Couples Counselling Blog
The “Emotional Jug”
"When it comes to emotional intimacy, most of us, especially men, struggle." The Problem - Emotional Intimacy Why do we fall out of love? Why does it get harder to feel the joy and pleasure of an intimate relationship? Why is the divorce rate over 40%? Why are 70% of...
read moreHealthy Personal Boundaries
What are personal boundaries? "Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave towards them and how they will respond when someone passes those limits." - Wikipedia...
read moreAvoiding Unnecessary Conflict
One of the biggest mistakes couples make is having spontaneous, "in-the-moment” discussions about issues. Something our partner says or does triggers us and we feel instantly annoyed. Recently my wife and I were driving to a dinner party and when I glanced at the fuel...
read moreDealing With Difficult Emotions
I've been talking a lot lately about emotional reactivity, "triggering," and how it's the bane of intimate communication. It's the main reason couples get into the "silence or violence" pattern. Don't talk versus talk and get into conflict. Not much of a choice. All...
read moreSig Taylor, Marriage & Family Therapist, giving a talk at Unity of Calgary, Feb. 24, 2019 – “Relational Mindfulness”
I'll be giving a talk this Sunday, February 24 at Unity of Calgary on Relational Mindfulness. Click here for details. Summary: Are you tired of conflict? Endless go-nowhere arguments? “Walking on eggshells?” Would you like to be more authentic and loving? After...
read moreAre your kids (bad parenting that is) ruining your marriage?
“Never let your kids do anything that makes you dislike them.” - Jordan Peterson, "12 Rules for Life" Bad parenting and poor child management is damaging marriages. We live in a child-centric culture. When I ask couples how much "couple time' do get away from the kids...
read moreThe “Happy Pill” (hint: it’s not Prozac)
"Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even...
read more“Love Hacks” – 6 EASY Ideas (non-gift) for Valentine’s Day
Valentine's Day means more to some couples than it does to others. Many of you love the romance but others find it to be a meaningless obligation. It can be a desperate last minute attempt to express love and affection (a.k.a flowers and/or chocolates). Why not do...
read moreSig Taylor giving free talk on Relational Intelligence for Men, December 6, 2017
I'll be giving a free talk for men (only) next week on relational intelligence a.k.a. emotional intimacy. My friend and colleague, Francesca Blackstock, will also be giving a talk on tantric approaches to sex and intimacy. You'll get 2 perspectives - male and female!...
read moreSig Featured in “How Real Women Find Time for Running,” Best Health Magazine, September, 2017
I recently talked with Best Health magazine writer, Anna Sharratt, about how couples can support each other in pursuing their passions and interests. In this case it was about how one partner wanted to run a marathon and how that would affect their and family and...
read moreRECENT POSTS
Emotional Reactivity – The Bane* of Intimate Relationships
We're fortunate to live in a civilized country where most of the time most of us regulate our emotions relatively well. In public. The main reason we do this is because of the consequences of not doing it. You give someone the "finger" in your car because you feel...
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