Are you not having the love life of your dreams?

With the rise of movies and television series over the last couple of decades, we have almost lost a sense of reality. We have genres such as comedy, romance and drama. Each of these almost always have a love story intertwined within the plot. These movies and televisions depicting different kinds of love stories may alter what we think is an ideal relationship in real life. We find ourselves striving for relationships that we see on television and in the movie theater. They give us a false sense of what a successful love life looks like. When we don’t achieve this cinematic love life we feel as if the relationship is doomed and unsuccessful. So, what do we do when we do not have the love life of our dreams?

As an Author, Speaker and Publisher, Fiona Fine is growing a movement for women to live and love on their terms. She is the founder of the company Goddess Connection with the dating advice site HowToPutTheFunBackIntoDating.com and the e-magazine Women Who Run It: Your Life-Your Love-Your Terms! Her newest publication is her book Babe In Total Control of Herself- Stop Chasing Men and Start Choosing LOVE. Fiona is a dating and relationship expert in her early 50’s. She’s had a consulting/coaching practice for 15+ years and coaches women ​a​nd men who want to create their best life of love, work, health, passion and fun!

To find out more about Fiona Fine and her company and publications, you can visit her website.

Are you having trouble with communication?

We all know that better communication leads to better relationships in all aspects of life. We have to learn how to communicate well with our bosses and coworkers at work. We do this so everything can run smoothly and efficiently. We have to learn to communicate effectively in school so that we don’t fall behind or misunderstand an important lesson. We have to learn how to communicate with our friends so that plans and events go the way they need to. In relationships with our loved ones, we know that we have to communicate our wants, needs, and feelings to achieve a fulfilled relationship. If we know this, then why is it still so hard? What are some of the things we can work on to better communicate with our loved ones to make our relationships thrive?

Earning his Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Towson State University and his EdS degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seton Hall University, Jeffrey Brandler is owner and founder of Jeffrey Brandler, EdS CAS SAP in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. He has had a private practice since 1991 working with individuals and couples with the most common treated issues being anxiety, depression, addiction and stress. Jeff is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Addictions Specialist and Substance Abuse Professional, as well as a chapter advisor for the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance. He has been published by the American Association of Mariage and Family Therapy-New Jersey twice in his career. Jeff is also a presenter at self help, corporations, and professional groups.

To find out more about Jeffrey Brandler and his practice, Jeffrey M. Brandler, EdS CAS SAP, you can visit their website or call (973) 402-2647 for an appointment.

Have you fallen out of love?

During our childhood we grow up learning about all the fairy tales full of princesses, princes and happy endings. We learn about Cinderella, the girl who was forced into servitude by her stepmother, who gets a night out at the royal ball and meets her Prince Charming and lives happily ever after. We learn about Rapunzel who was kidnapped as a baby and confined to the top of a tower. Her knight in shining armor comes to save her and they lived happily ever after. We learn about Sleeping Beauty, who ate a poisonous apple and the only way to wake up was to be kissed by her one true love. Her true love comes and kisses her and they lived happily ever after. We learn about all these stories growing up and it gives a false expectation of what happily ever after means. When we become disconnected with one another we can start to fall out of love with each other. Is there anything we can do to revive our happily ever afters with the ones we love?

Earning her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University, Nicole Stone is founder and owner of Embark Therapy. In her private practice, she works with couples and individuals, focusing on the impact relationships have on her clients’ lives, including their mental and emotional health. Nicole works with partners at any stage of their relationship and with a variety of presenting concerns, including infidelity, lack of intimacy, considering divorce or separation, as well as remarriage, step-parenting and blending families. She has also been trained in Discernment Counseling, has completed the Level 1 Gottman-Method Training for couples therapy, and is a certified PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator.

To find out more about Nicole Stone and her practice, Embark Therapy, you can visit their website or call (919) 397-5626 for an appointment.

Can you say no to your spouse?

The term “no” may be universal in almost every language, but the decision of saying no can sometimes prove to be more difficult than it may seem. It is hard to say no to your boss when they give you a large project with an unrealistic timeline. It is also hard to say no to your young children when they pout and put on their sad little puppy eyes. It is hard to say no to your mother who needs help with something that she can’t do by herself. And it is hard to say no to your spouse on something that you don’t agree with when you don’t want to make your loved one upset. What can we do to make saying no a little easier? How do we make boundaries with our loved ones without rocking the boat?

