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Boundaries Archives - Page 2 of 2 - SYMBIS Assessment

Mar 08
Love0
My Spouse Makes Me Feel Awful About Myself. How Should I Respond?

My Spouse Makes Me Feel Awful About Myself. How Should I Respond?

By Conflict, Marriage 3 Comments

Does your spouse make you feel bad about yourself from time to time? Feeling hurt by something your spouse has said or done is heartbreaking. You’ve tried your best to keep them happy, but they still seem to find something critical to say. Your self-esteem might have taken a blow, or you might be feeling hopeless about your situation. It’s possible for the most well-meaning spouses to hurt one another’s feelings on occasion. That’s bound to happen over the course of a long life together. But what happens when your spouse’s criticism makes you feel badly about yourself? Humans Need…

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Jan 25
Love0
My Spouse is a Sex Addict. Is There Any Hope for Our Marriage?

My Spouse is a Sex Addict. Is There Any Hope for Our Marriage?

By Intimacy, Marriage 3 Comments

Sex addiction, pornography, and associated behaviors can threaten even the most solid marriages. Even when a spouse admits the problem and it’s out in the open, it can rattle the foundation of your relationship. The fear, pain, and sense of betrayal sex addiction creates for the affected spouse is profound. For the purpose of this article, let’s assume your spouse has been struggling with sex addiction, has admitted it, and is willing to get help. Maybe they’re already seeing a therapist or attending a support group. You may feel a sense of relief that they’re getting help, but you’re also…

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Oct 19
Love0

My Spouse Has An Addiction – What Can I Do?

By Marriage, Self Reflection 6 Comments

Does your spouse have an addiction? Wondering what you can do for them? If your spouse is addicted to a substance such as alcohol or prescription drugs, then they may have asked you to help them overcome their struggles. They might expect you to keep the reality of their addiction secret. After all, addiction can be damaging in many ways–not just to relationships and finances, but to reputations, too. Unfortunately, if this sounds familiar, your spouse is asking you to enable their addiction. When you keep your spouse’s problem a secret and don’t seek outside help, you’re depriving yourself of…

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Jan 26
Love0

My Spouse Has Opposite-Sex Friends. Should I Be Worried?

By Marriage, Relationships 17 Comments

Throughout our lives, we’ll have friends who are of both the same and opposite gender. This is a natural part of life. For some individuals, though, the thought of their spouse having close, opposite-sex friends can be a bit unnerving. Does this sound familiar to you? It’s true that there are occasions when opposite-sex friendships are not appropriate in tandem with your marriage. In general, friendships come and go throughout our lives. But the question about your spouse’s opposite-sex friendship might not be so much about gender itself, but more about whether you and your marriage are being honored. Just…

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Dec 08
Love0

Holidays With the In-Laws: Cultivating a Joyful, Peaceful Season With Extended Family

By In-laws & Family One Comment

Have you experienced conflict with your in-laws, particularly during the holidays? If so, you’re not alone. Many couples navigate challenging in-law relationships throughout the year. Oftentimes, challenges peak during the holiday season because there are so many activities, events, and family obligations to fulfill. If you’re looking for some additional guidance on constructively, successfully, and lovingly handling tough or uncomfortable situations with your in-laws this holiday season, we can help. Today, we’ve rounded up some posts from our archive that are packed with tips you can put to work to ease the tension. A note before we begin… Family tension…

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Jul 28
Love0

How to Protect Yourself and Your Relationships With Family Boundaries

By In-laws & Family, Marriage No Comments

Our families of origin have an immense impact on who we become as adults, and on our relationships. Whether friendships or romantic relationships, family imprints onto our personalities and our behavior patterns. If we aren’t able to recognize those influences and set boundaries, then our relationships could suffer. While it’s a good idea to set boundaries regarding what behaviors you will and won’t accept from family members, you also need boundaries to protect yourself from the unspoken behavior patterns you picked up from childhood. Let’s look at a few ways your family can influence you, and what to do about…

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Nov 28
Love4

Planning Your Wedding Part 2: Establishing Healthy Boundaries with Family

By Communication, In-laws & Family 2 Comments

Boundaries are critically important in marriage. They protect you as a couple from negative outside influences, helping you to strengthen and maintain a healthy relationship from within. If you don’t have boundaries yet, you need to have a discussion with your fiance about what those boundaries need to entail. The wedding planning season isn’t the easiest time to enact boundaries, but if you don’t already have them as a couple, it’s a good time to establish them. That’s because planning your wedding is one of your first big opportunities to exercise boundaries. While the two of you attempt to plan…

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Apr 19
Love16

Dicey Dealings: How to Handle Invasive In-Laws

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family 24 Comments

One of the most difficult situations married couples face is dealing with invasive or controlling in-laws. Maybe they’re critical, nosy, or they monopolize your (or your spouse’s) time. Perhaps they don’t think you can take care of their “baby” as well as they did. Whatever the case, these situations can get dicey in a hurry. In today’s blog post, we’re going to focus on how to deal with invasive in-laws who are making your life as a couple harder than it should be. Have a Heart-to-Heart…With Your Spouse Is your mother-in-law rifling through your things when you’re not home? Has…

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