Looking to Amplify Your Eros During COVID19 – Sex is Complicated During the Pandemic

/in , /by

Looking to Amplify Your Eros During COVID19 – Sex is Complicated During the Pandemic

 

NYC.gov wrote a guide on safe sex during the pandemic!

Looks like self-pleasure is in style again…welcome back to the renaissance.

Laying around naked all day, working on my computer, wouldn’t be so bad if I actually resided in an actual American Utopia.

Due to COVID19, the guise of “happy” couples and families has been lifted.

As we grieve yet another loss of life, especially for people of color, it is more evident that we are in a trap of the pursuit of happiness, with no promises of ever achieving this state. 

Surrounded by Thanatos (death) energy, the Clinical Sexologist in me ponders way too often what is going to happen as we are distant from others physically, and then do not have skills other than distraction for intimate connection.  

For example, sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine or watching the sunset is not as exciting, after yet another day in quarantine bleeds into the next. 

A professional tip of mine is to consider trading your “usual” Zoom happy hour for something more curious… something more erotically challenging.

Eros is one of the Greek words that translates loosely into “passionate love,” or “romantic love.” This led to the English translation of erotic which I have learned from my undergraduate studies in philosophy and Western Civilization is the human “life energy.”

Therefore, I suggest you begin looking for your LIFE energy during this time, because it matters! 

 

Why? 

Systemic grief is everywhere…especially for New Yorkers. It’s sadness and mourning over destroyed routines, lost jobs, and ill loved ones

When the impact of the COVID19 pandemic isn’t felt on a personal level, we grieve for what was lost. Sometimes adults even report missing their daily coffee shop visit and dating life.

Everyone is living through some level of discomfort, pain, loss, stress, or anxiety; everyone is looking for comfort, and coping the best they can.

What I’m hearing a lot these days from clients is concerns over the challenges of not working, working from home, and anxiety about furloughs.

Similarly, those who were working from home before now struggle with feeling less productive, as they juggle homeschooling their kids and living in relative chaos within their family system.

There’s also the adjustment of spending way more time with your partner or spouse.

Who wants to admit that they need a break and want to see less, not more of this person?

 

Quarantine For Couples

The couples I met with were forced into quarantine quickly with differing expectations of what it would look like.

Some of my clients report that their partner is stuck in “porn land,” using masturbation to destress. Others find themselves in escalating arguments, yelling at each other in front of the children, or dealing with the ineffective silent treatment when resentments arise.

There are no bars to retreat to, no happy hours, or trips to the gym that offer an escape. The situation is constant and present.

I resist the urge to tell them about non-monogamous folks, widows, or couples who don’t live together yet or don’t plan to.

How must it feel to go months without intimate touch from another person? These individuals often live a single life and feel isolated. They don’t have the option to touch their partners and often report being extremely “touch depleted.”

One example is a young widow, now living alone. She states, “I have not even been able to give or receive a hug from another in sooooooo long….” As a sex therapist, I suggest self-pleasure and lubricants. She responds, “Honestly I am in no mood… AND I know if I change the action, a changed feeling can follow… I will try it.”

Often, it is easier to cope by reverting to old behavior patterns, withdrawing, or becoming hypervigilant. It is easy to become disheartened at a time like this, especially when there is a clear divide in how individuals are being treated.

Accepting Shifted Expectations

There are a few things I’d like to emphasize for anyone struggling to maintain intimate connections at home. First, we must accept that there are different levels of erotic connection.

Don’t hold yourself or your partner to past standards that are now unrealistic. There aren’t any romantic date nights in the city that involve great restaurants and wonderful drinks that phase effortlessly into amazing sex. We have to accept that reality has shifted.

The stress of the pandemic makes it easy to forget sex as a priority. “There’s too much going on right now,” you may tell yourself as the days go by without intimacy. Your partner will understand, right?

The danger is when days turn into weeks. People dealing with stress often resist sex because they feel like it shouldn’t take so much work. They want flirting, foreplay, and all of the other non-verbal signs that lead to sex.

I can tell you that the desire for connection and flow with other humans is still very prevalent, even during a pandemic. You’ve got to find a way to make it happen. That could mean scheduling at-home date nights on the calendar or creating codewords with your partner to signal you need intimacy ASAP. Get creative to keep sex going.

Of course, sex should never feel like a chore, particularly for people experiencing depression, anxiety, or grief. If you need to put eros on hold, that’s appropriate.

Self-Care and Honest Communication

Another key point I work on with many clients is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Many people feel guilty about taking care of themselves. They think needing a break from kids or spouses reflects poorly on them or makes them “selfish.”

Online, we’re bombarded with articles like “10 Things You Can Do to Be More Productive in Quarantine.” We live in a culture of shame where people who are sad or searching for comfort are told to “be disciplined” and “do more!”

This is a common form of toxic positivity. Endless pressure to stay upbeat can push struggling individuals deeper into grief. It’s okay to feel down and to talk to someone about it.

I’ve seen this firsthand as a responder in the Sandy Hook shooting. Sometimes, people need space to grieve without being told to “cheer up.”

It’s normal to long for emotional and erotic connections. Don’t tell yourself “everything’s fine” when it isn’t.

Finally, honesty is crucial in relationships. Now more than ever, start from a radically honest position with your spouse, partner, or intimate relationships.

Fight the urge to say everything’s fine when it’s not. Not everyone can stay connected, grounded, and gracious all the time. Be honest with yourself and your partner about what you need before stress makes things worse. That’s the best way to avoid non-threatening communication and raging emotions.

Telehealth and Staying Connected

Going through this experience can help us all recognize our needs and communicate emotions healthily. I’m using telehealth to stay connected with clients who are struggling. I began offering text and video therapy sessions to help clients in real-time.

I anticipated the rise of telemedicine last year, knowing clients wanted more accessible communication beyond weekly on-site sessions. Remote therapy isn’t perfect, but it may be the new normal for a while. Video and text sessions have ramped up significantly since quarantine began.

This pandemic is changing how we communicate and interact. As we understand our needs, we gain the capacity to listen to those we care about. Lean in compassionately, both for yourself and for others if it’s safe to do so. Give yourself the love you need to survive and thrive.

And if all else fails, follow the nyc.gov guidelines on being your own safest sex partner!

 

Sensual Meditation: Strategies to Fall in Lust Again

Sensual Meditation: Strategies to Fall in Lust Again

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do. 

 

Tips on How to Save Your Marriage – Once and For All!

/in , /by

Tips on How to Save Your Marriage – Once and For All!

 

Relationships are hard and learning how to save your marriage is harder; yet, worth it. This is not to say it is all downhill once you walk down the altar.

I cannot lie and say it is all rose petals and no thorns, though. 

Marriage is a complex component made up of legal bindings. It also falls under the category of romantic love and wanting your partner to be your everything. 

Sure, you have made it from the long-term relationship title into a completely different one – spouse, or husband, or wife. 

Marriages require effort, communication, and a lot of other things that may be made clear in this article.

Marriage is beautiful, yet sometimes it isn’t measured in years because it can end.

If you happen to find “your person,” having a successful marriage is a process to learn to love for both of you. 

Each couple is unique, and your situation and circumstances are different. 

As much as we would like a fairytale relationship and marriage, our expectations are often underwhelmed.

We are sold what marriage looks like in movies, books, music, and television. However, that is just a snapshot. It doesn’t often show the systemic process of the intense process that marriage is. 

There are different reasons that contribute to a couple drifting apart. Since each couple is different, these reasons range from unfaithfulness to a lack of communication to a desire discrepancy. 

We cannot promise that these tips and exercises will help save your particular marriage, yet it has worked for many of our clients. 

Some of the ways to start the journey back to being a happy couple include: 

1.Re-evaluate why you became a couple

The decision to be together did not come out of the blue. Both of you weighed your options and decided it was the best thing to do. This was way back, before the wedding and even kids. Before you said yes to marriage, the question to be their partner came first. Why did you decide on them? On the person you cannot stand now.

