Relationships Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Jeremy Mast, MS, MDiv, LMFT

Creating Magic in Your Relationship, Part 3: The Magic of Surprise

Posted on June 28, 2014

We began considering how to create more magic in intimate relationships by looking at the rhythm that’s created in relationships when two partners are managing their feelings together. Next, we talked about what happens when that rhythm gets disrupted and how to repair these unavoidable disruptions. Today, I invite you to think about with me how surprise can pave a path toward greater intimacy with your partner. What do I mean when I say “surprise,” though? Before we go there, we need to talk about what every relationship needs—romance.

Creating Magic in Your Relationship, Part 2: Repairing Disruptions in the Rhythm

Posted on April 29, 2014

in Couples, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

Last time, with a little help from Coldplay, we explored the “magic” that can occur between partners in a committed relationship when they feel close and intimately connected with one another. When both partners really “get” each other, even though the couple may be having a difficult conversation, each one feels known, valued, recognized, and understood. When they’re in their rhythm, each partner feels completely safe, so much so that together they can co-manage even the most difficult feelings that inevitably come up in a long-term relationship.

Creating Magic in Your Relationship, Part 1: Your Relationship’s Rhythm

Posted on March 30, 2014

in Couples, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

At long last, Coldplay released their new single “Magic” earlier this month, and as a longtime fan, I’ve been listening to the soulful, intimate tune a lot in recent weeks. The song takes its name from the “magic” that the singer experiences when he’s with his beloved partner. Even if you’re not a Coldplay fan, chances are you’ve felt the magic that happens when you’re really connected to another person, when you feel known and understood, recognized and cherished. As much as we want this magic, though, it’s not as easy as pulling a rabbit out of a hat. So how does it happen?

How Can Psychotherapy Help with an Addiction?

Posted on January 25, 2014

in Addiction, Counseling, Healing, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

When we think of helping someone with a substance abuse problem, we usually think of twelve-step programs or treatment centers. Treatment of this kind help people get sober, but they sometimes do little to help people stay sober. So how can psychotherapy help with an addiction?

3 Ways to (Really) Have Happier Holidays

Posted on December 19, 2013

in Anxiety, Depression, Healing, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

It’s that time of that time of year, isn’t it? Christmas is fast approaching, and for many, the nor’easter of financial stress, family conflict, and migraine-inducing holiday preparations is becoming more intense. As the lines at stores get longer, the holiday travel more hectic, and the planning for festivities more frantic, St. Nick is the only one who’s got time to check his list twice. Amidst the yuletide chaos, much of the holiday spirit is lost, so much so that we frequently speak of Christmas as a season that must be “survived” or “saved.”

Protective Patterns in Couple Relationships, Part 3: The Angry Couple

Posted on October 20, 2013

in Anger, Couples, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

It was my first session with Lauren and Jim (not their real names), and from the moment I welcomed them, they were hell-bent on continuing the argument that had begun on the way to my office. They angrily interrupted, talked over, and screamed at each other. The couple had come to therapy because they were fighting like this so frequently, but here in my office, they were far from interested in anything I had to say.

For couples like Lauren and Jim, anger and the accompanying escalating conflict is a way of life.

3 Ways You Can Validate Your Partner’s Feelings

Posted on August 25, 2013

in Couples, Family, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

Validating one’s partner is an artful skill that is essential to creating and maintaining intimacy in committed relationships. When I discuss how partners can validate one another in my office, however, I have found that much of the time couples aren’t sure what it is or how to do it. Today, I’d like to take a break from exploring protective patterns in couple relationships and consider how couples can validate each other’s feelings.

Protective Patterns in Couple Relationships, Part 2: That Old, Familiar Tune in Your Marriage

Posted on July 17, 2013

in Couples, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

Last week, we saw that as when two partners begin a new couple relationship, their deepest needs for love, understanding, and recognition fulfilled come to the fore. This period of “young love” is called the honeymoon phase, and during this time the couple can’t seem to get enough of each other. Notably, there is little to no conflict during this phase. Alas, a phase is, by definition, temporary. When the arguments finally come, each partner will use the defenses they learned in childhood to protect themselves and minimize their own pain.

Protective Patterns in Couple Relationships, Part 1: The Defensive Self

Posted on July 9, 2013

in Couples, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

If you’re married or in a long-term, committed couple relationship, your relationship probably began like many others. You couldn’t wait to see each other and share your experiences. As you exchanged your hopes and disappointments, your partner was just as excited or sad about them as you were. He or she seemed to understand you perfectly. Your stomach fluttered as you imbibed the intoxicating elixir of love. But then . . . something shifted, didn’t it? Over time, a different pattern of relating set in, one marked by conflict, avoidance, or both. It’s not what you or your partner want, so how did it happen?

On (Emotional) Shackles & Freedom

Posted on July 4, 2013

in Anxiety, Couples, Depression, Family, Healing, Marriage, Relationships

by Jeremy Mast

Today, of course, is the Fourth of July, the holiday during which America remembers its adoption of the Declaration of Independence on this day in 1776. We celebrate that after declaring our independence from Great Britain, we at last gained hard-won freedom after the long years of the Revolutionary War ended in 1783. Though that war is over, Americans still battle in many conflicts throughout the world.

A different kind of conflict, however, churns within each of us, regardless of nationality: Each of us fight for our innermost desires and longings to be recognized and understood in our most intimate relationships.