Relationships: Relationship Building & Management

Free Body Language Show

Join Kirk Duncan, our official Body Language Expert, for a Free Live Body Language Show

March 8, 2012 – TWO Body Language Shows
9:00 am – 12:00 pm 
~ AND ~
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 
Holiday Inn Express
4465 Century Drive 
Salt Lake City, UT 

Click here to learn more.

Signs that Can Save the Emotional Verbal Abuse Survivor

Dr. Jeanne King, our official Abusive Relationships Expert

Emotional verbal abuse can confuse and complicate an abusive relationship. See these signs for what they are before they spiral into physical abuse and before they spiral out of control. 

 

Watch more of Jeanne's videos

5 Romantic Ideas for Valentines and All Year Through

Marcia McClure, our official Romantic Novelist Expert

It's Valentine's again, my favorite time of the year! As a romance novelist, my readers often like to hear my suggestions for romantic ideas for nurturing their relationships. Here's five I've shared with my newsletter readers over the last few months.

Love letters! I love, love letters! I don't think anybody writes them enough any more! They're becoming a lost art! So...my romantic tip for Valentine's Day would be to find a moment, sit down and pen a heart-felt, honest, flattering love letter to your sweetheart! If you're sweetheart-less just now...then pen a love letter to a parent, sibling or good friend! Yep! I love, love letters for Valentine's Day!"

Spice it up with Graffiti! Pick up a cheap tube of red lipstick and draw hearts on your honey's car windows! Don't forget to write, "I love you," somewhere that won't impair their driving vision, too much! Messy? That's what glass cleaner is for!

Read Marcia's entire 5 Romantic Tips for Valentines and All Year Through

Good Parenting Tips to Create Strong, Loving Families

Paula Fellingham, our official Strengthening Women and Families Expert

I love helping young parents learn the principles that will help them create strong, loving families. I'd like to share four of these with you:

1. Kindness: Kind thoughts, kind words, kind tone of voice, and kind actions should be family goals. Mother Teresa said, "Spread love and kindness wherever you go. First of all in your own home. Show kindness to your husband or wife, to your children, to a next-door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier." Frequent expressions of love, appreciation and admiration are heard in the homes of families raising kind, confident children.

2. Commitment: Just like the garden which flourishes when it is lovingly cultivated, our children need to be nurtured with our best effort and our time. We should be willing to give both quality and quantity time to our family. Quality time means that when we're with one another we're 100 percent there, focused on family members' needs and happiness. Quantity time means that we're with our families as often as we can be. This is a challenge sometimes, but if our family relationships truly are our highest priority, time needs to be given to those relationships. There is no substitute for unhurried time with our loved ones.

Read Paula's entire article Four Parenting Principles to Create Strong, Loving Families

Effective Communication Tips For Couples

Dr. Linda Miles, our official Marriage & Family Therapist Expert

Here are some ways to tell your partner the truth with love:

When you discuss issues with your partner, be genuine and be present. Don't let your mind wander. Maintain eye contact. If you are upset, empathize with how she or he feels. Use "soft eyes" to convey the idea that you're on their side. If either of you tends to change the subject rather then deal with it, create an agenda of issues to discuss as a reminder to stay on task. If you disagree with that your partner is saying, wait your turn. Don't interrupt. When it's your turn, instead of saying,"You're wrong," try, "I see things differently."

If your partner is not forthcoming about an issue, ask what's wrong in a way that doesn't invite a yes or no answer. Ask, for example, "What's troubling you?" rather than, "Is something troubling you?" When a problem has been identified, don't offer a solution. Ask, "What will you have to do to fix it?" or, "What can you do about it?" or, "What's in store for you?" If you partner responds, "I don't know," ask, "What information will you require in order to know? or, "What do you know about it so far? or, "How can you find out more about it?" Other helpful questions might be; "How can I help you?" or, "If the same thing happened again, what would you do?" or, "If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently?"

Read Linda's entire article 10 Effective Communication Tips For Couples

The Right Body Language Can Make You Prosper

Did you know that body language can increase your income? Kirk Duncan is here to teach you how.

 

Eliminating Controlling People - Ask Me Until You Wear Me Down

Have you noticed how some people will ask you to do something and you tell them "no," you can't do that on that day. And then they ask you again and again...and again. Sound familiar? It probably does, if you are dealing with controlling people.

It's as though--in their mind--if they keep asking, eventually they will get the answer they desire. And, in a weak moment, you may even give it to them just to stop "the asking."

Read Dr. King's entire article Eliminating Controlling People - Ask Me Until You Wear Me Down

Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D., our official Abusive Relationships Expert

Lessons Learned From Couples Who Flourished in Marriage Therapy

As a marriage and family therapist for over thirty five years I have been on a learning curve with my clients. Early in my career, I could not fathom why some couples thrived in marriage therapy and others dropped out. I was shocked by the severity of some of the problems of those who thrived including divorce papers, affairs, financial problems and family tragedies. In contrast, couples who dropped out seemed to have fewer external problems and yet could not stay the course. Over time, I learned several important differences.

Read Dr. Miles' entire article Lessons Learned From Couples Who Flourished in Marriage Therapy

Dr. Linda Miles, our official Marriage & Family Therapist Expert

Emotional Psychological Abuse: Who Knows What's Best for You?

"I know what's best for you...better than you do." Sound familiar?

If you are in an intimate relationship that has emotional psychological abuse, you know this message, whether delivered directly or indirectly. The message says, "You need to trust my wisdom--over your own--regarding issues specific to you."

Now, when you are living in an abusive relationship, you even come to recognize the subtle reinforcement "routine" employed to help you buy into this propaganda. You might observe reprimand or the withholding of something you desire when you resist the other person's conclusions/recommendations. And conversely, you are showered with positive "reinforcers" when you yield to the believe system.

Read Dr. King's entire article Emotional Psychological Abuse: Who Knows What's Best for You?

Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D., our official Abusive Relationships Expert

Relationship Conflict - Empathy and Healing Abuse in Controlling Relationships

"When I speak my pain and you give me your pain or your excuse to have pained me, I hurt the same...and sometimes more." Sound familiar?

When domestic violence victims rally up the nerve to voice their inner ache with the person that has violated them, many things can happen. They can be heard or not heard, by the other and by themselves.

Giving Voice to Your Hurt

Let's look at what happens when they are not heard by the person they feel has hurt them. Imagine this: You bring up and out an incident that you have been struggling with for weeks, months or years.

Read Dr. King's entire article Relationship Conflict - Empathy and Healing Abuse in Controlling Relationships

Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D., our official Abusive Relationships Expert