Ask yourselves what attracted you to each other. Was it their smile or work ethic? Their humanity or kindness? Their suffering? Their potential? 

This will remind you why you fell in love in the first place. It will have both of you reminiscing on a time before you discovered the flaws you see now. Your partner was once this person, and they can be that person for you if they want to.

 

2.Write down important things

Putting your feelings into words is therapy in itself. You can both write a whole list about your partner. What you like about them and what kept you by their side.

After writing down a list of all the things you appreciate about your partner, see if they want to receive it. 

Write down where you envision your new relationship future. 

Write down the steps on how to get there! 

It is also important to write down where you want the relationship to go, because how can you get somewhere without visualizing it first? 

Are there conversations you both need to have? Are children in your future? 

This will help you visualize a future with your partner, which is the whole point of how to save your marriage.

 

3.Set boundaries

Try telling your spouse what they do that has you feeling insecure. Own it with nonviolent communication. 

  • Is it them staying out late during weekends? 
  • Are they spending less time with you? 
  • Do you need them to help out more around the house?

Example: I feel _____ when I have the thought that you are spending less time with me. I am requesting that we _____. Are you able to do that, or can you offer another strategy?

You need to set reasonable requests, and abide by them as well when you are asked. 

If you ask your partner to be back home by 7 p.m. on a Saturday, you need to ask them what they would like as an alternative strategy for them. Maybe they want you home at the same time, or maybe they would rather when you come home late that you give them a massage. 

This negotiation for a collaboration cultivates trust in both individuals, and we all know the importance of trust in our relationships.

 

4.Show appreciation

Make a conscious note to appreciate your partner’s efforts. 

  • Notice when they change a hairstyle or buy a new article of clothing. 
  • Appreciate when they help out around the house.
  • Give compliments like you just met. 
  • Act as if everything they do is the greatest thing you have seen and watch as your love blossoms. 
  • People like to be noticed for their efforts.

For example, if your husband fixes a leak in the kitchen sink, give him a big hug and kiss and say “thank you. I feel so loved right now.” He will feel great about helping out and do it more often. 

It keeps him happy and provides you with the help you desire around the house. A WIN / WIN! 

 

5.Communicate

Miscommunication is a huge damper in relationships. Couples who do not voice their feelings end up holding a lot of remorse and resent. 

Make clear and respectful communication a huge part of your routine. Talking about your feelings towards your partner helps unburden you. It also allows them a chance to correct themselves in an effort to make the marriage work.

 

6.Do something special together

You can set a day weekly aside according to your schedules. 

  • Spend this day with your partner. 
  • You can decide to get dressed up and go out to a restaurant for a fun date. 
  • You can also decide to stay in, order take out and watch movies all day. 

The important thing is to spend quality time doing something special. Use this time to connect and bond with your spouse and talk about erotic opportunities. 

How to save your marriage requires effort from both parties though. 

Long-term relationships have their struggles and nothing is ever smooth sailing all the time. 

You both need to come to the decision that the marriage is failing and needs some work. 

Avoid talking to external parties about your partner, unless they are trained professionals. 

Address all issues with your spouse within the week, as communication is key.

If you need further help with how to save your marriage, please visit us or another licensed professional marital therapy. 

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

When Your Wife or Husband is a Flirt Should You Take It Seriously?

/in , , /by

When Your Wife or Husband is a Flirt Should You Take It Seriously?

 

When you find out that your husband or wife flirts, how you respond is based on context. Marriage often comes with an expectation of exclusivity. Therefore, it is only normal that you assume your husband or wife will only do certain things with you.

While exclusivity – regarding intimacy – is supposed to be the norm in marriages, it is unfortunately not that easy.

 

Were They Flirtatious When You First Met?

If you were drawn to your spouse because of their attention-giving nature, then you should probably find it normal that they’re still the same.

Maybe you fell in love with your wife because of the way she brushed your arm whenever she talked to you. It could also be that you were attracted to your husband because he knows how to make women feel on top of the world. In these cases, you may have to worry about nothing.

Getting the attention of others, maybe your husband’s or wife’s way of expressing him/herself. If your spouse has always been keen to respond to the opposite sex nicely, it may help you if you can relax and enjoy their good nature. If you can’t help it, tell them how the act makes you feel, instead of working by assumptions and making your marriage difficult.

 

You May Not Be Giving Them Enough Attention

Think about this: are you giving your spouse the attention they need and flirting with them? If not, maybe they are resorting to flirting to fill their significance need.

You may be a woman who is passionate about her career and spend little time with your spouse. Or, maybe you’re a man focused on your family and not noticing your partner. 

In any case, every human being – especially extroverts – loves to receive and give attention. And suppose you are not available to indulge your spouse. In that case, they may unconsciously begin to get and give attention to any member of the opposite sex that is always ‘available.’ They may do this even when there is no intention to be unfaithful to you.

So if you are always on the move and find out your spouse is a flirt, consider making out more time to be with them.

 

It Could be a Self-Esteem Problem

If your wife or husband flirts as a means to give their self-esteem a boost, then it could be categorized as a serious problem. When people need others’ validation or attention to feel good about themselves, it means something is wrong somewhere.

It is up to you to help them feel good about themselves, and try to encourage a connection between the two of you. To help your spouse with their self-esteem problem, you must first think about strategies to connect with them that they desire. 

If their self-esteem dropped in the course of your marriage, then you may want to consider the things you (both) are not doing right. Even when there is no misunderstanding between you and your spouse, there could be some disappointments they are probably not telling you. These disappointments could undoubtedly affect the way they see themselves.

 

Is It Towards a Particular Member of the Opposite Sex?

As earlier said, some extroverts may find flirting as a way to express themselves around the opposite sex freely. Most times, these flirtatious behaviors may have no strings attached to them.

However, when you notice that your wife’s or husband’s come-hither expressions are directed to a particular member of the opposite sex, it should be taken seriously. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be a reason to end your marriage or start to point accusing fingers at your spouse. Do not assume. Please find time to converse with him/her, to get a full grasp of whatever is likely going on.

Also, do not assume the role of an investigator. Monitoring your spouse when you notice that their attention is with someone else doesn’t help. Instead, an open and honest conversion should do the trick here.

 

Did You Set Boundaries About Flirting with your Husband or Wife?

In every relationship – including marriage – boundaries are crucial to maintaining sanity between the parties involved. While you shouldn’t make your marriage a rule-bound mechanical showroom, boundaries will help you agree on what is acceptable and not.

If you fail to set boundaries, having understood each other’s tendencies, you may end up hurting yourselves. Your husband may not know that he hurts you when he gives ‘unnecessary’ attention to other women.

And your wife may not also know that you do not appreciate her having close contact with other men. When you set boundaries, there would be no reason to worry over what your spouse does or does not do with the opposite sex.

 

Does Your Spouse Know How Much You Love Them?

Finally, an affirmation of your love may be all your spouse need to stop giving and receiving attention from other members of the opposite sex. How often do you express how much your husband means to you, and how many times in a day do you compliment your wife’s look?

Well, if you fail to tell your wife how good she looks in her new skirt, try not to feel left out when she smiles at her colleague who does. And if you fail to encourage and strengthen your husband when he achieves a milestone, there are courteous women out there who would do it.

In a nutshell, that you take your spouse’s flirtatious behaviors seriously or not will depend on the two of you. Your reaction will also depend on whether or not you both are doing right by yourselves.

And how well you respect, build, and freely express yourselves towards each other will also tell the kind of response you give to your spouse’s cheeky behavior towards the opposite sex.

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

The Secrets to Having Sex in Public

/in , /by

The Secrets to Having Sex in Public

 

The idea of someone watching you while you have sex in public is hot for many. 

Sure, you are breaking the law, and yes, some rules are meant to be broken. 

The exhibitionist streak in most of us can be strong. Chances are, if you have thought about it, this article already has your thoughts wandering.

