The topic of infidelity is a frequent topic with couples experiencing problems. When most people hear the terms ‘infidelity’ or ‘affair’, they almost always think of a passionate, romantic, physical relationship. Certainly many people engage in physical affairs due to a variety of factors such as boredom/lack of excitement in their relationship or life; immaturity; escaping from problems in their primary… read more →
Being single in today’s world can be very challenging in a number of ways. On a material level, it’s difficult to be solely responsible for your existence, and to find the time to keep up with everything in your life. But it can be even more challenging socially and emotionally given the frenetic pace and impersonal tone of our technology-dominated… read more →
One of the questions which often comes up in our relationship work involves how available people are for a healthy relationship. As someone at a recent workshop cried out, “No one today has time for a relationship!” Singles often have a difficult time plugging into a new dating partner’s busy lifestyle, and may see their dates as being essentially unavailable… read more →
Of all of life’s multifaceted teachings, the experience of loss is among our most powerful vehicles for awakening. As much as we resist its sting, loss is omnipresent in the universe. The poet Yeats reminded us that no matter how solid anything appears, ultimately ”…things fall apart.” In a similar vein, modern physics’ Law of Entropy proves that over time,… read more →
We are all familiar with chemical addictions to intoxicating substances such as alcohol or cocaine. Sex, work and internet use are also frequently mentioned as aspects of life that can be used addictively. The least recognized addiction in our society, however, may be the addiction to drama which manifests in so many relationships. While drama is a legitimate category of… read more →
One of the greatest joys and challenges of conscious, intimate relationships is that when we answer the call to love, we are invited to expand upon who we think we are, who we have been and what we feel and think we are capable of. We are invited by forces larger than ourselves to become a more complete, fuller, more… read more →
At the RELATIONSHIP INSTITUTE, we believe every person in a relationship is responsible for co-creating whatever they experience in the relationship. If you are in a relationship, review the two lists below and see what you are creating more of: intimacy or distance. If you want to create more intimacy, this list is a good guideline for how to… read more →
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” -Johannes A. Gaertner Most spiritual and psychological traditions speak of the importance of cultivating a sense of gratitude in life, if one is to evolve into higher realms of human existence and consistently experience joy, aliveness and meaning… read more →
One question we often hear from singles is about dating one person versus dating more than one person at a time. It is a good question and gets right to the heart of healthy dating practices. For many single adults, there has been a history of dating one person, seeing if it will lead to a close significant relationship, and… read more →
Everywhere you look in today’s world, we are hearing about people expressing anger, often in a destructive, inappropriate way. “Rage” used to be a term reserved for strange, out-of-control people, but now we have road rage, workplace rage and even airplane rage. Violent outbursts are commonplace on TV talk shows. Gun rampages in public places have become a typical news… read more →