workshops

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.

Does long-standing sibling rivalry really have an impact on a marriage?

So where does sibling rivalry start in the first place? According to academic professionals at the University of Michigan Health System, the most fundamental effect and characteristic of sibling rivalry is jealousy. Constant arguments between siblings create a strong feeling of tension in the household that’s felt by everyone.

It’s also been suggested that rivalry between siblings has negative effects on the marriage of the parents, as the problems experienced between the siblings begin to make the parents more likely to disagree about who is right and who is wrong in different situations. So what is the best way to ease the tension and quell the rivalries?

Today’s guest is Dr. Kristen Wynns, a child psychologist and parenting, testing and custody specialist and the owner of Wynns Family Psychology. With extensive experience in child and parenting issues, Kristen has seen her fair share of family tension derived from sibling rivalry. According to her, spouses can reduce the negative effects of the rivalry by communicating with each other and presenting a unified front to the children.

The Wynns Family Psychology ‘Sibling Strife’ workshop will be held September 23, 2013 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

To find out more about Kristen and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 467-7777 to schedule an appointment.

Have you considered traditional marriage counseling, but found yourself curious about other possible options? Marriage workshops are a growing alternative to traditional counseling with a more classroom-like approach, and have been increasing in popularity both with married couples and with engaged couples who want to plan for the future.

Natasha Crawford, founder of a new marriage workshop of her own called the Marriage Academy, joins us today to tell us more about this growing trend and what to expect from it to help you decide if a workshop might be the right choice for you.

Natasha is a licensed North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapist Associate and certified Prepare-Enrich premarital counselor with a private practice in Raleigh. You can find out more about Natasha at her website, NatashaCrawford.com, by following her on Twitter @NatashaCrawford, by calling her office at 919.807.1156, or by visiting her blog at NatashaCrawford.blogspot.com