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The Relationship Reset Fallacy

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Posted on March 4th, 2024 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Relationships are hard. They take work. Sometimes, they struggle. If your relationship is not in good shape, know that (1) this is a normal thing to go through, and (2) it can get better. Couples […]

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The 4 Things You Need to Win Back Your Ex

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Posted on February 6th, 2024 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

There are few things that hurt more than being left by the person you love. If you’ve been dumped, if your partner has walked away, or your spouse has told you they’re filing for divorce, […]

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Should I Cut Off My Parents?

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Posted on January 4th, 2024 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

It is all too common for parents to cause real grief for their adult children. Many of those children find themselves asking, “Should I cut off my parents?” It’s not a small question and not […]

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How Do I Find a Marriage Counselor Near Me?

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Posted on December 6th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Creating a happy and fulfilling marriage has always been something that takes time and effort. In today’s stressful times, this is all the more true. Relationships are under a lot of pressure, and regrettably, few […]

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How Do You Handle Different Parenting Styles When You’re Divorced?

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Posted on November 7th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If parenting is known to be a hard job, co-parenting is even harder. After a divorce, the relationship between you and your now-ex changes significantly. But if you have children together, you never fully sever […]

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How Mindfulness and Meditation Can Benefit Your Relationships

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Posted on October 9th, 2023

Relationships, whether romantic, familial, or platonic, are the cornerstones of our lives. They provide us with love, support, and a sense of belonging. But like everything precious, they require care, understanding, and effort. While there […]

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Dos and Don’ts of Helping a Partner Through Addiction Recovery

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Posted on September 5th, 2023

Life with a partner battling alcohol or drug addiction is anything but smooth sailing. It can leave you with your own challenging feelings as you struggle to help them recover. Substance abuse can affect relationships […]

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How to Stay Married to Someone Who Is Different from You

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Posted on August 3rd, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Welcome! Today we’re going to be talking about how to stay married to someone who is different from you. Does this apply to you? Of course it fricking applies to you. It applies to everyone. […]

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The Integral Role of Family Therapy in Supporting Veterans with PTSD

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Posted on July 5th, 2023

When service members return from duty, they often carry a lot more than what they began with. For many, the heavy burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a profound effect not only on the […]

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Should I Make My Partner Take a Lie Detector Test ?

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Posted on May 8th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you are in the unfortunate position of suspecting your partner of infidelity, you are probably hugely bothered by the uncertainty. You may have good reason to believe something is up but aren’t able to […]

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Can Relationship Trauma Affect Your Attachment Style?

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Posted on May 3rd, 2023

Any traumatic event a person experiences in a relationship can change how they feel or think about certain things. Being lied to by a romantic partner or getting your heart broken by your family’s words […]

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How to Handle Anxiety in a Relationship

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Posted on April 3rd, 2023

While stress and anxiety are natural parts of the human condition, certain traumas or neurological dispositions can cause some people to struggle with these feelings beyond what is normal. And it seems like a lot […]

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How to Have a Sex Life When You Have Kids (Yes, It’s Possible!)

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Posted on March 8th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Every couple goes through it. Some were expecting it, some get blindsided. But it is totally normal to find that once you have kids, your sex life just isn’t the same as it was before.  […]

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How Do I Know if a Relationship is Right for Me?

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Posted on February 9th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Why Do People Cheat If They Love Their Partner?

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Posted on January 4th, 2023 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Does My Partner Need Therapy?

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Posted on December 6th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If your partner is causing conflict and strain in your relationship, it might seem as if they need therapy to fix whatever’s going on for them so you can have the relationship you’re hoping for […]

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Options to Consider Before Getting a Divorce

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Posted on November 17th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Thinking About Splitting: What Are the Ramifications of Getting Divorced?

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Posted on October 24th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Should I Get a Divorce?

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Posted on September 5th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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How to Live with An Addict

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Posted on August 1st, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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How to Find the Right Marriage Counselor

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Posted on July 7th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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How Do I Tell My Partner I Cheated on Them?

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Posted on June 2nd, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Can he cheat and still love me?

