Articles

Life Coaching and Counseling
Young couple in cafe

50 Fun Relationship-Building Questions

Here's a list of 50 of my favorite relationship building questions. Use this tool to build relationships at work, home, and with your friends. They work well for team meetings and family events. Enjoy!

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Overwhelmed

12 Tools for Regulating Your Emotions

What situations trigger you emotionally? Be prepared to handle these situations different differently, in a positive fashion. Here are 12 ways to regulate your emotions when triggered.

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Young Professionals Having Meeting in Glass Office

3 Foolproof Ways to Motivate Your Team

Over the past 20 years as a family therapist, trainer, and coach, I've helped over 2,000 families and over 200 companies improve their work culture. There are similarities between the healthiest companies and families. Here are three traits they have in common.

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Man building relationships

25 Tips for Strengthening Relationships

Here's the ULTIMATE guide for building relationships. 25 practical tools for strengthening your connections.

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Curious man

My 20 Favorite Questions to Ask Clients

Human connection heals! As you prepare for interactions with your family, friends & co-workers, here are some questions that can strengthen bonds.

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Decision Making

How to Make Good Decisions

I've wasted countless hours in turmoil over decisions. Indecision has hurt my career and cost me financially. I've frustrated family and friends because I couldn't make up my mind. Few things stress me out more than major choices, and few things bring me as much relief as getting decisions made.

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Happiness

30 Happiness Building Actions

There's a lack of happiness and no shortage of stress and anxiety in the world today. People who take care of their mental health do things differently. They engage in actions that are distinct from those who struggle.

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Man With a Vision

Clarifying a Vision for Your Future

We are 100 times more motivated moving towards what we want, than away from what we don't want. Create a picture of what you want! Our goals lead you toward your vision, or they're not the right goals.

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Why You Must Face Your Past

I want my clients to live full and free lives. I don't want the past holding them back. Frequently I challenge clients to process, and come to terms with, past trauma. Their future, and mine, depends on us facing our demons.

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Vulnerability

Taking Decisive & Consistent Action

If we don't risk getting hurt emotionally, we hinder our ability to feel good emotionally. Emotional vulnerability is a lifelong struggle and crucial to being emotionally healthy. We grow from experiencing failure, rejection & embarrassment and realizing we can handle it. 

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Grateful Woman

25 Gratitude Building Questions

We all have seasons in our lives when it's very hard to be positive. I can easily view myself as the victim. Gratitude is one of the only things that can end my pity party. 

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Dating Marriage

12 Dating & Marriage Building Activities

A healthy marriage takes effort, but it’s well worth it, especially when you count the costs of divorce (financial, emotional, etc.). Here are 12 activities that can take your marriage from average to extraordinary.

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Without hope

Fear vs Hope Cycle

Everyone struggles with fear & anxiety at different points. Sometimes it's triggered by trauma. Sometimes a lack of sleep can sleep causes it. You can take specific actions to change your perspective from fear to hope.

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A Simple & Powerful Stress Coping Tool

Clients frequently ask for help in coping with stress. Most people can identify the source of their tension (e.g. parenting, relationships, the economy, money, job, health, COVID, etc.), but often CANNOT figure out how to stop the worry.

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Stressed Out Young Woman

Overcoming Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety focuses on what can go wrong. It zeroes in on the worst outcome coming true and bad things happening again. Hope focuses on what can go right, and the opportunity in every circumstance.

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Growing Closer to Your Family

47 Questions to Get to Know People Better

One of the best actions you can do to improve your life, and the lives of others, is to reach out and get to know people better. People feel alone and they want to be known. The place to start is with curiosity. Below are some great questions to ask. I've learned fascinating things about people I've known for decades, all because I asked.

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Critical Woman

How to Be Less Critical & More Encouraging

I can be critical of others. That’s been a dysfunctional strategy for staying safe. Here are 5 relationship strategies helping me break this horrible habit.  

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Like Yourself

How to Like & Value Yourself

I struggle with self confidence. Even though I've had success in life, my insecurities never totally go away. I have to fight them each day.

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holiday coffee party

5 Secrets to Enjoying Family Over the Holidays

If you get anxious about time with family and friends during the holidays, this information will help. Here are tools to get you past your fears and into the fun.

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