If you clicked on this article, there’s a chance that means you’re in a relationship, and that you’re starting to think about the long term view of where you’d like things to go. Perhaps you’re discussing engagement with your partner. As a licensed mental health therapist who’s seen firsthand what can happen when couples jump the gun, I believe marriage is certainly not something to be taken lightly, or on a whim. Hopefully, these questions will give you and your partner a good start at taking a look at some of the bigger picture questions before approaching the conversation of engagement. 

I remember growing up and being excited for holidays. My mom was always so careful to make sure my brother and I had everything we wanted, all carefully wrapped in perfect bows under the tree. Holidays growing up were a special time where we could come together as a family and share in the love, joy, hope  and peace the season brings. I look back fondly over the childhood memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but recently, I’ve noticed a crack in the rose colored glasses I’ve fought hard to protect. 

Perhaps you’re discussing engagement with your partner. If so, congratulations! Moving forward in relationships is an exciting endeavor - and one I’m a personal fan of. However, as a licensed mental health therapist who’s seen firsthand what can happen when couples jump the gun, I believe marriage is certainly not something to be taken lightly, or on a whim. Hopefully, these questions will give you and your partner a good start at taking a look at some of the bigger picture questions before approaching the conversation of engagement. 

What are the 5 skills in communication skills?

What are 7 good communication Skills?

How do you describe good communication skills?

How can I improve my communication skills?

Effective communication is the cornerstone of human interaction, helping us build stronger relationships, resolve conflicts, and achieve our goals.

In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of communication skills and how therapy can be a powerful tool for developing and improving them. 

We'll delve into specific communication skills that are essential for success and provide practical tips for enhancing your communication abilities.

Why not just wing it?

Why not just talk about marriage with your fiance one day over a cup of coffee and call it a day?

We already know everything we need to know about each other.

We’ve been living together for a while, so we’re basically married and there’s nothing new to learn.

Anything sound familiar? While there can certainly be some truth behind those statements, I would assume that - if you’re engaged to be married - there’s a high likelihood that it’s because you value your relationship with your partner and you want it to last a lifetime. If this is true for you, I MUST recommend an assessment (specifically the Prepare/Enrich assessment) as a part of your journey to marriage. 

If you’re reading this, I hope it’s fair to assume you and your other half are engaged (or about to be)! If you haven’t found out by now, the world of engagement can be… a lot. Maybe you’re getting 20 questions from family members, hearing unsolicited opinions, and probably already feeling behind on the planning process. I’ve seen firsthand the impact wedding planning can have on a relationship. It’s very easy for couples to lose sight of the marriage that awaits them on the other side of the wedding. That’s where premarital counseling comes in. 

Many young adults fall into the trap of hanging out at the bars with their friends when they’d actually really like to be engaging in healthy activities like yoga, hiking, kayaking, and book clubs. Other adults tell us that their children are too busy for them or that they’re struggle to rediscover who they are now that their children are out of the home. If you’re in Baltimore City, know that we’ve created a small list of activities and organizations we love where you can engage in healthy activities and build a group of new friends too! 

Have you ever seen the memes on social media talking about how you signed up for therapy because of the people who won’t sign up for therapy in your life? This is a real thing!! We’ve been asked on more than one occasion, what people can do when someone they love needs therapy but won’t seek it. To answer this question, we’ve compiled tips from 5 LifeSpring therapists. 

Sometimes we forget that your relationship with your therapist is STILL a relationship which means that working on your relationship with your therapist can also help you work on issues showing up in your other relationships. We asked several of our Towson therapists about ways that working on your relationship with your therapist can help you in your relationships outside of therapy. Here’s what they had to say. 

As therapists, we regularly hear clients (and friends) talk about how difficult it is to make friends as an adult. Not only that, but many of our clients tell us just how hard it is to make friends while engaging in activities that are healthy.  If you live in Baltimore County, and you’re tired of the bar scene, know that there are plenty of options out there. We asked some of our therapists to share some of their favorite Baltimore County resources where you can meet new people, and this is their list. 

As therapists, we are regularly talking with people about boundary setting. While boundaries are often necessary, the idea of setting them can create a lot of anxiety for people. To support you in your boundary setting, we’ve asked several of our Baltimore County therapists to share some of their favorite tips for setting healthy boundaries.

If you’re a true Love is Blind fan, then you’re already caught up on everything that has happened in Season 6.  Our Greater Baltimore team of therapists loves Love is Blind which is why we’ve decided to share our own relationship and communication tips based on the events that occurred in Season 6. We’ve shared them on social media, and now we’re sharing them here!  We hope you enjoy some of our most comment-worthy moments from season 6! 

If you’re familiar with Dr. Gary Chapman’s Book on The 5 Love Languages, then you know just how impactful it can be when you show someone love according to their own love language.  You might also be aware of how impactful it can be when someone shows YOU love according to YOUR love language.  As we enter into this gift-giving holiday season, it’s worth keeping our friends and family members’ love languages in mind, so we can give a gift that TRULY hits the spot! 

When we fail to recognize another person’s love language in our gift-giving, we can miss the mark, despite making a genuine effort to show thoughtfulness and care.  When we fail to give a gift according to someone’s love language, the gift recipient can be left feeling overlooked and unappreciated.  In this blog, I’ll be sharing some gift giving mistakes from my own life (or others I know), so you can avoid making them this holiday season! 

For many people, college is an exciting opportunity to move away from home, find and explore your passions, and have a little bit of fun. For many people, college is also a time to explore what it is like to have roommates, and typically, they live, sleep, and eat only about six feet away from you. Living with anyone can be hard, and it is especially difficult to live with someone during one of the most stressful, exciting, and transitional times of your life. Conflicts, especially with roommates, are inevitable, so it is important to know how to navigate (and maybe even prevent some of) these uncomfortable situations. 

Setting a boundary with someone means clearly communicating the limitations and rules of your relationship with them. Typically, your personal boundaries will stem from your values and experiences. While setting a boundary might start an uncomfortable conversation, the power and confidence of saying “no” is an important skill in fostering healthy relationships (with others and with yourself!). 

Encouraging family members to seek therapy can be challenging, especially if they are resistant to the idea. However, therapy can be a valuable tool for helping individuals address mental health conditions, emotional struggles, and personal challenges. If your family members won't seek therapy, here are some steps you can take.

As parents, we are accustomed to frequent communication for our children’s teachers. Getting recommendations for how to do our part at home to help them become independent readers, well-practiced musicians, competitive athletes, etc. The same level of communication is important in maximizing your child’s time within therapy as well. They are your world, we know! You are seeking therapeutic services for them because you want to strengthen their emotional well-being, see them achieve their goals, and grow up to be healthy, well-rounded individuals!

Why is it important to look at the relationship instead of the other person? Because we all carry assumptions, unrealistic expectations, and even baggage from previous relationships. Merely focusing on what our partner has done/said wrong, will result in missing the chance to examine what really gets in the way.

In wedding vows, we promise that we are going to “love”, “cherish”, “support, etc.” our partners through all the ups and downs. It might sound weird to promise “not to use violence” to our partners, probably because people rarely consider themselves capable of getting violent with their significant others.

Although we all dream of a peaceful home, we can shoot word bullets at our loved ones without even noticing. That's why it is crucial to begin by recognizing the bullets.