If a casual observer can see you, you are in public. Public places include:

  • Parks
  • Public bathrooms
  • Beaches
  • Airports

Having sex in public can be thrilling. 

There is a chance that you may get caught, which gets your adrenaline pumping. 

It can be particularly great, and / or challenging, for people in long-term relationships. 

It is unconventional and will definitely spice things up for you.

 

Is Public Sex Legal?

No. 

No matter how thrilling it is, it involves breaking the law. 

You must definitely avoid getting busy with your partner in a park or place where you can get caught. 

The law varies in different governments and countries. 

If arrested, you may be charged with lewdness or public indecency. Possible penalties for this include community service, jail time, and a fine.The worst consequence would be that you get registered as a sex offender – so be cautious! 

Sex in public enables you to get creative. It requires quick and thorough assessment of the situation you are in. You need to find the balance between a public enough place which still gives you privacy. 

The secret to sex in public, or a public romp, charges your body with adrenaline and dopamine. 

Don’t get arrested for chasing a thrill.

 

Where to Have Public Sex

There are a number of places where you can have public sex without getting caught. 

Here are some examples to jog your creativity:

 

  1. Your balcony or backyard – if you are new to public sex, easing into it is a great idea. 

Start on familiar ground. Having sex on your balcony or backyard has the danger of being noticed. You can use patio furniture for support. This will also allow you to try more sex positions. 

Take the first step and get outside.

 

 

  1. The car – your car is a public yet private space. 

What is great about it is you can control where you park it. A secluded parking lot or on the side of the road, the choice is yours. It is best to use the backseat, as there is room in the backseat. 

You must avoid accidentally honking the horn and alerting people. And… yes, this does expose you if you are in a parking lot to arrest. 

 

  1. The woods or park – getting naughty in nature is always a great idea. 

Channel your internal wild one and quietly go into a park or a wooded place with a partner you trust. 

Use trees and bushes to shield you. Having sex near trails and paths will give you a sense of publicity. 

Remember, you need to watch out for poison ivy and tickets, and the danger of getting caught.

 

  1. A sex party – once you begin to get used to the idea of public sex, a sex party should be on your “to-do list.” A sex party is great because it eliminates the danger of being caught. 

You can relax and enjoy “public sex” with your partner.

 

  1. The beach – beach sex is often great at night. 

There is minimal traffic in the dark as compared to daytime. Carry a blanket to lie on, and get ready as sand will get everywhere. You can also use beach chairs or be in a cabana which is extremely sturdy. 

The secret to beach sex is you have to avoid too much movement.

 

  1. Bathrooms – pre covid, this is probably the most used place for public sex. 

Examples include at an airport, a hotel or restaurant.

Bathroom sex is for when you just cannot wait till you get home to do it. Public bathrooms can be contaminated with germs. You will need to incorporate some gymnastic skills to get it on. 

You also do not have the luxury to remove a lot of clothing or shoes.

 

Non-Law Breaking Options

Sex in public is risky. In case you are not willing to take part in it, there are ways to incorporate it into your routine. You can take care of your exhibitionist streak and still be within the confines of the law. 

These are shortcuts to be kinky with your partner in public while remaining a law-abiding citizen:

  1. Role play – you can pretend to be in public. This requires lots of imagination. Have sex with your partner ass you would in a public place. Do not get completely naked. You can unzip pants or just hike up a skirt. You should also avoid the bed.

  1. Party sex – this does not mean having a party where people come to have sex at your place, though tempting. You can sneak into a bedroom while hosting a party or event for a quickie. 

Remember to lock the door, since party guests will definitely look for you. 

Have your quickie and go back to your party as if you were not getting it on with your partner.

 

  1. Friends to watch – first off, have a conversation with your friends. 

You may want to start with a couple, or some of your kinkiest buddies. Make sure they are into watching and being watched. You can host these friends to watch you have sex. Also, return the favor and watch them. It is sure to be a fulfilling party.

 

  1. Webcam – taking things virtual in today’s digital world is easy and a safer sex option. 

Set up a webcam and wear a mask if you want to remain anonymous. 

You can have fun on your own or with a partner while strangers watch.

Acting on your fantasies is a great way to remain sexually adventurous. 

Sex in public is a common and usually rewarding fantasy. 

Remember to keep your partner’s needs in mind, especially if they show signs of being uncomfortable, do not continue, and ask to go home and talk about it later. 

You can also just let it remain a fantasy. There is nothing like unmet needs to keep your blood boiling, and the mind often cannot tell the difference between what is powerfully imagined vs. what is real. 

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

5 Love Language Quiz Results – Strategies For Applying!

/in , /by

5 Love Language Quiz Results – Strategies For Applying!

 

Knowing how to use the 5 love language quiz results to boost your relationship is important. It will do your relationship no apparent good if you KNOW your partner’s love language yet cannot DO it.

No phenomenon warrants the use of the phrase “Action speaks louder than words” than the love languages. It is not enough to know what these languages are.

Sometimes, expressing love to your partner in their love language can become a difficult task, even if you have their 5 Love Language Quiz results.

This is because every human is wired to assume that love is best expressed in their languages.

This is why your partner may end up waiting endlessly for words of affirmation from you while you’re busy sweating out the chores to please them.

So, below are a number of ways by which you can duly express love to your partner based on the 5 love language quiz results:

Words of Affirmation

People with this love language want to hear you say, ‘I love you’ more often.

They’ll even appreciate you more if you voice out the reason you love and cherish them.

And if this happens to be one of your partner’s 5 love languages, sincerity and openness must not be lacking from your conversations.

  • Appreciate them for the smallest things they do. (ex: “Thanks for getting the mail”)
  • Send a text to them every now and then to let them know they’re on your mind.
  • Be their number one cheerleader whenever they have a project to carry out.
  • Have something nice to say about their looks and their personality.
  • Whenever they’re discouraged, be ready with encouraging words to boost their confidence.
  • Whenever they hit any significant milestone, always be the first to celebrate and congratulate them on their victory.
  • Whenever they’re going on any trip, a cute note tucked into their travel bags will go a long way.
  • Sing their praises, even when they are not all deserving of them.

Acts of Service

For some other people their favorite out of the 5 love languages is checking off an item on their to-do list.

It is even better to ask your partner what they’d have you do for them, so you don’t end up doing all the chores that they didn’t care about doing, and then the partner still feels unloved.

Nevertheless, here are a few things you can do to make your partner feel loved:

  • Pay the bills even before they ask.
  • Help them with groceries before they run out.
  • Do the dishes for them, along with the chores you can do whenever necessary.
  • Wash their car when you have the time, or drive it to the car wash for them.
  • Help them reduce their grocery bags whenever they’re returning from the store.
  • Help them pick up the laundry on your way from work.
  • Take out the trash before it piles up, and do not hesitate to get a babysitter for the kids while you’re on a date.

Receiving Gifts

In Gary Chapman’s book on the Five Love Languages, he explains that people whose love language is receiving gifts often appreciate the thought behind the gift better than they do the gift.

The full expression of love in this language deals with getting your partner gifts that suit their lifestyle and personality. Buying your vegan partner a plate of beef noodles will NOT be helpful.

  • Whenever their favorite artist is performing a show, buy them a surprise ticket (even if it’s a live stream version of a concert).
  • Go the extra mile to get them that snack they love. It would be better if the snack is not readily obtainable.
  • Have your phone or a journal handy to jot down whatever they want as a mental note for yourself. This list will pay off when it’s their birthday or an important celebration.
  • Do not wait to be reminded of important dates in their lives. Make it a habit to surprise them with relevant gifts during celebrations and festivals.
  • Wherever you go on a trip, bring them a gift item pertinent to the location you traveled to.
  • Just buy them gifts for no particular reason or create something.

Quality Time

For some people, undivided attention from their partners is all they need to feel loved. If you have such a person as a partner with this love language, you may need to dedicate some time to them daily or weekly.

