Verbal abuse within relationships doesn’t usually appear all of a sudden. Rather, abusive words come in many forms, some of which go undetected. The words we hear are very much a part of our environment. They build.  They tear down. They can harm or heal. They can warm or wound. This article written by Berit Brogaard, D.M.Sci., Ph., and published in Psychology Today Online March 27, 2015 sheds light on 15 types of verbal abuse that appear in The Verbally Abusive Relationship, by Patricia Evans.  Interestingly, verbal abuse can be occurring overtly, or in a more subtle way.  For information on these 15 types of abuse click here:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mysteries-love/201503/15-types-verbal-abuse-in-relationships?#_=_

The new year will bring in new ideas, fresh starts, and all new resolutions. What is yours? Lose weight? Quit smoking? Get organized? Start working out? Or maybe you just want to reduce stress. But do you even know where to start? If not, this Psychology Today by Dr. Susan Biali may help. I was challenged by the challenge for me to examine my priorities and choose wisely how I use my time. If your life is a mess because you keep saying yes when you really need to say no, the following article is for you.    READ MORE   

     In many of the counseling sessions I have done with couples, there have been few that have been unaffected by the use of pornography by one or both parties in the relationship.  In many cases, my clients explain the seemingly harmless and perhaps casual viewing of pornography, eventually leads to a magnetic pull they eventually feel helpless to resist. Pornography has an allure that is attractive at first and toxic in the end.  As a therapist for individuals with pornography addiction, this article caught my eye – mostly because the study referenced literally quantifies what I think most of us could easily assume, but you decide.  

http://psychcentral.com/news/2016/08/23/starting-to-view-porn-linked-to-divorce-risk/108963.html

For help with pornography addiction contact Pathways FMHS: 936-238-3868.

By: Rick Nauert PhD. American Sociological Association. (2016, August 22). Beginning pornography use associated with increase in probability of divorce. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 23, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160822083354.htm

 Learning the differences between being “NICE” and being “KIND” can set you free from approval seeking!!!!   This article written by Martha Siorta, and published on the HuffPost Living website spells out very well the differences between being nice and being kind.  The article offers great insights that can literally free one of the pathological need to be nice while feeling they must allow others to steamroll them at all costs.  Great read.  Very well done.  Enjoy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/marcia-sirota/too-nice_b_946956.html