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Posted on May 5th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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

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How to Support Your Partner with Erectile Dysfunction

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Posted on April 11th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Let’s look at how you can be supportive to a partner with erectile dysfunction:

1. Take yourself out of it
2. Get Informed
3. Ask Him What You Can Do
4. Talk About It
5. Encourage Him to Seek Professional Help
6. Engage in No-Pressure Physical Contact
7. Try Sex Anyway, and Have a Backup Plan
8. Don’t Give Up

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How Do I Support My Partner with Depression?

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Posted on March 7th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Are You and Your Partner Compatible?

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Posted on February 7th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Does Marriage Counseling Work?

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Posted on January 6th, 2022 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Five Love Languages Revisited: How to Be a Receiver

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Posted on December 7th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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What is Friendship Therapy?

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Posted on October 5th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

When I bought my house, the previous owner had left behind a motley assortment of old household items – boxes of ancient textbooks, fireplace utensils, a poker table, and a 6-foot tall cast-iron fluoroscopy machine […]

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Depression in Children: What Should Parents Do?

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Posted on September 2nd, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If your child is experiencing negative feelings that persist to the point that they are not functioning properly, then they might be suffering from a depressive disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and […]

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How Does Therapy Work?

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Posted on August 4th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

This article was originally published on Social Work Today. One of my least favorite questions to get from potential clients is, “How many sessions will this take?” I hate getting this question because the true […]

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101 Examples of Acts of Service (Love Language Redux)

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Posted on July 14th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Why Sex Is Better When You’re Married

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Posted on July 6th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Co-parenting Rules: How to Ensure the Best Outcome for Your Kids After a Divorce

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Posted on June 7th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Should I tell my family that my partner cheated on me?

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Posted on May 5th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

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

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Should I Tell My Partner I Cheated?

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Posted on April 6th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Okay, so you blew it. You stepped outside your relationship and had an affair. And you feel terrible about it. Now what? Do you tell your partner what happened? Move on and hope they never […]

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Is It Okay for Couples to Sleep in Separate Rooms?

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Posted on March 4th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Sleeping in separate rooms (sometimes horrifically called a “sleep divorce”) is a hot topic these days. Is this normal? Is this okay? There are two approaches we need to consider in answering this question, depending […]

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Once a Cheater Always a Cheater – True or False?

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Posted on January 26th, 2021 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

False. Well, that was easy, right? Okay, it’s a little more complicated than that. Life is not black and white. So let’s understand what we’re looking at here. For the purposes of this post I […]

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How to Get Your Spouse to Listen to You

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Posted on December 22nd, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In a recent post we discussed how to listen in a way that improves communication and reduces arguments and fights. In this post we’ll talk about the other side of the equation, that is, how […]

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How to Handle the Holidays (COVID-style) with Your Family

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Posted on November 19th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The holidays this year will be different than ever before. COVID considerations will have to play into every decision we make about our plans. Are you willing to get into an airplane, or will you […]

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How to Communicate Better in Relationships

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Posted on November 11th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Do you ever feel frustrated that you’re trying to communicate something to your partner and they’re just not hearing you? Do you try to get your point across but find yourself sucked into arguments over […]

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Couples Counseling vs. Co-parenting – Which Do We Need?

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Posted on October 5th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

When two people share a child in common, the relationship between the two of them is hard to sever entirely. Certainly when the children are young there is a lot of physical care that goes […]

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Compassionate Listening

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Posted on September 2nd, 2020 By Amalia Philips

Our everyday way of living as we know it is disappearing. We are distracted and thus lose connection to others as well as to our own heart. Most of us were taught that busyness and […]

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Is Stress Ruining Your Relationship?

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Posted on August 11th, 2020

From the current health crisis to the unstable job market, life is pretty overwhelming these days. In fact, CNBC reports that 55% of Americans are more stressed now than they were at the beginning of the year. […]

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6 Reasons Why People Cheat on Their Partners

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Posted on July 22nd, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Infidelity is as old as the institutions it violates. Many, many people throughout history have been hurt by a partner’s choice to step outside the boundaries of their relationship. Understandably, many betrayed partners are plagues […]

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How Do I Get My Spouse to Go to Marriage Counseling?

