The Love Chat

Silhouetted figures of two people jumping joyfully on a beach at sunset.
By Kathleen Maiman September 29, 2025
When we first meet, we are the best version of ourselves. We take care of ourselves and show up as our best self. In the first few weeks and months of a relationship, we are on our A game. We dress up, plan dates, show up, have fun, we listen and we are in a good mood and say yes to new experiences and adventures. We a
Road sign showing paths for
By Kathleen Maiman August 26, 2025
When it comes to relationships—romantic, familial, or even friendships—there is an ongoing negotiation between what is true (facts) and what is felt (feelings). Both play vital roles in how partners connect, resolve conflicts, and build lasting trust. Understanding the balance between the two can mean the difference between constant misunderstandings and a relationship grounded in both honesty and empathy. Learning how to balance the two—without dismissing or overemphasizing either—can bring more peace, understanding, and intimacy.
A man and a woman are sitting on a couch, looking away from each other
By Kathleen Maiman July 29, 2025
When someone cheats in a relationship, it causes a trauma. There are three phases of working through the betrayal. Let's explore them together.
A woman is sitting on a bed while a man is laying in bed.
By Kathleen Maiman June 30, 2025
As a relationship therapist, I am seeing more couples in my office with betrayals of deceit, infidelity and emotional affairs. My curiosity and compassion arises when working with these couples, helping them to move beyond the deceit and the betrayal. In the discovery process, we want to get to an understanding of how they got to this place of hurt and deceit.  Here is one of a few blog posts on Betrayal and Infidelity. This one refers to “Why Partners Cheat”.
A man and a woman are smiling and holding hands in the woods.
By Kathleen Maiman June 6, 2025
There are many myths floating around about marriage and relationships that can be detrimental and harmful to relationships. They can create unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings leaving couples down the wrong path, or worse, convince them that marriage is a hopeless cause. Good relationships can end early or fail because of these common myths. Let’s debunk them one by one.
A diagram of emotional intelligence
By Kathleen Maiman May 30, 2025
Are you having difficult conversations that turn into more conflict and withdrawal?  It could be that you are both lacking emotional intelligence.
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