by Courtenay Monfore | Jan 11, 2021 | Anxiety, Blog, Relationships, Therapy
What are boundaries? All relationships need boundaries. A boundary is an imaginary line that separates me from you. They separate your physical space, your feelings, needs, and responsibilities from others. Your boundaries also tell other people how they can treat you...
by Courtenay Monfore | Jan 4, 2021 | Blog, Relationships
Validation doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with another’s subjective reality. Validation simply allows another person’s emotional state a space to exist. Validation is a critical communication tool and expression of love and acceptance in relationships. So critical...
by Courtenay Monfore | Dec 21, 2020 | Blog, Relationships
You never realized that you had a temper until you became a parent. Sure, people bothered you. You’d been in arguments, but even then you never truly lost your shit. Then you had children, and your dormant wild temper came bubbling to the surface. Knowing that...
by Courtenay Monfore | Dec 7, 2020 | Anxiety, Blog, Relationships, Therapy
What are boundaries? All relationships need boundaries. A boundary is an imaginary line that separates me from you. They separate your physical space, your feelings, needs, and responsibilities from others.Your boundaries also tell other people how they can treat you...
by Courtenay Monfore | Nov 23, 2020 | Anxiety, Relationships, Therapy, Trauma
You’ll never reach your goals if you’re trying to be all things to all people. Over the years, I’ve seen countless people-pleasers in my therapy office. But more often than not, people-pleasing wasn’t really their problem; their desire to make others happy...
by Courtenay Monfore | Nov 16, 2020 | Anxiety, Blog, Relationships, Therapy
As a therapist, I’m privileged to be invited into the hearts and minds of many people. One thing I’ve come to believe over the years through my work as a therapist is this: we’re all struggling with “adulting” in some way. But most of us believe that no one else is...
by Courtenay Monfore | Oct 12, 2020 | Anxiety, Relationships, Therapy
Most of us don’t like confrontation, but it’s a fact of life that we can’t run from forever. We have to assert ourselves, our boundaries, and our needs — and others have to do the same with us. There are a million terrible ways of expressing your frustration. Here’s...
by Courtenay Monfore | Oct 5, 2020 | Blog, Relationships, Therapy
A loving relationship can be an oasis in uncertain times. Nurturing it requires attention, honesty, openness, vulnerability, and gratitude. Here’s a guide to important facets of intimacy. The Fundamentals of a Strong Relationship Good relationships aren’t...
by Courtenay Monfore | Sep 14, 2020 | Anxiety, Blog, Relationships, Trauma
The global coronavirus pandemic has created a new reality marked by grief and loss. Weddings, concerts, meetings, travels plans, school events, and more have been canceled in the wake of the virus. It has forced us to process both individual and collective grief in...
by Courtenay Monfore | Sep 7, 2020 | Anxiety, Blog, Relationships
In a perfect world, when you’re checking in with someone who’s struggling, you’d have your conversation together in a calm, private setting. Phones and devices would be silenced and stashed out of sight. Food and drinks tend to put people at ease, so you’d nosh on...