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Posted on June 26th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Have you thought about going for marriage counseling, but can’t figure out how to bring it up with your spouse? Or maybe you’ve brought it up with them, but they haven’t been interested? This is […]

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Common Objections to Marriage Counseling

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Posted on May 25th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

I frequently get calls from people who are unhappy in their marriage and are looking for some professional help, but their spouse just isn’t interested. I want to address some of the most common objections […]

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Don’t Apologize When You Make a Mistake (Do This Instead)

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Posted on May 4th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you are an avid reader of this blog, you already know that the three most important words in a marriage are not “I was wrong” – they’re actually “help me understand.” (Check out the […]

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How to Protect Your Marriage During Challenging Times

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Posted on March 26th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

These are definitely challenging times. COVID-19 has us cooped up in a serious way, and many of us are dealing with any number of other problems, including employment, schooling, and possibly health. Your marriage is […]

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How to Talk to Kids About the Coronavirus Situation

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Posted on March 17th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Let’s be real. This is, in the true sense of the word, unprecedented. We’re all a little anxious. We all know people who are in the higher-risk category. Many of us are facing a good […]

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The Three Most Important Words in a Marriage (It’s not what you’re thinking!)

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Posted on March 2nd, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you’re really old school, you may be thinking that the title of this post refers to the quaint, genuine, and meaningful “I love you.” If you’re a little more modern, perhaps you’ve heard that […]

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What’s the Point of Family Therapy?

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Posted on January 15th, 2020 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Family conflict is a part of life. There is no family without some level of discord and disagreement. And most families survive intact despite it. However, in some families the level of conflict is elevated […]

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Reducing Anger in Your Life

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Posted on December 13th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Crummy things happen. They happen to you, they happen to me, they happen to everyone. You may feel you get more than your share of them. But nobody is spared the aggravations of daily life […]

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Understanding Your Anger: Where Does It Come From?

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Posted on November 20th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

One of the important components of anger management is getting an understanding of where your anger is coming from so that you can work towards not only managing your anger when it comes up but […]

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Anger Management: Where to Start

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Posted on October 29th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

People who struggle with anger management problems often feel like they are not in control when their anger gets the best of them. Have you ever felt like you go “from 0 to 100 in […]

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The Risks of Picky Eating (How Bad Is It Really?)

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Posted on September 4th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Have you seen this alarming article yet? ‘Picky’ teen goes blind after diet of only fries and chips, study says. Apparently a British teenager refused to eat anything but “french fries, Pringles, white bread, processed […]

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Why Don’t My Adult Children Want to Talk to Each Other?

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Posted on August 14th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

There are many reasons adults may decide to stop talking to their siblings. Old wounds from their childhood interactions are a major culprit, as are ongoing personality differences that cause friction. Often a major life event will lead to a break, such as a Thanksgiving dinner gone awry, or, regrettably, the death of a parent and the inheritance squabbles that can ensue.

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Why Don’t My Adult Children Want to Talk to Me?

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Posted on July 22nd, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In our last post I offered some ideas on how parents can go about reconnecting with adult children who have become distant and disconnected. In this post I’d like to talk a bit more about […]

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How Do I Repair My Relationship with My Adult Child?

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Posted on June 20th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

You spent decades of your life raising your children. You poured your love, time, effort, and money into giving them the best life you could. Sure, you made mistakes along the way, but you tried […]

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Porn in Committed Relationships Revisited

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Posted on May 30th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

One of the most read posts on this blog is where I talk about Is It Okay for Married People to Watch Porn? Recently a commenter asked the following question: What about marriage counselors that […]

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The 5 Things You Need for Family Therapy to Work

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Posted on May 13th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

There’s been conflict in your family for some time now, and you’re ready to finally get some professional help with it. Strong personalities within a family can make it very hard to change the system […]

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Why You Should Try Couples Counseling (Again)

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Posted on April 15th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Is your relationship struggling, and couples therapy didn’t help? What else can you do about it? One answer is – try couples counseling again. Here’s why.

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How often do normal couples have sex? (The answer may surprise you.)

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Posted on February 19th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

How often do normal couples have sex?  As frequently or infrequently as they want. This question is erroneously based on the idea that there is some number, or even a range, that we have to […]

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Top 5 Couples Therapy Techniques You Can Use at Home (that really work!)

