blame

Is your marriage strong enough to survive holiday stress?

In a perfect world, the holiday season is a time of celebration, family togetherness, and making memories that will last a lifetime. However, back in the real world, the “holiday season” is a two-month marathon testing the emotional, physical, and mental endurance of a marriage. Between the various family gatherings, dealing with in-laws, and trying to find the perfect gift for the ones you love, stress is available in abundance during the holidays. Even though the list of priorities keeps getting longer, the days are getting shorter and it’s only a matter of time before the perfect storm that’s been brewing is finally unleashed. Is your relationship strong enough to weather the holiday storm or will it fall to pieces under the weight of all that holiday stress?

Dr. Theresa Lewis is a licensed Psychologist with Lewis Consulting Services in Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Lewis earned her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Florida. Dr. Lewis is a Parenting Coordinator, conducting parenting classes for separated and divorced parents, as well as assisting separated parents to develop effective co-parenting skills and parenting plans.

To find out more about Dr. Theresa Lewis and her practice, Lewis Consulting Services, you can visit their website or call (919) 622-1303 for an appointment.

Do you have what it takes to be in a relationship?

When we’re unhappy, unsatisfied, or unfulfilled in a relationship it’s the never-ending fight. Like a game of tag, the blame keeps getting thrown back and forth from one spouse to the other. Angry outbursts are sparked by seemingly unrelated events. The topic of debate is slightly altered with each passing round, but the core issue of conflict never seems to get resolved.

As children we learned how to tie our shoes, as teenagers we learned how to drive a car, but as adults, who teaches us how to be in a relationship? There is no class in school that teaches us how to behave or what to do to make a relationship successful. When it comes to acting on feelings of the heart, how do we know what we’re doing is right? If divorce rates are any indicator of our relationship proficiency, it may be fair to say that we could all use a little helpful guidance in the love department.

Taking preventative measures to teach couples how to develop a mindful attitude and lifestyle; Dr. Nina Solanki created The Mindful Relationship and Lifestyle Program, a mindfulness-based relationship enhancement program for couples. Earning her Doctoral and Master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology Dr. Nina Solanki has and expansive background in the healthcare profession ranging from private practice to crisis centers and everything in between. These days, Dr. Solanki is a therapist with Lepage Associates in Durham, North Carolina incorporating her work and knowledge of mindfulness and its benefits in relationships into both individual and couples therapy.

To find out more about Dr. Nina Solanki or her program, The Mindful Relationship and Lifestyle Program, you can visit Lepage Associates online at or call (919) 572-0000 for an appointment.

How do you let go of the baggage from your past to make your second marriage a success?

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Love isn’t always something that happens at “first sight”. The hopeless romantics of the world often have to take two, three and even four glances before they find their Mr. or Ms. Right. Once you’ve found the one that you’re ready to take that second walk down the aisle with, how can you ensure that the baggage and pitfalls that unravelled your previous relationship aren’t lingering and waiting to attack your second marriage?

Is it possible for couples to ensure the success of their union when far more challenges stand in their way? How do you successfully integrate children and exes into this modern day nuclear family?

Author of Successful Second Marriages, Patricia Bubash has worked with couples from all over the U.S. to educate them on how to make their marriage the one that lasts. With a Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis on counselling, Patricia is a licensed professional counsellor in Missouri. It’s hard to imagine how Patricia found the time to write a book when you discover her active involvement in not only her volunteer work, but in St. Louis marriage counselling community. Having been remarried before, Patricia says “third time is the charm!” as she celebrates twenty five blissful years with her husband.

To find out more about Patricia Bubash, or order your copy of her book, Successful Second Marriages, you can visit her online.  Be sure to keep an eye out for Patricia’s upcoming release, Marriage Blisters: Spousal Behaviors that Rub you Wrong (or Raw).