It often seems as if a third party is disrupting a couple’s relationship bond. The most concrete example of this is a love triangle in which one member has an affair. But there are other kinds of “love triangles” in which the third party is much less obvious than a direct romantic or sexual rival. […]
Approval Seeking
Few things are less satisfying than the approval of others. Do you want to impress your boss, your neighbors, your friends? Do you want to make your family proud? You can easily spend your whole life chasing a few encouraging words from important people in your life. And even if you do manage to catch […]
Will You Ever Get Ahead?
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC You want more money, but things never work out right. Until one day they do. For the first time in your adult life, you can look at your bank account without your stomach twisting into knots. Now what? Now that you have more resources, you’ve taken on a bigger mortgage, […]
Irritability, Edginess and Depression
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC When you think of depression, you likely think of sadness. You may imagine someone struggling to get out of bed, or slumped teary-eyed in front of the TV. And yes, depression does manifest in such symptoms for many people. However, irritability, edginess and explosive anger are also common signs […]
The Relationship Prison
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Suppose you wake up in a prison cell, where you discover your only cell mate: the person you got you sentenced to prison, and for a crime you didn’t commit. What’s the fair thing to do? The fair thing is for your cell mate to take responsibility, to say “I […]