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Posted on January 29th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

There are many couples therapy techniques you can try out on your own. Here are a few you can start with today!

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Jeff Bezos is Telling You Something

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Posted on January 11th, 2019 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

As the wealthiest person in the history of the world, Jeff Bezos can make news just by switching his preferred brand of morning coffee.  However, the news of his impending divorce (and immediate attachment to […]

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How to Make New Year’s Resolutions Stick

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Posted on December 26th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

New Year’s resolutions – everyone makes ‘em, few keep ‘em. Why is this so? And how can we do it differently so we can finally make our New Year’s resolutions stick?

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5 Tips to Survive Holidays with the Family

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Posted on November 19th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

As the holiday season bears down on us, many folks find their anxiety levels spiking in anticipation of yet another stressful family holiday. 

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4 Steps to Surviving Infidelity – What You Need to Know

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Posted on October 29th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Crushed. Devastated. Hopeless. These are some of the emotions you may be experiencing if you have recently discovered that your partner has been having an affair.

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The Escape Room: A Message for Couples and Families

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Posted on October 8th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Recently I had the great pleasure of going to an escape room for a bit of family fun. If you’re not familiar,

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The Single Most Important Trait You Need to Develop to Save, Repair, and Maintain a Relationship

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Posted on September 5th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Can it really be so simple? Is there really a Single Most Important key to relationships?  Yes and no.  Obviously there is no magic spell for fixing relationship problems or keep relationships vibrant and connected […]

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Good Job is Not Enough

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Posted on August 9th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

It is generally accepted in today’s generation of parents that praise and encouragement are the tools of choice in childrearing rather than some past methods such as yelling, shaming, and, of course, whupping. Praise and […]

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What is a first therapy session like?

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Posted on July 19th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Most people have never been to therapy before and are understandably a bit nervous about what the first therapy session going to be like.  If you’ve gotten up the courage to make that first appointment, […]

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How to Get Over a Breakup

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Posted on June 25th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The end of a relationship is never easy, especially if you’ve been together for years.  This is true even if you know the relationship was going sour, or was unhealthy to begin with. The truth […]

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What Do You Do in Couples Counseling?

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Posted on June 6th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you’ve never been to relationship counseling before, the whole thing might seem mysterious, confusing, and downright frightening. The truth is it’s really not as bad as you think it is. The representations of therapy […]

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Making Your Marriage a Priority

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Posted on May 8th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Recently I was interviewed on the radio to discuss the question of how to prioritize your relationship with your spouse vs. your kids. You can listen to the 20-minute segment here. Here’s the spoiler: I […]

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We’ve Moved! And It’s Not Easy

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Posted on April 17th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Change is hard. This is a truth I live by professionally, but it is also a reality in my personal life.  This week we are moving to a new office, and I must admit that […]

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How to Save Your Marriage

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Posted on March 14th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Are you trying to save a marriage that’s on the rocks?  Hoping to turn things around from anger and resentment to happiness and love?  It can be done.  Most marriages can be repaired if both […]

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Is Texting Good or Bad for Your Relationship?

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Posted on February 20th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Texting is a very wonderful thing.  It allows us to send quick ideas and comments to our friends and families without having to catch each other at the right time.  It’s great for adding to […]

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Is It Okay for Married People to Watch Porn?

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Posted on January 30th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Although there are arguably some pros to pornography viewing as a part of your sex life, there are a number of cons that must be considered as well.

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Don’t Start Couples Counseling Before You Read This!

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Posted on January 10th, 2018 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you are considering seeing a couples counselor/marriage therapist to address a problem in your relationship, there are a few things it’s vital for you to know before you jump in. 1. Be prepared to […]

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How do you make a long-distance relationship work?

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Posted on December 27th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In these days of constant change and mobility, long-distance relationships are increasingly common and necessary as people take jobs and pursue life goals that move them about the globe. There’s no question that a long-distance […]

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Are You in An Abusive Relationship?

