Stay Happily Married

In today’s day and age we are all programmed to be independent. We go off to 4-year colleges to get our degrees. We then use those degrees to land ourselves a career to support us through life’s necessities. Being independent means that we don’t have to rely on anyone else to aid or support our needs and wants. Wanting to be independent is a good virtue to have when it comes to financial stability and careers. However, when it comes to relationships, being independent might not be what’s best for you and your loved one. What happens when we try to be too independent in our relationships? Can being interdependent, dependent, or independent hurt our relationship with our loved one? What can we do to become more mutually dependent with our loved one?

Earning her Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology at Temple University, Dr. Susan Orenstein is founder and director of Orenstein Solutions in Cary, North Carolina. Dr. Orenstein has devoted her professional career to helping individuals and couples improve their most intimate relationships. She specializes in relationship and couples issues. Dr. Orenstein is committed to providing state-of-the-art practices in marital counseling and to that end, continues to attend professional training programs.

To find out more about Dr. Susan Orenstein and her practice, Orenstein Solutions, you can visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 for an appointment.

As the awareness of mental health issues has been expanded, the acceptance of addiction as a disease has also increased. When people talk about addictions, most assume either drug or alcohol addiction. However, there are many more types that are common. Exercise addiction, food addiction, computer addiction and gambling are all common forms of addiction in today’s society. When someone is addicted to something, they have an impaired control over the behavior, they become preoccupied with the behavior and continue to engage in the behavior despite the negative consequences. Not only can addictive behavior be harmful to one’s self, it can be detrimental to your family and friends. How does all of this impact a relationship? What can we do to reverse some of the unfavorable effects of addiction in a relationship?

Earning her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Walden University, Melissa Enoch-DeBerry is owner and founder of Trinity Counseling Services LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. Following college, Melissa has volunteered with a non-profit organization, Fighting Back, a grant-funded program designed to combat societal ills in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods in Mecklenburg County. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist and furthering her education to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. To find out more about Melissa Enoch-DeBerry and her practice, Trinity Counseling Services LLC, you can visit their website or call (704) 921-9600 for an appointment.

With life’s many ups and downs, it can be hard to maintain a positive attitude every day. Whether it be at work or at home, bad days happen all the time. You may be struggling to get along with your boss, having difficulties meeting deadlines, or having to deal with angry customers at work. At home, your dogs may have made a mess in the house, the kids may be bouncing off the walls, or maybe a pipe has busted and flooded your kitchen. Any of these issues can make a good day turn bad in a blink of an eye. When bad events happen in your life, some people are quick to turn negative and it may be difficult to keep a positive attitude in such trying times. Can your negative outlook affect your relationship? What can we do to help our relationships when we have a not-so-positive outlook?

Earning his License in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University, Kevin Rutter is owner and founder of Growing Tree Counseling Center in North Carolina. He is also a certified professional life coach. His training has included psychotherapy and systems therapy. Kevin began his clinical experience in counseling in 1996 and has over 10 years experience in Employee Assistance Programs. He has taught as a student-professor at ECU and has extensive experience in corporate and community coaching providing leadership training, group presentations, and professional coaching. Kevin is an approved supervisor qualified to train other therapists for licensure. Additionally, he was feature many times on a local radio station in Cincinnati and has published articles for a magazine. Kevin also serves on the board for Catawba Valley Association of Professional Counselors and Therapists.

To find out more about Kevin Rutter and his practice, Growing Tree Counseling Center, PLLC, you can visit their website or call (828) 638-5907 for an appointment.

Every parent has their own way of parenting. Consequently, every person’s childhood is different from everyone else’s and can develop unique patterns. The way we are raised influences the way we do things later in life, whether it’s our study habits, work ethic, or career choices. Some parents enforce studying and getting homework done before play. Later in life this can help you to focus more on education or getting your work done in a timely matter. What our parents instill in us at a young age often carries with us in patterns over the years. What happens when we come from a home that is less than optimal? Do we develop differently? Can our childhood affect the way we do things in our relationship?

