Recent Posts

Mindfulness and Gratitude from Romantic Relationships through the Parenthood Years

Mindfulness and Gratitude from Romantic Relationships through the Parenthood Years

Every day I try to think about how I can make meaningful changes in my parenting to help improve how my child approaches the world. What will help him establish meaningful relationships? How can I help him learn to cope with any problems he may…

Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood 2023 Conference

Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood 2023 Conference

On June 15th through 17th, Dr. Sibley, Stephanie Lipira, Jessica Lopez, Katherine Smail, and myself had the pleasure of presenting some of our research at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (SSEA) 2023 Conference in San Diego, California, at the Hyatt Regency Mission…

Overcoming Challenges in Interracial Romantic Relationships

Overcoming Challenges in Interracial Romantic Relationships

Every interracial relationship is different. However, one idea remains constant in all of these pairings is that race matters. By this, I mean race should not be the determining factor in whether or not you choose a romantic partner, but it should be something that…

Learning How To Navigate a Relationship When Your Partner Has ADHD

Learning How To Navigate a Relationship When Your Partner Has ADHD

Has your romantic partner ever forgot that they had a date planned with you? Or have you ever noticed your partner consistently having difficulty paying attention during a conversation with you? Does your partner ever get stuck daydreaming? Do they get so engrossed with an…

The Impact of Substance Abuse on Couple and Family Relationships

The Impact of Substance Abuse on Couple and Family Relationships

My family has been directly impacted by substance abuse since before I was born, and it has continued to be a presence in my life today. My parents met in 1988 and my father was in recovery from alcoholism. Over the course of their relationship,…

Illinois Council on Family Relations 2023 Conference

Illinois Council on Family Relations 2023 Conference

On March 31st, our research team attended the Illinois Council on Family Relations (ILCFR) 2023 Annual Conference in Charleston, Illinois, at Eastern Illinois University. The whole team (minus Dr. Sibley) had piled into a van and endured the 3-hour drive to Charleston the day before.…

How Traumatic Experiences Can Impact Future Relationships

How Traumatic Experiences Can Impact Future Relationships

Going into any new relationship can be pretty scary. But have you ever thought about what going into a new relationship may look like for someone who has gone through trauma in a past relationship? Whether that trauma was related to domestic violence, sexual abuse,…

How Anxiety Impacts Romantic Relationships

How Anxiety Impacts Romantic Relationships

Being in any kind of relationship with anxiety can be quite intimidating. But have you ever found yourself needing to tell your partner something super important, but you felt too nervous to tell them because you were worried they were going to see you differently…

Are You Staying in Your Relationship for Your Partner’s Sake?

Are You Staying in Your Relationship for Your Partner’s Sake?

There are times when one partner in a relationship wants to leave, but is simply afraid of hurting their partner’s feelings, or scared of what life may be like outside of a now-comfortable relationship. Maybe this is you, or a close friend, but whoever it…

The Quality of Our Relationships: Breaking Down Barriers to Connection

The Quality of Our Relationships: Breaking Down Barriers to Connection

Psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Robert Waldinger, has overseen an on going 75-year study along with many of his colleagues to find an answer to a question that potentially everyone tries to figure out at some point in life. What makes us…

Am I Dating A Narcissist?: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

Am I Dating A Narcissist?: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

Am I dating a narcissist? The question that many romantic partners avoid at all costs. You may relate to this avoidance as you have found yourself many times afraid to let yourself fully answer this question. Or maybe the word narcissist is new to you.…

How to Tell Your Romantic Partner “I Need Space”

How to Tell Your Romantic Partner “I Need Space”

How to tell your romantic partner, “I need space”- a phrase that typically sounds the alarm sirens in a romantic relationship. Have you ever found yourself in a romantic relationship where you feel oddly suspicious about how well things are going? You can feel the…

When Does the Nightmare End? Intimate Partner Violence Recovery

When Does the Nightmare End? Intimate Partner Violence Recovery

When does the nightmare end? What is the path to intimate partner violence recovery? These are questions many intimate partner violence survivors find themselves wondering over and over again as they struggle to put the pieces of their lives back together after years of abuse.…

COVID-19: Dating in a Socially Distanced and Masked World

COVID-19: Dating in a Socially Distanced and Masked World

COVID-19 dating, a phrase we never could have imagined on New Year’s Day. Flashback to January 1st, 2020. You may have found yourself surrounded by family as you welcomed the new opportunities and challenges that would arise in 2020. Or maybe you found yourself on…

Is It My Fault? When a Romantic Partner is a Cheater

Is It My Fault? When a Romantic Partner is a Cheater

Cheating, the word no one wants to hear in a romantically committed relationship. Finding out that your romantic partner cheated on you can leave you feeling completely blindsided. You may find yourself feeling paralyzed as questions about what went wrong flood your mind. Many will…

Ghosting: The Romantic Relationship Disappearing Act

Ghosting: The Romantic Relationship Disappearing Act

If ghosts are not real, then why do I keep getting ghosted? Previously on this blog we have discussed ghosting, which has often been defined as a verb that involves ending a romantic relationship by abruptly cutting off all contact and ignoring any communication attempts…

Where is This Relationship Headed? When One Romantic Partner is More Committed

Where is This Relationship Headed? When One Romantic Partner is More Committed

Many of us have a difficult relationship story that we could share. Unfortunately one of the traits of many modern romantic relationships is ambiguity. Many people find that they are riding along with a romantic partner that is less committed and invested in the relationship…

How Fathers Influence Their Daughters’ Romantic Relationships

How Fathers Influence Their Daughters’ Romantic Relationships

The research literature is becoming increasingly clear about the substantial importance of fathers in the lives of their children. Unfortunately, far too many children in the United States and throughout the world experience father loss. As discussed previously on this blog, father loss can negatively…