 

  • Do not rush out of bed. Enjoy a few moments of intimacy with your partner in the early hours of the morning before you begin your day.
  • Do not mess around with your date nights. Make it a habit to “fan the flames” in your relationship with romantic dates – even at home.
  • Make time to enjoy a walk in the woods.
  • Whenever possible, go to bed at the same time as your partner. Falling asleep at different times or sleeping in different rooms may come off as negligence if you do not discuss it.
  • At the end of your day, take a few undisturbed minutes to fill each other in on the things that happened during the day.
  • Look at your partner whenever you’re in discussion with them. Eye contact exercises are a good way to show them that your attention is all theirs.
  • Maybe quarterly or twice a year… stay in bed together and reschedule a plan to create more time together.
  • Pray, meditate, read, sing, dance, and/or study with them.

Physical Touch

You shouldn’t wait for complaining before cuddling, hugging or kissing your partner – particularly when their love language is physical touch.

While every physical touch may not always lead to sex, you’d be well appreciated if you know the right time to touch your partner.

 

  • Hug them whenever you apologize for what you did wrong.
  • Wrap your arms around them – even if you are in public.
  • Don’t wait for your partner to ask before giving them a soothing massage.
  • Cuddle each other when you sit next to each other.
  • Hold hands with each other whenever you take a walk.
  • Kiss each other whenever you part ways or come together.

As you can tell, the 5 love language quiz results is a just a starting point for a relationship, yet learning to GIVE in the way that your partner receives is imperative for them to feel loved.

 

Couple sitting on couch with their phones

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

Break Up Therapy

What Is Break Up Therapy?

/in , , /by

What Is Break Up Therapy?

 

Break up therapy is often a solution to ensure that you aren’t left with adverse emotional and mental health going forward. 

Surviving a breakup is not easy.

A few factors may determine the emotional effect a “break up” or separation can have on your health: 

  • The duration of the relationship
  • The willingness of both individuals to stay in the relationship
  • How happy you were before the breakup
  • The cause of the breakup, which may include emotional or physical abuse, infidelity, or other issues
  • The commitment level of all involved

break up therapy

Many people often grieve relationship loss. Just like they grieve other losses, and the time it takes to heal varies from person to person.

For instance, a short-term relationship might take only a few days to heal for one partner. But long-term relationships may take a longer period of time for that same person to heal.

If both partners were cohabiting before the breakup, recovering from this separation might take years, as this is similar to getting divorced.

It may result in serious emotional turmoil as you fight for custody (if there are kids involved) and the division of the belongings and finances that you share.

Sometimes, a breakup may even be the primary cause of depression, resulting in thoughts of self-harm when not addressed as soon as possible. At such a point where a breakup results in depression and harmful thoughts, break up therapy becomes essential.

Other mental health professionals can also help you deal with unresolved feelings you may be having after a breakup is happening in your life. 

 

How to Cope With A Breakup

There is no one size fits all in coping with a breakup yet discussing breakups and considering what you need to move on will be helpful.

Reflecting on the past situations will help you regain a new sense of self, possibly making it easier for you to move on from the situation. Although it may not seem like it now… there are steps you can take to put yourself back together.

Before you take the road to recovery after a breakup, keep in mind that healing may not be instant – and will require time.

  • Stitching your heart back in place may not happen in a week or two and may require you to do more than four months of mourning if necessary. So, don’t rush it by forcing yourself to heal quickly.
  • Let those you trust – friends and family – know what you’re going through if they are often helpful.. They can “hold your hand” as you journey into a conscious completion or relationship recovery period.
  • Acknowledging that your relationship was an important part of your life, and that the pain and loss are part of the process in uncoupling.
  • Place importance on self-care after a breakup as this will help you in the recovery process. Eat balanced meals, plan snacks ahead, stay active and try to move your body in positive ways. Get the appropriate amount of sleep, and avoid harmful behaviors like drug use and drinking to cope.
  • It will also help if you accept support and care from friends and family to help improve your outlook and speed up the healing process. After all, the feeling of guilt and inadequacies that you feel after a breakup is very normal, and the only people that can help you feel better are your close ones.
  • Blaming yourself for a breakup will slow down the healing process. Instead, consider looking inward to take accountability for what you contributed – positively and negatively – to that relationship.
  • A painful breakup can result in positive personal growth as the period you spend in loneliness and reflection can be the best time to reflect on your needs.

Break Up Therapy

Your life goals, values, and priorities may have changed during your relationship, and you may have even developed new interests.

You may find it hard to embrace interests or go to places that you shared with your former partner. Therefore, start developing new passions or exploring new adventures. 

However, accepting that shared interests isn’t a bad idea even when your relationship is over will help you recover.

 

Break Up Therapy is For You If…

Break up therapy becomes highly important when a serious relationship breaks up and leads to depression, stress, anxiety, and hopelessness. 

Regardless of the breakup situation, you may feel sad, confused, angry, or experience emotional turmoil after a breakup, even if you’re the one that initiated the breakup.

When you become overwhelmed by your feelings and find it hard to cope with your daily activities. A breakup therapist or counselor can provide support and help make your helping process much faster.

Breakup therapy becomes essential when you experience conditions like post-traumatic stress, depression, grief, and low self-esteem.

When you meet a therapist, you can easily discuss exactly how you feel and the difficulties you face every day. Your therapist will then create a treatment plan that best helps you deal with these negative feelings with coping skills.

A therapist will help you see why you do not have to blame yourself for a breakup and how to move on with experience from the situation.

Speaking with a therapist will not only help you heal faster. It can also improve your general well-being and personal development.

Break Up Therapy

 

In Conclusion

Romantic relationships are beautiful and can form a significant part of one’s life when clearly defined. The bonds developed within romantic partners can sometimes be strong enough to create a life-long influential force.

As a result, partners commit time, emotions, and resources towards the relationship.

When circumstances bring a partnership to an end, breakups are involved. 

A separation is rarely a pleasant experience, yet it can be one where we need additional assistance. If you need break up therapy, reach out to us today. 

If you have any questions, or for clients hoping to take their intimate lives to the next level through personalized sessions on YOUR terms, learn more about our Text Therapy Program.

Couples Communication Strategies

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). And an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do. 

Signs Your Wife Wants to Leave You

Signs Your Wife Wants to Leave You

/in , , /by

Signs Your Wife Wants to Leave You

 

When the signs your wife wants to leave you are staring at you, you are usually the last person to notice. As the spouse, you may try to keep convincing yourself that the problem you are encountering in your marriage will only last for a short while. 

With time, you will begin to see the picture and face the harsh reality of losing your dear wife. When you see these signs, you will begin to expect the divorce letter at any time. It may seem the love, affection, care, romance and sex are gone.

So, what are the signs to look out for before coming to this conclusion?

  • Picks fight unnecessarily
  • Shows less affection
  • She doesn’t communicate like before
  • She doesn’t spend her free time with you
  • Keeps secrets from you
  • Gets angry over everything you do
  • Pays more attention to her appearance
  • She’s asked for a break to “think things through” 

Despite seeing these signs, you may have several thoughts running through your mind. You may begin to think that your mind is playing tricks on you and question if your wife still loves you as much as you do. To be sure about your wife’s stance in your marriage, read on.

Signs Your Wife Wants to Leave You

She Picks Fight Unnecessarily

Fighting and misunderstanding are parts of every relationship, including marriage. It’s okay to agree and disagree. It becomes frustrating when a partner enjoys doing it at every given opportunity.

When your wife fights you and you’re always at fault every time she does this, it might be a sign that she wants to leave and she doesn’t have a good-enough reason to leave you. 

She might not have the courage to tell you that she wants out of the marriage, and the only way to achieve this is to push you to argue to enable her to have a justification for doing what she did.

 

She Shows Less Affection

Most times, women show affection to the people they love. So, when your wife stops showing you affection, it’s a sign she may no longer be in love with you. Unlike men, women only have sex with the men they find attractive or love.