Earning her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Ricki Geiger is founder and owner of Rickie L. Geiger, LCSW in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ricki is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Certified Retirement Coach. She has over 30 years of professional experience. She provides individuals, couples, and group therapy for adults over 21 years of age. Ricki is a seasoned, engaging and skilled community educator and workshop presenter.

To find out more about Ricki Geiger and her practice, Ricki L. Geiger, LCSW, you can visit their website or call (919) 929-8559 for an appointment.

In today’s society, we have more technology than we know what to do with. It is astounding to see how much we rely on it, too! In an average household, you may find a cell phone for each member of the family, a laptop and a couple of tablets. Essentially these are all types of mobile computers that allows us to be connected with one another every second of every day. We eventually become hard pressed to find any alone time when we have our cell phones constantly with us. When someone texts us, we text back as soon as we receive it. When someone calls, we answer whether we are busy doing something else or not. We constantly refresh our emails and social media pages. With us constantly being attached to our technology, are our relationships suffering? Do we actually have good quality time when we are on our phones when we are together? In reality, do we become more disconnected with our loved ones when we are always on our phones and tablets?

Earning her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University, Jamie Criswell is managing partner of Foundations Family Therapy in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. Jamie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been serving individuals, couples and families in different capacities for over 5 years. She has served clients in outpatient, inpatient and community settings. In addition to working with couples, Jamie has experience working with domestic violence, substance abuse, crisis stabilization, and child behavioral problems. Jamie is committed to further education to further education and advancing the field of Marriage and Family Therapy and currently serves as the Treasurer for the North Carolina Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and is a Clinical Fellow in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Jamie has completed level 2 training in GOttman Method Couples Therapy as well as certification as a PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator. She also provides supervision to master’s level interns and associate licensed professionals.

To find out more about Jamie Criswell and her practice, Foundations Family Therapy, you can visit their website or call (919) 285-4802 for an appointment.

In school you were always taught about the American Dream. You learned how people risked their lives to come to the United States of America to live out their dreams of happiness and freedom. Part of those dreams was and is to have a family and live a happy life. In today’s age, we are almost pressured into conforming to this dream of getting married and having a family. Everyone wants to know when you are going to settle down and have a family. With the rise of technology, there are a large variety of dating websites on the internet to help make this dream a reality. These websites are growing every day in acceptance and popularity. The growing usage of these sites shows that we still want to be able to get married and have children, but are we trying too hard? Are we overlooking deep meaning in our relationships just to take care of our superficial wants and needs?

Earning his Doctorate Degree in Counseling and Clinical Supervision from the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Dr. Gerald Brown is owner and founder of Inner Compass Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting in Cornelius, North Carolina. Jerry is a licensed professional counselor with extensive training in trauma, family, couples and Latino issues. He provides counseling, life coaching, and counseling in English and Spanish. He also works as a counselor at the Center for Military Families and Veterans at Central Piedmont Community College. Jerry’s research interests include resilience, military issues, multicultural issues, and first generation college minorities in education. He has over 7 years of counseling experience in school, college, and community mental health settings.

To find out more about Dr. Gerald Brown and his practice, Inner Compass Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting, you can visit their website at  or call (704) 302-6434 for an appointment.

In today’s day and age we are all programmed to be independent. We go off to 4-year colleges to get our degrees. We then use those degrees to land ourselves a career to support us through life’s necessities. Being independent means that we don’t have to rely on anyone else to aid or support our needs and wants. Wanting to be independent is a good virtue to have when it comes to financial stability and careers. However, when it comes to relationships, being independent might not be what’s best for you and your loved one. What happens when we try to be too independent in our relationships? Can being interdependent, dependent, or independent hurt our relationship with our loved one? What can we do to become more mutually dependent with our loved one?

Earning her Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology at Temple University, Dr. Susan Orenstein is founder and director of Orenstein Solutions in Cary, North Carolina. Dr. Orenstein has devoted her professional career to helping individuals and couples improve their most intimate relationships. She specializes in relationship and couples issues. Dr. Orenstein is committed to providing state-of-the-art practices in marital counseling and to that end, continues to attend professional training programs.

To find out more about Dr. Susan Orenstein and her practice, Orenstein Solutions, you can visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 for an appointment.

Each and every one of us responds to stress differently. Some of us respond to stress by eating more than we usually do while others eat less than they are used to when they are stressed. Some of us exercise until they push themselves too far while others may stop their exercise regimens. Some use smoking, drinking and drugs to try to escape the stress in their lives. Sometimes, we may choose to withdraw from our friends, families and activities while some of us fill up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems, which leads to added stress. How does our stress response impact the way we respond to others? Are we often even mindful or aware of this? How can this affect our relationships? What can we do to improve the quality of our relationships?