Earning her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Ricki Geiger is founder and owner of Rickie L. Geiger, LCSW in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ricki is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Retirement Coach. She has over 30 years of professional experience. She provides individuals, couples, and group therapy for adults over 21 years of age. Ricki is a seasoned, engaging and skilled community educator and workshop presenter.

To find out more about Ricki Geiger and her practice, Ricki L Geiger, LCSW, you can visit their website or call (919) 929-8559 for an appointment.

Sometimes in life it is hard for us to understand or even acknowledge our needs and wants. Whether it be regarding our everyday needs, emotional needs, or health needs. When these needs are not met our lives may not feel as fulfilled as we want or need them to be. When it comes to relationships we have emotional needs as well as sexual needs. But, what if these needs are not met, do we become unfulfilled in our relationship? Are there ways that we can share our needs and find a way to meet them so that both partners are happy in their relationship? What if our needs differ? Is there a way we can compromise or fulfill each of the differing needs of each partner?

Earning her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina, Glenise Parrott, who goes by Lenny, practices at Cameron Valley Psychotherapy & Counseling which is a private practice in Charlotte, North Carolina. Lenny is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with couples. She also has a certificate in sex therapy from the University of Michigan.

To find out more about Lenny Parrott and her practice, Cameron Valley Psychotherapy & Counseling, you can visit their website or call (704) 364-4333 for an appointment.

They always say “you must love yourself before you can love someone else”. This appears to be true when talking about loving yourself emotionally and physically. But what about when it comes to understanding yourself. If you are not aware of your own emotional and physical wants and needs, how can you expect your loved one to understand or even recognize your emotional and physical wants and needs? If you are not aware or comfortable with your own wants and needs it may become hard for you to confide in your partner about what you desire. When this happens you and your partner may get frustrated or even give up on each other. What can we do to alleviate the problem and strengthen our relationship with our loved one?

Earning her Masters Degree in Community Agency Mental Health Counseling, Letitia Huger-­‐Hill practices at Positive Redirection in Durham, North Carolina. Letitia has expansive experience interviewing, and assessing new clients, working with clients with co-­‐occurring disorders, writing treatment plans, and conducting individual counseling sessions to address physical, mental, social and emotional problems. She is a facilitator of Coping With Work and Family Stress which is a workplace preventive intervention designed to teach employees 18 years and older how to deal with stressors at work and at home. The curriculum emphasizes the role of stress, coping and social support in relation to substance abuse and psychological symptoms. Letitia is a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Carolina. She promotes conferences, develops event topics and speakers and monitors event activities.

To find out more about Letitia Huger-­‐Hill and her practice, Positive Redirection, you can visit their website for an appointment.

When things lack excitement in our lives, we tend to get bored with them very quickly and easily. We try to find the next, newest best thing. If our hair is flat, dull, and losing luster, we try a new conditioner or hairstyle. If our cell phones are from last season, we go buy the newest version of iPhone or Android. When a new video game, fashion trend or hairstyle becomes popular, we all flock to the stores and salons to get the new exciting trends as we become bored with our old things. But what if your relationship is flat and dull? And you’re feeling really bored with your partner? Perhaps the sex life is barely there or absent altogether. We don’t just drop our relationship to find someone else to keep things exciting. How can we add some excitement, adventure, and passion into our relationships?

Earning her Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology at Temple University, Dr. Susan Orenstein is founder and director of Orenstein Solutions in Cary, North Carolina. Dr. Orenstein has devoted her professional career to helping individuals and couples improve their most intimate relationships. She specializes in relationship and couples issues. Dr. Orenstein is committed to providing state-of-the-art practices in marital counseling and to that end, continues to attend professional training programs.

To find out more about Dr. Susan Orenstein and her practice, Orenstein Solutions, you can visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 for an appointment.

