In my practice, I see so many couples who say they are seeking help for improving their communication skills. They work so hard adding to their communication tool belt, but typically feel disappointed that their relationships don’t seem to improve consistent with the number of communication techniques they’ve acquired. Well, that’s because there is so much more than at play […]

Thrive As A Couple or Suffer Alone As Individuals Alright, so here’s a simple idea, with big implications.  By the way, this idea came to me by way of my friend and colleague, Dr Peter Pearson, co-founder along with Dr. Ellyn Bader, of the Couples Institute in Menlo Park, CA. Alright, so here’s the deal: […]

Expectations Don’t Work In Marriage Jim Hutt, Ph.D. What would you think if I told you there is no place in a healthy relationship for expectations? Well, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. You may, or may not, have heard the adage that goes like this: an expectation is a resentment under construction. And here’s […]

  Fatherless Children Due To Divorce One of the saddest parts of working with families of divorce is the tragedy of fathers who have lost access to their children.  Failed access has severe consequences on both father and children. In this article I will not address the many reasons for the lack of access, as […]

Typically when a couple has something they want to talk about, one says to the other:  “Hey, let’s have a talk about, …fill in the blank.”  But here’s the thing–we’ve all been trained to TALK, but we have not been adequately trained to LISTEN effectively.  So, imagine starting a conversation this way: “Hey, let’s have […]