Earning his Master’s Degree in Counseling and License in Marriage and Family Therapy, Mr. Jude Johnson practices at Akeen Mind in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jude specializes in the practice of mindfulness, meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy. He has attended extensive training on the practice of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and has applied these skills into clinical practice. Jude has worked in an array of settings including inpatient psychiatric/substance abuse, home based family therapy, alternative schools, emergency services, and outpatient clinics both as a therapist and administrator. Jude utilizes mindfulness and family systems theory as base ingredients to optimize the well-being of organizations, professionals, and people from all walks of life. He has experienced the benefits of practicing mindfulness first hand and is passionate about helping others discover their own inner resources for managing stress, pain and illness.

To find out more about Jude Johnson and his practice, Akeen Mind, you can visit their website or call (843) 364-5921 for an appointment.

Having trouble understanding your partner?

We all go through life trying to understand who we are and what we are meant to do. We have to learn how to differentiate our needs from our wants and truly discover who we are. It is difficult for us to do this for ourselves and even more challenging to understand someone else’s needs and wants. When we come into a relationship we have to learn to acknowledge and share our own needs and wants as well as discover our partner’s needs and wants. We do this so that we can understand each other and our motives in life so that we can better communicate and coexist. But, how do we know exactly what motivates us in life? How would knowing what motivates our lives benefit our relationships?

Earning her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University in New York City, Mrs. Patricia Pirone is the Senior Vice President of Pratt Assessments. While attending graduate school, Patricia worked extensively with children in foster care. After earning her Master’s in Social Work, she began working in an outpatient mental health clinic with children, adolescents, and families. In 2010, Patricia started her private practice where she returned to clinical work with children, adolescents and adults. Over the next several years Patricia grew the practice and in 2014 decided to create Pratt Assessments and began selling a tool that revolutionized her practice. Pratt Assessments is the parent company to Touchstone Assessments, Elevate Assessments, and Assessment Athletics.

To find out more about Mrs. Patricia Pirone and her practice, Elevate Assessments, you can visit their website or call (704) 350-2380 for an appointment.

Are Your Relationship Expectations Realistic?

We all have our own set of expectations in every aspect of life. We have a set of expectations when it comes to work. Whether it’s our tasks at work, work atmosphere, or job duties, we come into work with what we think will happen. When these expectations are not met at work, we often find ourselves unhappy and wanting to find something better. We look for a place that matches well with our personalities and shares a common goal to what we want to do in line so that we are happy with the work we are doing. What happens when our expectations and reality don’t correlate in our relationships? We don’t want to throw away all the hard work that we’ve put in. So, what can we do to help alleviate some of the tension that occurs when our expectations aren’t realistic in our relationships?

Earning her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University, Ms. Melissa Staley is a Managing Partner for Foundations Family Therapy in – Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Melissa has extensive experience working with a wide range of mental health settings and specialties. She has worked in a non-profit specializing in Multi-Systemic Therapy, worked with adolescents with behavioral difficulties and their families, taught anger and frustrations management, communication, positive thinking, and social interaction, worked in a detox and mental health crisis stabilization center and she has conducted clinical assessments and facilitated therapy groups. Melissa currently works with individuals, couples, families and children ages 4 and up. She has completed the Level 2 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and certified as a PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator.

To find out more about Ms. Melissa Staley and her practice, Foundations Family Therapy, you can visit their website or call (919) 285-4802 for an appointment.

Does your addiction affect your loved ones?

As the awareness of mental health issues has been expanded, the acceptance of addiction as a disease has also increased. When people talk about addictions, most assume either drug or alcohol addiction. However, there are many more types that are common. Exercise addiction, food addiction, computer addiction and gambling are all common forms of addiction in today’s society. When someone is addicted to something, they have an impaired control over the behavior, they become preoccupied with the behavior and continue to engage in the behavior despite the negative consequences. Not only can addictive behavior be harmful to one’s self, it can be detrimental to your family and friends. How does all of this impact a relationship? What can we do to reverse some of the unfavorable effects of addiction in a relationship?

Earning her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Walden University, Melissa Enoch-DeBerry is owner and founder of Trinity Counseling Services LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. Following college, Melissa has volunteered with a non-profit organization, Fighting Back, a grant-funded program designed to combat societal ills in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods in Mecklenburg County. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist and furthering her education to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. To find out more about Melissa Enoch-DeBerry and her practice, Trinity Counseling Services LLC, you can visit their website or call (704) 921-9600 for an appointment.