Infidelity appears to be a hot trend in marriages these days. We are plagued with stories about our friends or family members subject to adultery and cheating in their relationships.  With social media constantly creating means of communication, we are continuously able to connect with others and share our stories, concerns, and problems. This readily accessible means of communication can lead to effortless temptations to become unfaithful to our loved ones. Affairs can be either emotional or sexual or a combination of both. Whether they are emotional, sexual or both, there are consequences that may lead to emotional distress to the other spouse. What happens when your spouse or loved one violates the set of rules in your relationship by betraying their fidelity?

Lesli Doares is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Cary, NC. In her practice, Balance Family Therapy, her focus is on helping couples build strong, secure relationships. It is her belief that marriage is a different kind of relationship and, with the proper tools and techniques, most couples can have a happy and successful relationship. Lesli brings both her personal experience and professional training to her work with couples. Her passionate belief in marriage has led to the development of a five step theoretical approach that Lesli detailed in her book Blueprint for a Lasting Marriage: How to Create Your Happily Ever After With More Intention, Less Work. Lesli also writes the A Fearless Marriage Blog where she addresses common challenges to today’s marriages.

To find out more about Ms. Lesli Doares and her practice, Balanced Family Therapy, you can visit their website or call (919) 924-0463 for an appointment.

In our society we tend to try to keep the peace in many different settings in life. At work we attempt to keep the peace with bothersome coworkers and demanding bosses. At home we seek to keep the peace with our vexing children, aggravating siblings, and meddlesome parents. When it comes to marriage we try to keep the peace when our spouses ask questions that we may not want to answer truthfully, ask questions about money spending, and ask questions about our needs and wants. Sometimes, to keep the peace we may tell a little white lie as to not hurt our loved ones feelings. However, sometimes it is best to tell the truth so that our spouses are not hurt later down the road. Is it okay to tell little white lies in certain situations? In what ways can we learn to keep the peace between ourselves and our spouses?

Earning his Master’s Degree in Counseling from Humboldt State University, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor, Mr. Noah Rubinstein strives to expand the visibility and reach of GoodTherapy.org in an effort to counter the tendency within the mental health field to view people as deficient and fundamentally flawed. The mission and vision of GoodTherapy.org and Noah’s efforts have been featured extensively in the media, including numerous radio and television interviews and print articles. Mr. Rubinstein is one of the strongest voices advocating for ethical mental health treatment and challenging the application of the medical and pathology-based models within mental health. He has worked with individuals, couples and families for over 25 years in various social service, counseling, and consultation roles within different communities, including mental health clinics, residential treatment centers, emergency shelters, hospice organizations, home-based therapy programs, summer camps and in private practice.

To find out more about Mr. Noah Rubinstein and GoodTherapy.org, you can visit their website.

Health seems to be a hot topic in the world today. Whether it is mental health or physical health, there are always articles in numerous magazines and websites promoting ways to get in shape mentally and physically. We have articles on workout regimens, dietary plans and a combination of both. We also have articles on how to destress and relax. A combination of both of these topics can also be found in various articles in magazines and the internet that promote physical health and mental health together. When you are in a relationship, is it important for you and your loved one to have superb physical and mental health to improve your relationship? If so, what can you do individually and as a couple to achieve this?

Earning her Doctorate’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Indiana State University, Dr. Katherine Kelly is a licensed psychologist in her own psychotherapy and counseling practice in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Kelly has been named the “pioneer of soul health” through the development of her trademark model, The Soul Health Model. She is a clinical holistic health psychologist. Dr. Kelly is an ongoing contributor to health and wellness magazines and speaks at local, regional, and national educational and corporate health organizations. With over 20 years of direct clinical experience, Dr. Kelly has had extensive experience helping others to heal and evolve.

To find out more about Dr. Katherine Kelly, you can visit her website or call (336) 723-1011 for an appointment.