What is a Dysfunctional Family and How Does it Lead to Co-dependency? A dysfunctional family is one in which members suffer from fear, anger, pain, or shame that is ignored or denied. Underlying problems may include any of the following: An addiction by a family...

The term codependency has been around for decades. Although it originally applied to spouses of alcoholics, researchers revealed that the characteristics of codependents were much more prevalent in the general population than had previously imagined. In fact, they...

Covers on, covers off. Legs curled, legs straight. Window open, window closed. Back, front, left side, right side, repeat. Is tossing and turning in bed your nightly routine? Does your anxiety prevent you from being able to turn off your mind and drift to sleep? If...

Invitations to pause and take a break are all around us. “Mom, will you play a game of Monopoly with me?” asked my 9-year-old son, Jesse.  “Mom, will you come biking with me?” asked my 10-year-old son, Jackson.  Even the dog wants to take a mini-play-break, bringing...

When I started teaching conflict resolution skills many years ago, I believed that simply using those skills would solve most problems. I was naïve. People kept coming to me and saying something like, “Eric, these skills are great, but what do you do about the person...

Trying to create a life where betrayal can never occur can cause us to withdraw, be too wary of taking risks, and insulate us from being truly alive. Betrayal can happen. Sometimes it is as simple as one person agreeing to be a certain kind of partner and later...

How Can Trust Be Repaired and Rebuilt? There are numerous areas of thought surrounding trust and rebuilding it.  Let’s take a look at a few of them and you can decide what resonates with you. Unsurprisingly, studies have found that people with low self-esteem have...