That’s why you need to start asking questions when your wife is not showing affection as she does before. She might have stopped loving you if you have to force her to hold your hands, kiss you, hug you or tell you she loves you every time.

It might even be a sign that she’s found someone else. Although, this doesn’t mean she’s cheating on you… yet. 

 

She Doesn’t Communicate Like Before

Communication is an important part of every relationship, and the impact is often felt whenever it is absent in marriage. Lack of communication is a huge sign that your marriage is about to end on the rocks, and this shouldn’t be taken lightly.

At the onset of lack of communication, you might think it’s nothing serious until it develops into silent treatment whereby your wife ignores you completely.

 

She Doesn’t Spend Her Free Time with You Anymore

At the beginning of a good relationship, your partner would want to spend all of her free time with you. 

They do this because they can’t seem to get enough of you. With time, these feelings wear off as new relationship energy fades, and you both are regular parts of one another’s lives. 

Getting married doesn’t stop you from spending some time alone or chasing your dreams. So, your wife should have some alone time too. This doesn’t imply that she shouldn’t spend some of her alone time with you.

If she doesn’t honor your dates anymore, she doesn’t ask you to go on adventures together, or if she tells you that romantic getaways aren’t necessary, she might be showing signs that she wants to leave you.

 

She Keeps Secrets from You

Sudden secretive behavior is one of the signs your wife wants to leave you.

Although, the fact that you’re married doesn’t imply that your wife will not have her own personal time and space, yet omitting truths and holding her own secrets is suspicious. 

If you’ve witnessed her lying and hiding things from you, and you no longer know who she is with or where she spends her free time, or know nothing about her new promotion or new schedule, there is a chance that she may no longer be interested in the marriage.

 

 She Gets Angry Over Everything You Do

In healthy relationships, you find compassion in all aspects of your partner, including their flaws, as it is part of who they are.

Unlike in a Disney movie, in real romantic relationships, even when you are aware of their flaws, you accept them without trying to change them.

When everything about you, especially your flaws, annoy your wife when she used to find them precious, it is a sign that she wants to leave you. 

If she complained about your haircut, how you smell, or your clothing, your wife may want to leave you, as she may be comparing you to someone else. 

 

She Pays More Attention to Her Appearance

A wife paying attention to how she looks is positive. However, it is cause for concern when your wife suddenly starts paying more attention to her appearance than before. 

Although changing her appearance might be a personal decision, the signs are often there when she’s doing it to impress another man. She may be dying her hair more frequently, changing her weight, purchasing more lingerie and not wearing it with you, or wearing more makeup when she’s away from you. 

 

She’s Asked For a Break

Asking for a break is a specific sign your wife wants to leave you. She may be scared of going through the divorce or uncoupling process, and therefore wants space to help her figure things out.

She may want to find out if she can survive without you. And if your partnership is worth putting more effort into or not.

 

7 Signs Your Wife Wants to Leave You

In conclusion, you may be coming to terms with the realization that your wife wants to leave you. This may be difficult, especially when you’ve built your life together. It may be harder when you have children or share the same business with your partner.

When your wife has made up their mind to leave you, there may be little to be done about it. However, if you still love her, try all you can to bring back the spark in your marriage by trying sex therapy or text therapy. 

Who knows… she might have a change of heart.

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

How to Save Your Marriage

How to Save Your Marriage

/in , , /by

How to Save Your Marriage

 

We are here to give you strategies on how to save your marriage from a doomed fate. 

There comes a point in marriage when things start to turn a bit sour, and your relationship or marriage ceases to be the ‘happily ever after setting’ it once was. 

At such junctures, where the intimacy you once had with your partner starts to fizzle out, there are a few ways we want to teach you on how to save your marriage: 

  • Focus on positives 
  • Don’t live in the past
  • Don’t forget the good
  • Talk and listen to your spouse
  • Be determined and seek help
  • Learn when to end the marriage

 

Focus on Positives

Your marriage may not be as bad as it seems. Surely, there has got to be an element of positivity still present in your relationship with your spouse.

However, with the myriad of negativities currently overwhelming you, these good sides may be difficult to recognize. Here comes the effort you’ll be making to save your marriage – paying more attention to the good parts.

So, instead of being upset that your spouse is not making as much effort in footing the bills as you are, be grateful that they are also trying their best to see that the bills are paid.

 

Don’t Live In the Past

Maybe your marriage ceased to be blissful after you discovered a not-so-pleasant-thing about your spouse. It could also be that somebody cheated or disrespected the other. Whatever the case may be, you have to let go – if saving your marriage is your goal.

If you keep dwelling on what was done to you in the past, you may never get to experience a blissful future in your marriage. Accept whatever has happened between you and your spouse, forgive, and stay committed to the course of trust and intimacy.

How to Save Your Marriage 

Don’t Forget the Good Things of Yesterday

You must indeed learn to forget whatever hurt you in the past to save your marriage. Yet the things that brought sunshine to your union should not be forgotten with the past.

In fact, conflict and the arrival of children can sometimes get in the way of the intimate things you did with your spouse early in your marriage. Now maybe the right time to start doing those things again.

What are those things you did with your spouse that got you attracted to them? What did they do to brighten your existence, and make you appreciate them more?

This point is the best time for you and your partner to remember those things, and work your way around reviving them in your relationship.

 

Talk to Your Partner and Listen to Them

Sometimes, what you think is a huge, deliberate effort to offend you may be a simple omission by your partner. They may not even be aware of the void that is gradually replacing the love in your marriage.

To help salvage trust and friendship in your marriage, try talking with your partner, and listen to what they have to say. When they open up about their view towards the matter, also make effort to see things from their perspective. This way, you’ll avoid assumptions and re-establish a partnership with your spouse.

 

Be Determined Not to Let Go

At the point where a marriage starts to need fixes and salvage, it can be quite difficult not to think about ending it. Yet if you would rather learn how to save your marriage, you will have to be strongly determined to do so.

You and your partner have to both understand that marriages – just like every other human relationship – will experience tough periods and moments without harmony.

This understanding will help you to stay committed to the institution of marriage even when it seems like the hardest thing to do.

How to Save Your Marriage

 

It Could be Time to Lean Away

When your spouse is no longer meeting your clear expectations, trust and intimacy may dwindle in your marriage. Similarly, if you are overly dependent on your partner, you may start to feel neglected when they frequently fail to meet your needs.

At this point, it will be wise to lean away – not disconnect.

Start to think about doing some of those things yourself, and also consider the fact that your partner is a human being too. It could be that the responsibility is simply weighing them down, and it may not have crossed their minds to talk to you about it.

 

Maybe You Need to Change

One interesting thing about conflict – in marriage, and life – is that the blame is always on the other person. Only a few people would first consider looking inward in a bid to settle a conflict.

If you’re out to save your marriage in the face of a dilemma, try to consider the different ways you could be doing things wrongly. Maybe your responses at different instances were somewhat uncalled for. Or you are probably expecting too much of your spouse.

Simply take out some time to properly analyze the role you’re likely playing to alleviate the state of things in your marriage.

 

Take a Break If You Need to

Without considering or threatening your spouse with divorce, you may want to consider giving your partner some time to come around. Ideally, this period shouldn’t be unreasonably long, and should not come as a way of paying your spouse in their own coin.

Simply consider this break as a time for you and your partner to think deeply about your relationship. It should also be a time to reevaluate and restructure things in your marriage.

 

Think about the Future

Your spouse and their behavior may not be reason enough for you to pick up the pieces of your marriage. Your children, the things you’ve built together, as well as the plans you have for the future can give you the strength to do so.

Think about the effects a divorce or separation would have on your kids and your intended future. In the end, you’ll realize that separation may not be the right answer to your marital troubles.

 

Conclusion

Marriage is a union between two adults – who, ideally, are mature enough to decide as they committed on their wedding day. Hence, the decision to save your marriage can be made and worked upon by you and your partner.

