Posts Tagged ‘ relationships ’

71: Make Love AND War!: Maintaining Positive Relationships During Faith Transitions—A Spiritual Framing

January 26, 2012
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71: Make Love AND War!: Maintaining Positive Relationships During Faith Transitions—A Spiritual Framing

This is an expanded version of the talk Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon gave at the Houston Region Mormon Stories Support Community conference held 20-21 January 2012. Using the biblical accounts of Jacob and the angel, and Jacob and Esau, as key texts, and organized around the central image of a “wrestling match” being simultaneously a fight but also an embrace, along with the idea of the close ties between making love and making war, the talk is geared toward providing ways of thinking about faith crises in positive ways–as integral parts of the larger human developmental journey–and then...

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Mormon Therapist on Internet Infidelity

August 25, 2010
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I have been happily married for 7 years. I recently came across this anonymous chat website that lets you chat with a random stranger at the click of a button. It has become almost an addiction for me. I have problems making friends because of shyness, self-esteem issues but I am able to be freely and truly myself on this silly website. However, several of the best conversations I’ve had have been with men. I find it thrilling to know that they find me interesting and even sexy. The only one I’ve ever felt I could do this for...

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Date Night: What is your couple sexual style?

July 16, 2010
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I was going to law school. Coming home from a mission in Japan, I was going to get a law degree and take Japanese business CEOs golfing and get paid a ton of money. This fantasy lasted right up until I heard a tape by marital researcher John Gottman. I was captivated at how marital conflict could be studied. I have since been immersed in studying couples and relationships, and have been seeing couples in therapy part-time for about three years, primarily using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). It can be difficult, but is also a privilege to watch. I...

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The Fallout Story

May 29, 2008
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The Fallout Story

The Fallout Story is a rule of etiquette (that I made up) that I hold sacred for discussing breakups.  The rule is:  the dumpee owns the fallout story.  The dumper is prohibited from making any disparaging remarks (henceforth and forever) about the dumpee, as a matter of courtesy.  As a friend put it:  “She keeps the ring; she tells the story.”  This is where we get the phrase:  “It’s not you; it’s me.”  We all know that’s not true (c’mon, if it wasn’t them, why are you dumping them?), but it is good etiquette.  The Fallout Story rule applies...

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