holidays

Is it possible to get through the holidays without losing your mind, and stability in your marriage?

Around the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas or Hanukkah, couples and families tend to feel additional stress because of all the added pressures and expectations that surround the season. Pesky things like extra work hours, long shopping lists, children out of school and extended family coming to visit can sometimes add worry to what’s supposed to be a joyous time.

During the holiday season, it’s very easy for schedules to become hectic and for every day situations to get chaotic. A time that should be happy and blissful often becomes confusing, and can leave couples feeling overwhelmed and helpless. But there is hope. It can be possible for couples and families to get on the path to enjoying each other and time together during the most stressful of times.

Our guest today, Dr. Michael Howard of Healing Solutions Counseling Center in Charlotte, NC, says the holidays don’t have to be stressful. Along with a few tips and pieces of advice, Michael explains the common triggers of holiday stress and discusses how to mellow them.

To find out more about Michael and his practice, visit his website or call (704) 944-5530 to make an appointment.

Could a week long couples cruise be the key to saving your marriage? Gilligan had it all wrong; it takes more than a 3-hour tour. In fact, it takes 7 days. A simple, relaxing 7 days on the water could be the solution you’ve been searching for to save your drowning marriage from ending up like the Titanic. When a marriage is in danger, most couples attend couples counseling as a possible solution. But what if there was an option that would allow for deeper discovery and understanding without the constrictions of a one-hour time limit?

In addition to being an experienced sailor, Dr. Bryce Kaye received his Bachelor’s in psychology from Columbia University, and his Masters and Doctorate in psychology form the University of Illinois. Bryce has published a book on marriage improvement called The Marriage First Aid Kit and is currently working on his new book, When Love & Anger Got Married: Human Paradox & Spiritual Growth. Bryce now has two private practices, the Cary Counseling Center in Cary, NC and the Oriental Counseling Center in New Bern, NC. From the nearby town of Oriental, NC, Bryce and his wife, Helen, run a company called Love Odyssey Charters in which they take one couple at a time on a week-long cruise to different ports of call along the rivers and sounds of North Carolina. While cruising with each couple, Bryce and Helen intensely coach the couple on how to save their troubled marriage. To find out more about Bryce Kaye and Love Odyssey Charters you can visit their website or call 919-460-2516 for more information or to make your reservation.

Are you the outcast in your stepfamily? Dating and marriage is a process that is complicated enough on it’s own, never mind coming into a family that has already been established. Marrying someone with children from a previous relationship can be a delicate mind field that requires a certain finesse to master.

Certified Master Stepfamily Coach, Claudette Chenevert, found herself in a similar situation over twenty years ago when she, a single mom to a 6 year old boy, married her husband. She became a stepmom to two girls. After several years worth of failures and successes Claudette was able to determine what steps needed to be taken to successfully integrate oneself into an established family and make it function on its own. From the constant presence of an ex to taking on a parenting role over night, Claudette knows how to handle it all. To find out more about Claudette or her approach, you can visit her Stepmom Coach website.