Posted on November 8th, 2024 By Raffi Bilek

All relationships have their ups and downs. Conflict is bound to knock on your doors, whether it is friendship, a romantic involvement, or an acquaintanceship. Much like with an unwanted visitor, you can’t turn it […]

Posted on October 2nd, 2024 By Raffi Bilek

Imagine a world where every child grows up feeling safe, loved, and nurtured. Unfortunately, for millions of children, this ideal is far from reality. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before the […]

Posted on September 2nd, 2024 By Raffi Bilek

Technically called the Gottman method for healthy relationships, this system represents the culmination of John Gottman’s life work and a partnership with his wife, Julie Gottman. Gottman’s Early Work Over the course of his academic […]

Posted on February 9th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek

Relationships are hard, there’s no doubt about it. Many people find themselves asking, “how do I know if a relationship is right for me?” Most adults have been through at least one relationship in their […]

Posted on January 4th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek

It’s crazy. You thought you knew your partner. You thought the relationship was in a decent place. Sure, you have your fights from time to time. But this? How could they have cheated on you? […]

Posted on November 17th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

In the previous two posts we considered the reasons for getting divorced as well as the ramifications. In this post we’ll take a look at the alternatives to getting divorced – i.e., options to consider […]

Posted on October 24th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

In a recent post we opened up the topic of divorce and what some of the reasons might be to consider it. In this post we’ll consider what the consequences of divorce could be. As […]

Posted on September 5th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

The question of whether to end a marriage and seek a divorce is one of the hardest questions a person will ever have to face. It can be extremely difficult to weigh the pain you […]

Posted on August 1st, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

Substance abuse is a major behavioral and mental health challenge for any person to face. And there is a whole separate set of challenges that their spouse or partner faces. People struggling with addiction need […]

Posted on July 7th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

Your marriage is really, really important to you. And if it’s encountering some turbulence, you don’t want to put it in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to help you get back on […]

Posted on June 2nd, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

You cheated on your partner. You feel terrible. Between the guilt, the fear of discovery, the anger at yourself, and the rest of the crazy feelings, you don’t want to go on with the secret. […]

Posted on May 5th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

If you’ve discovered that your partner has been having an affair, you may feel like your whole world has been rocked; your illusions have been shattered; your emotional life has been devastated. It is a heavy blow to bear, and for many people it spells the end of the relationship or marriage.

One of the hardest questions a person asks themselves when they find out about their partner’s infidelity is, “can he cheat and still love me?”

Posted on March 7th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

Let’s take a look at the options in front of you for helping your depressed partner. Please remember, though, that you are not responsible for your partner’s mental illness, and you cannot make it go away. The best you can do is try to help. If things don’t get better, it’s not your fault. Like anything else in life, all you can do is try your best; you cannot make their problem go away by force of will, by nice gestures, or anything else.

Posted on February 7th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

How can you know if you and your partner are compatible? Read this post to find out what you need to know about choosing a partner for life.

Posted on January 6th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek

Before you buy something, you probably want to know whether it works. Fair question. You don’t want to buy an electric ab stimulator if it’s not going to work to tone you down to a […]

Posted on December 7th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek

When discussing the Five Love Languages with people, every now and then someone poses the following challenge: why do I have to learn to give in the way my partner receives? Why can’t they learn […]

Posted on July 14th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek

One of the most commonly visited pages on this website is, perhaps unexpectedly, the blog post from 2017 about the Love Language of “Acts of Service.” It seems people want to know not only what […]

Posted on July 6th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek

There is a classic joke that advises newlyweds to put a penny in a jar every time they have sex in the first year of marriage, and then take a penny out every time after […]

Posted on June 7th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek

Divorce stinks. Even when it’s the best option, it’s still a bad option. And this is doubly so when there are kids involved. (Actually, that’s probably an understatement. A divorce with no children is painful; […]

Posted on May 5th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek

At the end of the day, the decision whether to tell your family is up to you. It is wise to consider the pros and cons before making such a choice. Pros include family support and helpful outside perspectives. Cons include the ramifications for the future of your relationship, and the possibility of getting “help” you don’t want, including pressure and judgment, from your loved on.