There are times in a relationship where it is necessary and useful to be assertive. There are no times in a relationship where it is necessary and useful to be aggressive. Although there is a big difference between being assertive and aggressive, there can be a fine line that separates them. You want to be […]
Dealing With a Critical Mother-in-Law
This month’s Ask Coach Kathy discusses how to positively deal with a critical mother-in-law. My mother-in-law went with our family on a vacation this summer. Our kids are 9-years-old and 11-years-old. She criticized me several times on my decision to let our children stay up until 11:00 a couple of times during our trip. She […]
Expect and Embrace Change in Your Relationship
You’ve probably heard the expression, “The only thing in life that is for sure is change.” That saying applies, especially in relationships. I don’t mean that a person will necessarily change from one relationship to another, although that certainly can happen. What I mean is that within the context of a long-term or lifelong relationship, […]
How to Handle Verbal Snaps From Mate in Public
This month’s Ask Coach Kathy discusses how to best respond to a mate who verbally snaps at you in front of other people. Sometimes when we are at a friend’s house or public event, my mate will snap at me and it’s mortifying. I have such an urge to one-up him and throw a snide […]
How to Communicate Effectively About an Important Issue
This month’s Ask Coach Kathy discusses how to communicate effectively about an important issue in relationship. When I’m with my fiancé in front of other people, I notice that when he refers to me, he says, “she” rather than my name. When he does this, I feel discarded and almost like I’m not there. How […]