 

 

Couples Communication Strategies

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do. 

 

Talk About Marriage

Let’s Talk About Marriage! 

/in , , , /by

Let’s Talk About Marriage! 

 

Have you ever wondered if there is a talk about marriage that could help yours? 

I did back in the day, and I know many of my clients have too! 

The courtship process of dating used to be about testing this exchange in a way. Sometimes now, we bypass courtship for love, then we have marital problems. 

While I bring you videos like, 7 Things That Destroy a Marriage, and then provide you with useful communication techniques that will guide you to recover from those topics, I want to talk about marriage today in a way that will help you improve communication with your partner… even with anyone.

In the book, The Good Marriage, we talk about marriage in four ways: 

 

The Traditional Marriage – roles were very defined. 

  • Back in the day relationships and sexuality were witnessed as  an exchange. The most common exchange in marriage from one partner, often the man, was I will give you my name, my commitment, and finances to shelter you. For the other partner, often the caretaker of the house, to provide children, companionship, and sexual desire.
  • The man would make more money in the house. Deep respect for the distinction of the roles they had. 

 

The Companion Marriage – more friendly. 

  • Ride or die commitment. 
  • Flexible roles with who does what in the marriage. 

 

The Healing Marriage – savior marriage

  • Often in this marriage, both individuals came from trauma and had a deep level of healing to do themselves. 
  • Then, they help their partner to do the same!

 

The Romantic Marriage – the one that had the most vibrant sex life. 

  • Keeping a live story of the couples’ romance. 
  • Often sharing the narrative of how the couple met. Romantic and repeated. 
  • Prioritize dates and adventures to keep the passion and romance alive. 

 

In summary, whatever type of partnership you have, it’s good to talk about it. 

It is especially important to talk about marriage. 

Love is unconditional. Relationships, including marriage, take agreements, collaboration, and commitment! 

On the level of consciousness, we are infinite… yet, we have a finite human body and only one body in this lifetime.

Instead of taking our body and mind to project onto others, let’s learn and grow. 

  • The mind is tricky and often projects.
  • Usually when I am in hatred, I am also more likely to act out. 
  • Usually when I am in pain, I can justify my behavior to defend, deflect, and deny.
  • Often, I must do the inner work to choose a new type of communication style with grace, and with accountability. 

While we talk about marriage, may we experience ourselves as bigger, more profound, and more complex. The more intricate, the more passionate!

Adulting and creating safe space for your inner selves to talk about marriage, in the way that most of us did not see modeled growing up! 

Being able to work with our partner to help them self-analyze and assess their choices. 

We don’t want to suppress ourselves or our partners too far, because there is a chance it can turn into self-hate. We want to know the way to include all parts of our psyche into the conversation. 

For me, my world has transformed when I love myself enough to take responsibility without collapsing into overly dramatic feelings of guilt. 

 

Couples Communication Strategies

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do. 

 

Love Addiction

How to Know if You Have a Love Addiction

/in , , /by

How to Know if You Have a Love Addiction

 

We all love the thrill of a new relationship; however, if that is the feeling you cling to for the entirety of every relationship only to have it end in heartbreak, it is likely that you have a love addiction.

A love addiction can be sabotaging your relationships and ultimately your happiness within relationships. It is also tricky to recognize because relationships are so romanticized in the media: if you’re not madly, passionately in love all the time and for years on end,  the relationship is a failure. 

The reality is, relationships ebb and flow and while some do not make it past the honeymoon phase anyway, truly healthy relationships are built on trust, companionship, shared values and of course some attraction

 

What is Love Addiction?

A love addiction is the chronic, obsessive pursuit of romantic love. Healthy relationships don’t stay in the “honeymoon” phase forever, so if you are constantly chasing that feeling from relationship to relationship you may have a love addiction. 

It consists of behaviors that end up affecting you and your partner negatively, and can mean you have a tough time letting go of the fantasy of a relationship when the reality sets in. 

 

Is Love Addiction Real?

Love addiction is not a recognized disorder by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, the DSM-5 lists 11 criteria for substance addictions that can be applied to understanding and treating a process addiction or negative behavior pattern like love addiction. 

To be diagnosed with a substance addiction, you only need to have two of the eleven criteria. Not all of them apply to love addiction, so here are the top three that indicate there may be an addictive element in play:

  • An ongoing (6+ months) preoccupation/ obsession with romantic fantasies and new relationships
  • No self control over romantic fantasies and new relationships
  • Negative consequences from these out of control fantasies

So while not technically recognized as an “addiction” in the DSM-5, it is a pattern of behavior that can be harmful and hurtful and prevent you from enjoying fulfilling, healthy relationships. This is why it is always worth seeking help to overcome love addiction. 

 

What’s So Wrong About Being Romantic?

Romance is an exciting and essential element of courtship and attraction. There is even a physiological explanation for those butterflies you feel when around your new crush!

A neurochemical rush floods your system when your new partner is in sight (or in mind) and when you touch. The evolutionary necessity of this is to provide a temporary fierce attraction while two humans build a real relationship, getting to know each other and build a foundation of trust and intimacy. Ideally once the honeymoon phase ceases, this foundation is set and the relationship can progress. 

The difficulty arises when you associate those rushes/butterflies and romance with the substance of a relationship, or the idea of being in a relationship. Once they fade, you’re either no longer interested or you feel like the relationship is failing when it is naturally progressing in many ways. 

Failing to move beyond seeking that rush can leave you lonely, heartbroken, and stuck in a pattern where you don’t open up for real intimacy and connection because you’re always chasing the rush of romance. 

This of course doesn’t mean long term relationships should be devoid of romance! It merely means that the definition and spontaneity of it may shift. Sharing common values, learning and acting upon each other’s love languages, making your partner feel appreciated and special are all romantic and I definitely encourage romance! You can’t put on delicious whipped frosting without a cake first, and if you’re always chasing frosting you’ll be left hungry! 

 

Signs of Love Addiction

So, what are some of the signs of a love addiction?

  • Confusing sexual and romantic intensity with true intimacy
  • Skipping out on commitments, friends and family for your relationships
  • A wandering eye that seeks new, exciting relationships while you’re still in a monogamous relationship
  • Feeling alone, desperate and unworthy when not in a relationship
  • Defining yourself by your relationships
  • Always changing yourself to keep partners/fear of being dumped if you’re yourself
  • Relying on romantic/sexual intensity to escape your problems/find comfort

Love Addiction

 

Love Addiction and Codependency 

If you’re familiar with codependency, a lot of these signs may seem vaguely familiar. In fact, it could be argued that while not all codependents are love addicts, all love addicts are codependent. 

Codependency is in simplest terms the inability to decipher where you and the person you are codependent with ends. 

You may do everything in their best interest, even at expense of your own needs and wants. 

You may find it difficult to establish healthy boundaries in the relationship for fear of rejection or loneliness. 

It can create a one sided dynamic in a relationship (this can include family and friends), and can create a pattern of dysfunction where both sides of the relationship play a fixed role: one person could be a martyr who needs the validation of caring for someone else, perhaps the other is an enabler of these behaviors etc. 

 

Can I Change? 

Love addiction is a compulsion that can be tamed, though it is important to recognize what seemingly normal comments and behaviors are actually love addiction rearing its head. 

The truth is, the pattern is the issue, not the people you date. Sure, they weren’t perfect, however you must focus on yourself and your behaviors in order to end the cycle of heartbreaking short term romances in exchange for meaningful connections and intimacy. 

Working with a therapist is essential for establishing new patterns and behaviors that are healthy and constructive. Well meaning friends will try to give advice and can be a good shoulder to cry on, though they are biased and will likely agree with all of your assessments of the situation as a sign of support. 

A therapist is a non partial party who knows that the larger goal is more important: ending your love addiction and creating relationship patterns that are healthy and fulfilling. 

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

What is my Love Language

What is My Love Language? 5 Keys to Identify Your Desire!

