like wearing rose-colored glasses). Couples who have an overall positive perspective of each other are more likely to give their partner the benefit of the doubt when challenges arise or issues come up. They are much more likely to experience neutral or even negative interactions as positive ones. This leads to an overall healthier, deeper, and stronger relationship.

Click here to learn 3 evidence-based (proven by research) ways to develop and maintain a positive perspective of your partner.

If you are looking to deepen and strengthen your relationship, contact me for your free consultation. I offer couples counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale.

Posted by jackieschwartz in Couples Counseling
How Discernment Counseling Can Help Couples

How Discernment Counseling Can Help Couples

*This blog post on discernment counseling was originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

 

What is discernment counseling?

Discernment counseling takes place over 1-5 sessions for helping couples who have mixed agendas. Typically one partner is leaning out of the relationship and is hesitant to work on it in therapy, while the other partner wants to stay in and repair the relationship. Studies suggest that as many as 30% of couples who go to couples counseling fall into the mixed agenda category. These couples present a significant challenge for therapists because most models of couples therapy assume both parties have a baseline willingness to save the relationship. The goal of discernment counseling is to achieve greater clarity and confidence in the couple’s decision-making about the future of their relationship. Discernment counseling is like going to the emergency room versus traditional couples counseling is like preventative care from a primary physician.

Click here to read more on what discernment counseling is and if it’s right for you.

If you are looking to strengthen and gain better insight into your relationship, contact me for your free consultation. I offer both discernment counseling and couples counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale.

Posted by jackieschwartz
Repairing Your Relationship After Infidelity

Repairing Your Relationship After Infidelity

*This blog post on infidelity was originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

Repairing your relationship after an affair can be complicated and difficult, but it can be done and has been done by many couples!

Recovery after cheating involves navigating and expressing hurt feelings, discovering new methods of communicating and managing conflict, establishing new ways of connecting with each other, and taking a very different approach to the relationship from before. If both partners are willing to invest in developing new relationship dynamics and commit to staying together, healing, recovery, and a healthy relationship are attainable.

Click here to read how to get your relationship to a new place of commitment, connection, intimacy, and trust.

If you need help repairing your relationship after infidelity, contact me for your free consultation. I offer couples counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale.

Posted by jackieschwartz
What to Expect In Couples Therapy

What to Expect In Couples Therapy

*Originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

 

Starting couples counseling can feel scary and daunting. Not only are you concerned and scared for your relationship, but now you have to open up and confide in a complete stranger about some of the most intimate areas of their lives. If you and/or your partner are considering couples therapy or marriage counseling, it’s important to know what to expect, find a therapist who will help each person feel safe and comfortable so they can be open and honest. The key ingredient in successful couples counseling is love. With love, accountability, motivation, and a willingness to make positive change, couples therapy can be the most rewarding experience.

Click here to continue reading.

 

If you are considering couples therapy, contact me for your free consultation. I offer couples counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person.

Posted by jackieschwartz
Why It’s Important to Know Your Partner’s Love Language

Why It’s Important to Know Your Partner’s Love Language

*Originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

 

One of the most important ways a couple interacts is how they vie for one another’s attention… and how each person goes about meeting their partner’s needs. Understanding our partner’s love language(s) can help with increasing intimacy and connection, improving communication, and enhancing appreciation for them. It can also help with preventing problems in the relationship by managing expectations on what it means to love and be loved.

Click here to continue reading.

 

If you need guidance on connecting with your partner, reigniting intimacy, or understanding your partner’s love language, contact me for your free consultation. I offer couples counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person.

Posted by jackieschwartz
How Couples Can Turn Conflict into Connection

How Couples Can Turn Conflict into Connection

*Originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

In almost every therapy session I have with couples, conflict is bound to happen. Couples are usually terrified of conflict, and try to avoid it and prevent it at all costs. Unproductive methods of conflict management can lead to terrible outcomes. However, conflict can be viewed as a means of connecting instead of a means of fighting and suffering. Conflict is a natural and potentially healthy part of any relationship, and can actually help you connect with your partner leading to a happier and healthier relationship.

Click here to continue reading.

Want to feel more connected to your partner? Contact me for your free consultation. I would be happy to speak with you about how I can help you manage conflict and connect with your partner. I provide counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person.
Posted by jackieschwartz
Signs of a Toxic Relationship

Signs of a Toxic Relationship

*Originally written and posted for Bayview Therapy. Read the full article here.

 

All relationships have good days and bad days, ups and downs, and we need to accept our partners for who they are, right? But what if it comes at the cost of your own well-being? A toxic relationship can have signs that are obvious red flags, but some toxic relationships have signs that are more subtle. Click here to continue reading about toxic relationships and how to tell if you’re in one.

If you’re ready to work on improving your relationship with yourself, learning how to have a healthy relationship, or how to get out of an unhealthy relationship, contact me for your free consultation. I would be happy to speak with you about how I can help you move forward in a positive direction. I provide counseling online across the state of Florida via telehealth and in person.
Posted by jackieschwartz
Self-Love and IKEA-Style Dating

Self-Love and IKEA-Style Dating

“An outstanding love doesn’t come from two half-filled people coming together to make one whole, complete life. Outstanding love comes from two whole people coming together to share and enhance their already beautiful lives.” ~ Pia Scade

 

Why You Have to Love Yourself to Love Your Partner

As a love expert, I deem that loving ourselves is just as important, if not more so, as loving our partner. Only when we love ourselves are we able to be present with our partner and truly accept their love. Loving ourselves in dating means that we feel fulfilled in our lives when single as well as in a relationship. Loving ourselves single means that we are likely to have standards in who we date.

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Posted by jackieschwartz
Be What You Need in Your Relationship

Be What You Need in Your Relationship

I often hear about men and women not getting what they need or expect in their relationships. People say things like, “We never have sex anymore,” or “You used to make so much more of an effort when planning date night”. It’s common for men and women to get complacent in relationships. It’s easy to stop doing the things that initially created attraction and connection. When a relationship is new, it’s easy to tune into the good things about our partner and to be the best version of ourselves.

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Posted by jackieschwartz in Couples Counseling