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No two relationships look the same, but there are several characteristics that can help you determine if your relationship is on the right track or if it needs improvement. Whether you’re in a new relationship, an established partnership, or still searching for the right person, it can be helpful to know what makes a relationship healthy.

In Jungian psychology, the basic assumption is that the personal unconscious (ideas, feelings, or attitudes outside of our conscious awareness) are a potent part of the human psyche.

Caring for yourself requires active participation. Self-care is not simply about reaching the point of exhaustion or depletion and then participating in behaviors which soothe.

In the realm of Cognitive Theory one of the basic tenants is that our thoughts often precipitate feelings. The theory suggests that when these thoughts are more pessimistic in form they can unintentionally create painful emotional experiences.

When you dare to try something new, speak up for yourself, or admit to a mistake, do you ever hear a voice in the back of your head telling you that you can’t do it? That you’ll only embarrass yourself? That it’s not even worth trying because you always fail?

Listening is a balance of hearing the content of what someone is sharing, as well as listening to the emotion surrounding what is being communicated. Quite often mis-communication happens when either one or both of these forms of expression are not entirely heard. When considering improving your communication skills, start with enhancing your overall ability to hear both content and emotion. This effort may include increased emotional awareness, availability, and presence.

Our spiritual lives and our psychological lives can be intimately intertwined. Often times, as one begins to develop, the other surfaces as well. These two forces have been the cause of ideological shifts and separations in the field of Psychology from as far back as its founders in Freud and Jung to more recent exploration by Psychologists Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and Timothy Leary. The division has usually occurred between the practice (tradition) and the experience (atypical). You get to decide which side of the pendulum rings most true for you. Both perspectives probably contain invaluable wisdom. So, embrace the nuances and subtleties of our own unique psychological terrain, while continuing to reach for your own awakening and broadening reality.

Grief is often associated with the loss of a life. However grief can also be thought of as a significant emotion that can accompany a change in perception, a change of roles, or the loss of something sacred. As with all types of loss, the emotion of grief can be experienced as a process that can include: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Although each individual may grieve differently, grief is an important emotional state that when honestly felt can bring about hope, resiliency, and life-affirming coping responses.

Most of us experience feelings of anxiety at some point in our lives. We may feel worried about a job interview, attending an event where we won’t know anyone, or getting lost on an upcoming trip. Occasional, mild anxiety is natural; but if your anxiety is severe, ongoing, and/or prevents you from fully engaging in life, it may be time to seek additional support.

Grief is the process of responding to loss. It usually occurs as a response to death, but it can also be triggered by the end of relationships, jobs, or chapters in our lives. We all deal with grief at some point; it’s a natural response to losing someone or something we cared about deeply.