women

Is there a right way and a wrong way to argue?

The answer is yes. And the secret’s out. There is a right way and a wrong way to argue. Oftentimes when couples fight, it becomes husband versus wife, him against her. The issue with that, however, is that the entire sense of the “team” attitude within the couple gets lost in the mess.

With a relationship it’s not about not getting angry or not disagreeing because that’s unrealistic. The true key is staying emotionally connected to someone you view as a teammate in a generally positive way. According to relationship expert John Gottman, there are two types of problems within relationships: resolvable and perpetual; and two out of three problems are perpetual. Luckily, there are conflict resolution skills for each kind of problem that couples can learn and use to ultimately strengthen their marriages.

Today’s guest is Erica Blystone, a licensed clinical social worker with Lepage Associates. After more than 10 years of clinical work with adults, couples, children and families, Erica has seen her fair share of conflict within relationships, and she says there is a way to manage it effectively.

To find out more about Erica and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 572-0000 to schedule an appointment.

Are you and your partner thinking outside the box when it comes to your relationship?

Say you’ve been married for 20 years… Or maybe even just two years… Is the relationship still fun and fresh? Are you and your partner getting the most out of your marriage? Sometimes couples that have been together for many years begin to feel a sense of staleness in their relationship. Maybe they have ongoing conflict and difficulty resolving it, or maybe they simply feel like they’ve lost the passion and excitement they once had.

When this happens to a couple, whether they’ve been together for 20 years or two years, the partners begin to grow apart and disconnect from each other. And to fix the ongoing problem, many couples end up forcing a solution by pushing harder and ultimately doing the same thing over and over again.

Interestingly, the solution to all this is far more attainable than most people think.

Today’s guest is Dr. Susan Orenstein, the Director of Orenstein Solutions in Cary, NC. Susan says couples can reignite their passion and start having fun again simply by thinking outside the box. By doing even just one thing differently. And if you’re thinking you can’t do it– think again. Susan is here to share some of her creative and inspiring ideas for how couples can improve and strengthen their marriages.

To find out more about Susan and her practice, you can visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 to schedule an appointment.

Are your sleeping habits affecting your marriage?

We all know sleep is important for our health. But how many of us really take into consideration the effects that a lack of sleep can have on not only our physical health, but our mental and emotional health as well? The sleeping habits that we enlist (or don’t enlist) can actually have an affect on nearly every aspect of our lives, including relationships and marriage.

For couples dealing with sleepless nights, or nights consisting of less-than-sound sleep, life and managing a marriage can be a little more difficult. What many people don’t consider is that there are many different types of sleep disorders that can ultimately effect your well being and the well being of your spouse.

Today we’re talking with Brent Brandow, Director of Operations for the Parkway SleepHealth Center in Cary, NC. According to him, sleep—or a lack thereof—has more of an impact on our daily lives and relationships than people might think. With a little diligence though, every problem can be fixed.

The Parkway SleepHealth Center is a comprehensive sleep health center that provides sleep physician consultations, diagnostic testing and treatment services for more than 80 sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia.

To find out more about the Parkway SleepHealth Center, visit their website or call (919) 462-8081 to schedule an appointment.