By Jamie C. Williamson, PhD Like most actions in a close, intimate relationship, trust follows the “norm of reciprocity”. You will trust your partner, if you sense that your partner trusts you, and visa versa. What this means is that, if you act overly jealous or suspicious, you will not likely end up in the place
Relationship Blog
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 3 – How Unhappy Do I Have to Be to Justify Divorce?
By Jamie C. Williamson, PhD One of the main reasons people in contemporary western culture get stuck in what I call the Contemplative Phase of divorce is that the purpose of marriage itself has evolved over the last few decades, leaving people confused about what they value most from what should be the most valuable
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 2 – Determine Your Marriage’s Love Style
By Jamie C. Williamson, PhD Marriages have Love Styles. Some lead to fulfilling happy marriages. Some lead to distress and divorce. To understand these Marriage Love Styles, you have to first understand that love is an action word, not an emotion. You and your spouse create patterns of action and inaction that constitute the character
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 1 – Using a Love Triangle to Assess Your Relationship
By Jamie C. Williamson, PhD The most frequently asked question for me these days is “How do I know whether I should get divorced, or keep trying?” Sadly, many married people remain in this ambivalent “Should I Stay or Should I go” state for years. During this time — which I call the Contemplative Phase
The Most Important F-Word in Marriage May Surprise You
By Jamie C. Williamson, PhD The most commonly thought of F-word is not the one that most often causes marriages to decay. Despite what magazine articles and sensational internet posts might claim, happily married couples do NOT typically have sex every day or even every week. After the newness wears off, most happy couples get