Blog on 25th May, 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 […]

Blog on 4th May, 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 […]

Blog on 26th March, 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 […]

Blog on 17th March, 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 […]

Blog on 2nd March, 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 […]

Blog on 15th January, 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 […]

Blog on 13th December, 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 […]

Blog on 20th November, 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 […]

Blog on 29th October, 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 […]

Blog on 4th September, 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 […]

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

The past couple of posts have been addressing parents of adult children and discussing the family conflicts that are not uncommon in such relationships. Continuing on the theme, I’d like to touch on the issue […]

Blog on 22nd July, 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 […]

Blog on 20th June, 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 […]

Blog on 30th May, 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 […]

Blog on 13th May, 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 […]

Blog on 15th April, 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.

Blog on 19th February, 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 […]

Blog on 29th January, 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!

Blog on 11th January, 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 […]

Blog on 26th December, 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?

Blog on 19th November, 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. 

Blog on 29th October, 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.

Blog on 8th October, 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,

Blog on 5th September, 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 […]

Blog on 9th August, 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 […]

Blog on 19th July, 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, […]

Blog on 25th June, 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 […]

Blog on 6th June, 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 […]

Blog on 8th May, 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 […]

Blog on 17th April, 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 […]

Blog on 14th March, 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 […]

Blog on 20th February, 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 […]

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

No. Okay, that was a little harsh.  But hear me out.  This is not a moral discourse on the propriety of pornography in general but rather a consideration of what it does to your marriage […]

Blog on 10th January, 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 […]

Blog on 27th December, 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 […]

Blog on 11th December, 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 […]

Blog on 21st November, 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 […]

Blog on 26th October, 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 […]

Blog on 17th October, 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 […]

Blog on 18th September, 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 […]

Blog on 30th August, 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 […]

Blog on 23rd August, 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 […]

Blog on 10th August, 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 […]

Blog on 13th July, 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.  […]

Blog on 29th June, 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 […]

Blog on 14th June, 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 […]

Blog on 5th June, 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 […]

Blog on 25th May, 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 […]

Blog on 16th May, 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 […]

Blog on 8th May, 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 […]

Blog on 24th April, 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 […]

Blog on 10th April, 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 […]

Blog on 20th March, 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 […]

Blog on 6th March, 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 […]

Blog on 21st February, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The third Love Language is Receiving Gifts.  This one is easy to grasp, but it sometimes gets a bad rap because to some people it smacks of materialism.  In fact, a person whose Love Language […]

Blog on 9th February, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In the last post I described the love language of Words of Affirmation.  The second language is called Quality Time, and you probably have a fair idea what that’s about without needing much a definition.  […]

Blog on 24th January, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Words of Affirmation is the first of the love languages described in Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages system. For people whose primary love language is Words of Affirmation, it’s what you say that counts.  This […]

Blog on 9th January, 2017 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The Five Love Languages® is a great tool for improving relationships, whether you’re at the beginning of a new relationship or you’ve been married for decades.  It is a very simple and understandable method of […]

Blog on 7th December, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Following up on our last post, let’s talk a bit about what possible red flags to look out for when searching for a therapist in Baltimore or anywhere else.  Unfortunately, as we mentioned last time, […]

Blog on 15th November, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

So you’re looking for a therapist in Baltimore.  Maybe you typed “Baltimore therapist” into Google and it sent you here.  But how do you find the right “Baltimore therapist” for you?  What goes in to […]

Blog on 3rd November, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

This is a question I get asked all the time. How long will it take?  How many sessions do people usually need?  People rightly want to know how much time and money they will be […]

Blog on 10th October, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

What is couples counseling? Couples counseling goes by various names: couples therapy, marriage counseling, marital therapy, relationship counseling, and more. These are all ways of framing the same process, namely, trying to help a couple […]

Blog on 5th October, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Ever find yourself in a situation where a fight is brewing and you know it’s coming but don’t know how to avoid it?  Check out this link for a post explaining just that. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-to-stop-fight-with-your-partner-before-it-starts-1004164

Blog on 26th September, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In the previous post we cited a number of examples of role changes that can lead to conflict in the home and the importance of family therapy for managing these transitions.  There we focused primarily […]

Blog on 8th September, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Why do relationships between mothers and daughters that are warm, loving, and peaceable turn into battlegrounds of conflict and frustration?  What happens that causes such a drastic change, often in so short a time? The […]

Blog on 24th August, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

We frequently get calls for family therapy, specifically regarding troubled mother/daughter relationships.  These include young parents with school- or preschool-aged children, middle-aged women with their teenage/young adult daughters, and even up to elderly women who […]

Blog on 8th August, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you are looking to catch your husband (or wife, boyfriend, etc.) cheating on you, you actually have two problems at hand, not one.  The first, of course, is that your husband might be cheating […]

Blog on 27th July, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

If you’ve just discovered your boyfriend or husband watching porn online – perhaps extensively – you may be feeling shock, anger, disappointment, betrayal, and more.  You also may be confused about what this means for […]

Blog on 19th July, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Call today : 443-598-2821 (you can text us too!) Getting started on the process of therapy isn’t easy.  Especially if you’ve never done it before, you might be a little bit confused or nervous about […]

Blog on 12th July, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Check out this recent article for which I was interviewed by ABC staff: http://www.abc2news.com/bachelor/millennial-love-one-right-swipe-at-a-time It discusses modern dating and how technology has made a significant change in the dating landscape.  There’s no question that Tinder, […]

Blog on 6th July, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

An amazing thing happened in my house last night. I was out for the evening, and I came home to find a tired but relatively cheerful wife and three sleeping children. This is what I […]