/in , , /by

What is My Love Language? 5 Keys to Identify Your Desire!

 

What is my love language you may be asking!

It is worth noting that you and your partner(s) may have a different love language than you and asking what is my love language is only half of the question if you are partnered!

The 5 love languages are Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time and Physical Touch. 

Have you ever reflected upon what is my love language? 

What about your partners’ love language? 

What is my Love Language

This can be a helpful tool to evaluate if the way you’re both expressing your love (and receiving love!) is being interpreted as such. 

  • Take a love language quiz together! 
  • Though it may feel kinda cheesy, you can discover a lot about each other!
  • Once you’ve figured out your love languages, talk about how to incorporate it. 

 

1. Words of Affirmation

If you desire to be praised, encouraged or told “I love you” regularly to feel connected to your partner, your love language may be words of affirmation!

The platinum rule trumps the golden rule EVERY TIME! Do unto others what they would have you do unto them (not what you would want done for you). 

 

2.Acts of service

If you desire things like your partner running you a bath, bringing you a hot cup of coffee in the morning while you’re just barely awake, scraping the ice off of your car because they know you hate doing it, this is an act of service. 

 

3.Quality Time

It can be hurtful if your partner is flaky with plans, is distracted or texting during a date or doesn’t seem to be engaged when you’re having conversations. It can make you feel unimportant or like you’re playing second fiddle to other aspects of your partner’s life and they never have time to see you.

 

4.Gifts

Do you like receiving trinkets? If so, you can answer what is my love language with presents! 

 

5.Physical touch

Hugs, cuddles, spanks, and intimate touch can be brought into your lives, depending on the love languages that you connect with most. 

 

What is My Love Language – Sex Edition!

As cliché as it seems, a lack of physical touch and sex in particular can drive partners away, regardless of gender. 

For many people, sex is more than just a pleasurable activity – it is confirmation they are attractive, desired, and loved. 

Interestingly, these studies also identified that men (in general, yet not always) desired to have sex to feel an intimate connection. 

As spouses, you are obviously beyond the nervous excitement of dating, though this can be a gentle reminder that we continuously need to reconnect, check in and grow together. 

Exploring your sexual connection can open the door to deepening your emotional connection. 

After all, great sex requires great communication – a cornerstone of healthy relationships! 

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

Relationship Therapy

What To Expect When You Go To Relationship Therapy

/in , , /by

What To Expect When You Go To Relationship Therapy

 

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT)  is an individual, relationship therapy, and sex therapy practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible, multi-technique approach and pleasure skills training provided by licensed systemically-trained psychotherapists. 

It’s time to do some reassessing on the relationships in your life and decide what kind of relationship you really want with your romantic partner. If not, you may end up in relationship therapy when it’s too late. 

Relationship therapy can help those with communication issues, desire discrepancy, and those who have a willingness to learn more. 

So…maybe you want a traditional, equal, or open, or kinky relationship? We know that there are a variety of relationship styles, yet how do you attain the type of relationship that you desire? 

Relationship therapy is a great place to begin, because it is discreet, confidential, and balanced. 

How do you go about determining what type of relationship you want? 

Relationship Therapy

Where do you fall on the spectrum above? 

Compare with your partner(s).

This will provide valuable information. 

Once you know what type of relationship you desire, and if all partners are interested in creating that, you can begin to envision piece by piece the steps to get there. 

Some of the plans you can consider, if you don’t want to go to relationship therapy would be a systemic approach (mind, body, feelings, and soul). 

As a couple, it is important to continue to make relationship goals for yourself – that you accomplish as a team! Parenting is one example of how many couples accomplish relationship goals as a team. However, it isn’t quite as specific as relationship therapy for the parts of you that desire erotic and romantic connection. 

 

Life Coaching and Therapy is competent with and affirming of all relationship orientations and alternative sexualities, including: 

 

Life Coaching and Therapy provides relationship therapy that is affirming of all gender identities and sexual orientations, including:

  • Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals and partnerships
  • Queer, transgender, and those individuals and partnerships that are beyond the binary.
  • Partners of transgender and gender expansive individuals

 

Outcomes To Expect from Relationship Therapy: 

  • Learn constructive conversation skills
  • Decrease resentment and increase self-awareness
  • Increase awareness about sexual pleasure and passion.
  • Be more confident with your partner and in yourself 
  • Become more knowledgeable about your needs vs. your strategies to get needs met that create barriers to progress and pleasure.
  • Support partners in becoming clear about what they themselves want for pleasure and how to be more open to receiving that pleasure. 
  • Understand how culture, cultural identity, and intersectionality are related to your behavioral health and your relationship
  • Discuss how our bias, power, and privilege can affect relationships and come up in relationship therapy with the clinician.
  • Describe how communication styles can differ across cultures. 
  • Discuss ways to learn more about one another’s intersectional identities as a way to bridge the gap between various sexual styles.

Often, relationship therapy is a solution that can provide valuable advice for this relationship, or the next if you have to consciously complete (end) the relationship. 

Here are some example of reviews that demonstrate how LCAT has helped our clients’ relationships:

Relationship Therapy

Relationship Therapy

If you have any questions, or for clients hoping to take their intimate lives to the next level through personalized sessions on YOUR terms, learn more about our Text Therapy Program.

 

Couples Communication Strategies

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). And an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do. 

couple goals

Green Flags for Couple Goals

/in , , /by

Green Flags for Couple Goals

 

Whenever people talk about couple goals and relationships, there is a tendency to focus on the “red flags.” Instead of focusing on the things that should be avoided, or early warning signs that a relationship is “doomed,” we are going to focus on green flags for couple goals today! 

While it can certainly be helpful when creating couples goals to know what you want to avoid and what to look out for, it can leave you feeling directionless when knowing what you should be looking for!

Things that should be avoided, or early warning signs that a relationship is “doomed”. 

While it can certainly be helpful when creating couple goals to know what you want to avoid and what to look out for, it can leave you feeling directionless when knowing what you should be looking for! 

 

The Benefits of Positivity

It is definitely smart to avoid certain behaviors as a couple or as an individual, so red flags are something useful for identifying behaviors, habits and personality traits that may be harmful to a relationship or to oneself. 

Think about it: if you bought furniture and the assembly instructions only included what you shouldn’t do, you would have a lot of trouble trying to build something functional and structurally sound! 

The same goes for couple goals: using green flags is a great way to identify what is right about a relationship, what you may be looking for, and to remind you what is already working so you can focus on aspects to improve towards. 

 

So What Are The Green Flags?

Most couple goals or green flags can be sorted into five basic categories: 

  • Communication
  • Compromise
  • Boundaries
  • Respect
  • Sense of Self

Most red flags fall into these categories too, and green flags give you solutions rather than just identifying problems. 

Let’s dive into these green flags! 

 

Communication

Communication will always be the foundation of a great relationship can must be one of your couples goals. Most of the other green flags are an offshoot of communication, it is so important!couple goals

Some green flags to indicate strong communication include:

  • Listening to you talk when you have issues, and supporting you through them
  • Recognizes your love language and uses it to express their love instead of only using their own love language
  • Modeling what they would like to hear in an argument. Ex: “Next time this comes up, a way that would model a healthier approach for me would be to say “What I think I hear you saying is____, is that correct?”

Listening supportively and communicating in ways that you each find effective are good signs that you are building a foundation to set some serious couples goals. 

 

Compromise

Compromise should never mean becoming a doormat or consistently letting your own needs and wants take a backseat for the sake of your partner. 

Compromise means trying to find solutions that benefit both of you, and finding ideas and solutions that are maybe even better than anyone’s singular idea. Think synergistically: the sum is greater than the whole of its parts. 

This requires humility and letting go of the desire to “win”. A relationship where everyone is trying to win and outrank each other is a huge red flag, so look at these green flags when it comes to compromise:

  • Look for the mutually-empowering way (a win-win) to resolve issues
  • Postponing gratification in the moment 
  • Being able to apologize and take ownership of wrongdoing

Being humble and accommodating each other’s unique and evolving needs will benefit your couples goals by working together for a great relationship. 