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Posted on December 11th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

All relationships have ups and downs. Some seem to have more downs than others. A relationship that’s on the rocks can often be fixed with commitment on the part of both partners and with professional […]

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Communication at the Office

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Posted on November 21st, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Office politics are such a well-known phenomenon that entire television series have been successfully spawned from it. As most everyone knows, you are bound to run into difficult people at work. Fortunately, in most cases […]

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How to Deal with a Difficult Coworker

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Posted on October 26th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Following the recent office shooting not too far from Baltimore, many people have been feeling increased nervousness and tension in their offices. Having trouble with a coworker or employer is a common experience; but who […]

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On Patience

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Posted on October 17th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Recently I had a conversation with a client about patience.  He was working on trying to be more patient, especially as it related to the people in his life, and found himself losing his cool […]

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Anger in Relationships

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Posted on September 18th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Anger is one of the major destroyers of relationships. People can say and do things when they are angry that are offensive, hurtful, even downright mean. But anger is a normal part of the human […]

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4 Ways to Fight Depression

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Posted on August 30th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you’ve been feeling down a lot lately, always tired, not in the mood to do much of anything, you may be suffering from depression. Depression is different from just feeling sad, and it is a […]

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To Give and To Get: A Relationship Formula

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Posted on August 23rd, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

This is a guest post by a colleague of mine in Chicago, Josh Hetherington of the Northside Center for Relationship Counseling. Mindfulness Lately I’ve been reconnecting with some Buddhist writing. It underscores a lot of […]

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How to Have a Fair Fight

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Posted on August 10th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Arguments are a natural part of any relationship. No two people will agree on everything all the time. Disagreements are bound to happen. Slight offenses are inevitable.  But how do you deal with them in […]

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Can an Affair Help the Relationship?

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Posted on July 13th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Many people believe that infidelity unavoidably spells the end of a relationship.  However, the truth is that many relationships survive the injury of an affair, and in fact many get much better in the aftermath.  […]

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Baltimore’s Best Couples Counselor: Inside Business Weekly

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Posted on June 29th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Check out this review of our practice picked up by Inside Business Weekly!  You’ll see why we’re considered the place for the best couples therapy and how we can help you achieve the relationship you’re […]

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Parenting Tools: Noticing

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Posted on June 14th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Young children are constantly running to their parents to show them what they’re doing or playing with – “Mommy look! I put a hat on the baby doll!” “Daddy, see the picture I drew?”  Often […]

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A Simple Parenting Tool – Stories

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Posted on June 5th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

I’d like to share with you a handy parenting tool that is easier to use than it might sound.  It’s nothing brilliant or novel – just one of those things sitting under your nose all […]

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How Do I Get My Kids to Eat Their Vegetables?

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Posted on May 25th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Another common battleground for parents with young children is mealtime.  Getting kids to eat their proverbial veggies has been a vexing problem since time immemorial.  Just as we noted with bedtime, it’s unlikely you will […]

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How to I Get My Kids to Go to Bed?

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Posted on May 16th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you have young children, you don’t need me to tell you what it’s like getting through bedtime.  The hassle, the arguments, the frustrations – it happens to all of us.  Don’t worry – it’s […]

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Couples Counseling: Not a Last Resort

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Posted on May 8th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

All too frequently, the couples I see in my office for marriage counseling/couples therapy are at the end of their rope.  There has been trouble in the relationship for a long time; months, years, or […]

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The Five Love Languages: Finding Your Language

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Posted on April 24th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Okay, so, we’ve talked a lot about the different Love Languages. But how do you know which is yours? Below we’ll discuss a couple of ways you can try to determine which language fits you […]

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Depression vs. Sadness and What You Can Do About It

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Posted on April 10th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

We’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled posts on the Five Love Languages to bring you this exclusive special in which I was invited to a local TV station to do a short bit […]

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The Five Love Languages: Physical Touch

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Posted on March 20th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The last of the Five Love Languages is Physical Touch.  This one is in some ways very easy and in some ways very hard. It’s very easy because it’s pretty clear what we’re referring to […]

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The Five Love Languages: Acts of Service

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Posted on March 6th, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The fourth of the Five Love Languages® is called Acts of Service.  For some people, actions indeed speak louder than words. Of course, just as with Words of Affirmation you can’t speak nicely while neglecting […]

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