Blog on 27th June, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

I’ve noticed that a lot of requests for help that come through e-mail, text, or sites like Thumbtack.com list “save my marriage” as the reason for seeking help. So I thought I’d let you know […]

Blog on 16th June, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Bariatric surgery and self-esteem are obviously intricately intertwined with each other. Most people who suffer from obesity naturally struggle with their self-esteem, especially in a culture such as ours where beauty and thinness have been […]

Blog on 2nd June, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Yes, this is an actual picture of me at something like 15 and my real-life mom. I believe we’re on a biking trip in one of the Carolinas.  The exceptionally poor quality is due to […]

Blog on 31st May, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

When someone has an affair and is discovered or comes clean on their own, their instinct is often to soften the blow and/or minimize the damage, especially if they still care about their partner and […]

Blog on 19th May, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

This is a powerful article describing what it is like to be a victim of domestic violence – and what victims want you to know. http://www.mamamia.com.au/domestic-violence-victims/ Learn more about our domestic violence education services here.

Blog on 12th May, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Parents-in-law have been known to cause grief in many a marriage, but they can also be of tremendous help to it.  In this article I touch on just a few important notes for how parents […]

Blog on 2nd May, 2016 By Caitlin Chana Hill

Life in the modern era has become more and more of a sophisticated juggling act. Time management skills have become increasingly important: work, family, leisure, health – managing all our responsibilities is no easy feat. […]

Blog on 18th April, 2016 By Caitlin Chana Hill

Why a post on therapy for women?  Is therapy somehow different for women than for men?  Do they face different issues? The answer is yes and no. Certainly the problems we help clients with are […]

Blog on 11th April, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

We are proud to welcome Shira Feldman as our newest staff member at the Baltimore Therapy Center!  Shira is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LGMFT) from Philadelphia and has been doing in-home therapy for […]

Blog on 31st March, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

It is not uncommon for us to field calls from people looking to get help for someone other than themselves. One common category of such callers is the family member of someone with borderline personality […]

Blog on 21st March, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

So what’s the connection between bariatric surgery and therapy? If you’ve gotten the operation done or are considering it, you are probably aware that you have to do a psychological evaluation before going through with […]

Blog on 14th March, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Every now and then I hear about a “great new therapy” that promises fast results and lasting change (often after a single session or treatment). I am highly skeptical of such approaches and I encourage […]

Blog on 29th February, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Here’s another article I wrote for Marriage.com, offering a few simple tips for making life as a parent a little bit easier: http://www.marriage.com/advice/parenting/4-things-to-do-to-make-child-rearing-easy/ Learn more about our parenting support services here.

Blog on 22nd February, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

I have a new catchphrase: To make your marriage last, make your marriage first. I’m pretty sure I invented it, and Google seems to agree. (So does Bing!) So you heard it here first, folks. […]

Blog on 13th February, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Many people seek out counseling to help them answer the nagging question: “Why can’t I find the right person for me?” Being single can be a real drag, especially as you get older and watch […]

Blog on 4th February, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Check out our latest article about getting your marriage back into shape, on Marriage.com!  This article highlights a positive-psychology based approach to making changes for the better in your marriage. A Novel Way to Fix […]

Blog on 27th January, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The last piece I’m going to post on the topic of why a good marriage is the best gift we can give to ours kids is probably the simplest: 4. It’s just nicer to live […]

Blog on 11th January, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

Continuing on in our exploration of why a good marriage is so vital to your childrearing endeavors, here is reason #3: 3. They’ll do as you do. Jimmy’s parents were called into school, where Jimmy […]

Blog on 4th January, 2016 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

The Baltimore Therapy Center was featured on the monthly business blog of Lenora Nail Colors, another local business.  Check us out! https://www.lenoranailcolors.com/uncategorized/maryland-business-feature-the-baltimore-therapy-center/

Blog on 28th December, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In the last post, I opened up the topic of why a good marriage is good parenting and discussed the issue of household stability. Here is reason #2 that the best gift you can give […]

Blog on 20th December, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

When I get a call from parents seeking help with problems with their children, it is not uncommon that a large portion of the work actually needs to happen with the parents themselves. Unrealistic expectations, […]

Blog on 10th December, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

A common dynamic that I encounter in doing marriage counseling is that one partner will want to convince the other of some aspect of him/herself and get frustrated/angry/hopeless when they can’t seem to do so. […]

Blog on 25th November, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

With Thanksgiving around the corner, a post on gratitude seems apropos. Gratitude occupies an important position in the positive psychology literature. Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses not on pulling people out […]

Blog on 11th November, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

News broke last night that a former coworker of mine at a community mental health agency was busted for sexually abusing (and filming) a 16-year-old boy whom he was treating. This was mildly shocking, as […]

Blog on 2nd November, 2015 By Caitlin Chana Hill

I just moved to a new house, and not unexpectedly, it threw my whole “practical home management” groove way out of whack. There are many things I still can’t find, I am getting used to […]

Blog on 19th October, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In the short video below, renowned relationships researcher John Gottman discusses recent findings on the science of trust.  Significantly, he explains that betrayal is not the opposite of trust, and that one of the key […]

Blog on 8th October, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

I recently worked with a couple that came in with a serious break in their relationship.  They were pretty despairing and didn’t know how to handle the problem.  I give them a lot of credit […]

Blog on 1st October, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

I’m not saying I recommend this, but it certainly is one avenue a person could take… www.cnn.com/2015/09/24/europe/cheating-husband-billboard-sign Looking for information on this issue that’s a little more helpful? Take a look at our services for […]

Blog on 24th September, 2015 By Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C

In the wake of the Ashley Madison leak, I got a lot of questions from friends and colleagues about the extent of the infidelity problem in America (at least, for those who consider it a […]