 

Boundaries

Boundaries can go hand in hand with compromise. Setting boundaries isn’t about shutting out your partner, and is actually about letting them in. 

Knowing your partner’s boundaries and being mindful of them is a green flag. Here are some examples:

  • You partner stops doing things that you say make you uncomfortable
  • Don’t avoid sharing truths.

Taking actions that respect each other’s boundaries will strengthen trust. The ability to be honest and open about your boundaries can help build that trust too. 

 

Respect

Respect is like Communication’s close sister, they are so closely related and you can’t really have one without the other when working towards couples goals. 

It is hard to feel confident about yourself or even communicate this feeling if you don’t feel you are respected. All relationships rely on respect to keep them communicative, loving and lasting. 

Some green flags that indicate respect:

  • You don’t put each other down deliberately, especially in public
  • Uses a calm, rational tone during arguments
  • Support each other’s ambitions and aids in growth
  • Keeping your word, doing what you say you will do and follows through. 

 

Strong Sense of Self

You cannot set strong couple goals if you are not feeling complete as individuals, with your own goals, opinions, aspirations and ideas. 

You can approach relationships in a healthier way if you let go of the mindset that someone else will “complete” you. 

As romantic as that is in movies, in the real world it can leave you disappointed and co-dependent!

Some green flags:

  • You both engage in your own inner work, consistently over and over
  • Support each other’s ambitions and goals
  • Celebrate each other’s accomplishments without jealousy 
  • Each have goals outside of the relationship
  • Self respect

The statement “you can’t give someone a drink from an empty cup” is cliché though true: if you aren’t continuing to grow, work on yourself and find fulfillment in your own life, you won’t have much to give a partner or to a relationship. 

In the same vein, you don’t need to sacrifice your entire cup to someone else- it is yours to drink from and share as you please!

couple goals

 

Redefining Couple Goals

The point of focusing on a “green flag” system instead of or adjacent to a red flag mindset is to give you actionable habits and behaviors to work towards in your relationships. 

Knowing what to work on and what to look for in relationships can be immensely helpful when working towards growth and relationship health. 

Which of these green flags do you already look for in relationships? Are some of these the answer to the red flags you actively avoid? Which green flags do you want to try out first in your couple goals? 

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

Why Couples Therapy Fails

Why Couples Therapy Fails & What To Do About It

/in , , , /by

Why Couples Therapy Fails & What To Do About It

 

We often get asked why couples therapy fails, and the truth is, most couples have failed long before they get to couples therapy. 

Think about how annoyed you have to be at a partner to even ask them to go to couples therapy. 

And if that doesn’t satisfy you, we will answer the common reasons why couples therapy fails here. 

As a couples therapist, I have seen many couples and/or relationships struggle, replenish, and also fail.

The main reason why couples therapy fails though is something that I studied as a graduate student. 

I even presented on how to ensure couples therapy succeeds at an AAMFT Conference in 2010. 

Many reasons on why couples therapy fails come to therapists making suggestions that don’t work for different types of couples:

  • Egalitarian or traditional marriage
  • Religious or arranged marriages
  • Long distance relationships 
  • Interracial relationships
  • Consensual non-monogamy
  • Polyamory and / or swingers
  • BDSM / kink / fetish sexualities
  • Open arrangements
  • Tantric and spiritual aware partnerships

 

Common couples therapist mistakes:

  • Increased time together isn’t going to work when there is no foundation of trust
  • Increased date nights do not work if the couple has sexual difficulties
  • Reading and doing the love language test is great until one partner is resentful
  • One partner overgives and the other continues to take
  • Discussing symptoms instead of the underlying problem
  • Lack of systemic awareness leading to presenting issue

So how do you ensure that your couples therapist is right for you? 

Instead of asking why does couples therapy fail… especially during a time like a pandemic and a systematic shift in the culture… begin to look for solution-focused answers!

Here are some questions to ask:

  • Do you have any positive reviews written online with clients willing to share their experiences?
  • Are you a marriage and family therapist?
  • What was your undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate education in? 
  • Do you have a license to practice psychotherapy? 
  • What specific courses have they taken as a couples therapist? 
  • What is their experience in studying sexuality? 
  • Does the couples therapist give homework?
  • What are their expectations and outcomes with clients who do all their homework?

First of all, changing the language from “failing” to “struggling” or “avoiding” or “stuck.”

When we focus on failure, it helps no one and frames our circumstances in a losing situation. 

Generally speaking, couples and couples therapists should work together to identify the willingness to work on the relationship or end the relationship (ideally with a conscious completion). 

Amazing skills to begin before seeking couples therapy is our recommended reading of other blogs we have written, reading Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenburg, and The Gottman Institutes resource as they focus on conflict and communication in relationships. 

These tips can help, and yet the best thing to do is to work with a clinician or psychotherapy who has experience in couples therapy success, to help you guide you and your partner in this process to continue or complete your relationship.

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibility multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) who has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists helps all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

why do marriages fail

Why Do Marriages Fail During Covid?

/in , , /by

Why Do Marriages Fail During Covid?

 

We are here to answer “why do marriages fail,” especially for those of you getting divorced during coronavirus. 

During COVID, many marriages have remained in close quarters with limited interaction with others. As a couple’s therapist, I have seen many couples and/or relationships struggling due to quarantine, and I am here to answer why do marriages fail and why are so many couples struggling during this time?

Most marriages and couples have not had to spend this much time with each other ever or since they were in the beginning stages of their relationship when hormones 

Why Do Marriages Fail

were raging.

Generally why marriages fail is due to a struggle in: 

  • Communication
  • Sex
  • Finances
  • Parenting
  • Differences in political beliefs
  • Expectations about the future or priorities

During COVID, why marriages fail and couples struggle is because these categories (communication, sex, finances, etc) have become exacerbated.

As with many things, why marriages fail boils down to communication. If couples were not communicating well before the pandemic, it is more than likely that that has not improved due to:

  • Increased time together
  • Increased stress
  • Limited outside contact with others
  • Limited ability to be outside the home and/or living area
  • Limited ability to see one another if they do not live together
  • Changes in work expectations
  • Telecommuting or helping kids complete school work
  • Lack of privacy
  • Conflict with other close relationships

 

What Can Couples Do?

First of all, changing the language from “failing” to “struggling” or “not working out.” When we focus on failure it does not help. 

Generally speaking, couples should work together to identify if they have the willingness to try to work on the relationship or end the relationship (ideally with a conscious completion). If both partners are willing to try to work through these struggles or difficulties it is usually enlist a third party to help (professional) whether that’s a therapist, coach, or religious member who provides counseling.

Within COVID (and also generally), boundaries are paramount. Being able to have boundaries around work, the relationship, family time, date time, etc. When we do not do this then we set our relationship up to truly have difficulty. Boundaries are helpful and within COVID, these are incredibly important, as there is limited privacy or socialization happening outside the home. 

Why Do Marriages Fail

COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION! 

We communicate even when we do not intend to, which means both verbal and nonverbal. We do a whole lot of communication, so if you are communicating with your partner(s) then you may want to consider doing it most effectively. 

This is something that can be coached in sessions with therapists and coaches and finding strong resources. 

For those of you who are here to answer “why do marriages fail,” especially during coronavirus, I hope you have gotten some useful information.

I would recommend reading other blogs written in LCAT, reading Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenburg, and The Gottman Institutes resource as they focus on conflict and communication in relationships. 

These tips can help and the best thing to do is to work with a professional who can help you guide you in this process or work collaboratively with your partner to have a conscious completion (intentional, collaborative end to the relationship).

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know Nicole Scrivano, LMFT, LCAT’s Director, by making an appointment. Nicole specializes in working with individuals and couples to bring identity-informed care and strategies for success in overcoming trauma triggers. Start your journey here with Nicole.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.