Relationship Reset Workshop & Understanding The 5 Love Languages
Love and Relationships
When clients make it to my office for couples therapy, they are often hurting and struggling to find ways to connect or reconnect to each other. They have decided they need some help to figure things out, and my role as the couples therapist is to help them find some middle ground. The 5 Love Languages is often a helpful tool I use as we begin the process. I like to think of The 5 Love Languages as a road map the couple can use to start understanding each other better and more fully. We all have different ways of giving and receiving love, and tuning in to the love languages helps couples ensures they are not misunderstanding each other.
Lack of communication, fights, and feelings resentment are all signs of disconnect that can often times be fixed once each other learns the different expressions of love. Give your relationship a chance and see if these 5 love languages resonate with you and start reconnecting. #Relationships #Love #CouplesTherapy
Feeling Disconnected?
As people, we crave connection, but as a relationship transitions from the early “honeymoon” phase to the more comfortable “sweatpants” phase, it is not uncommon for couples to feel as though they have lost some of the spark they once felt. At the beginning, you couldn’t wait to see each other. Maybe you would send a text or call in the middle of the day just to say, “Hi”. Many couples start to wonder how they got to this point of disconnect, but they don’t quite know how to get some of the magic back.
Expressions of Love
Think for a minute about your own life. Have you ever given much thought to the ways you give love? What about the ways you receive love? Now, I want you to think for a minute about your current relationship or relationships you’ve been in previously. Do you notice any commons themes in the ways you often give and prefer to receive love?
Do you feel like your partner or spouse is speaking a different love language? Are you having trouble connecting with them and explaining how you express your love for them? It's totally possible the two of you are, in fact, speaking a different love language. Once you know their language and they know yours, you guys can get back to you and form an even deeper connection than before. READ on to find out more. #Relationships #Love #CouplesTherapy
The 5 Love Languages
When I talk about The 5 Love Languages, I’m referring to Gary Chapman’s best selling book, The 5 Love Languages. There are actually a number of books in the Love Languages series, but I’m talking about the main one in today’s blog.
I’m a believer there are likely more than just 5 ways to give and receive love, but this is often a really good way to have people start to rethink their relationship and how they show the other they care. I will briefly go over each of the love languages and some examples of how they may show up in relationships. As you read, be thinking of what applies most to you.
Gifts
I think most everyone likes getting gifts. I’ve met a few people who don’t love it, but most people enjoy receiving gifts, especially if it’s from their special someone. I’m not suggesting anyone spend a lot of money, because I do believe it’s the thought that counts. Maybe your partner loves a certain candy bar, and you happen to see it as you’re checking out at the grocery store. It may only cost a couple of bucks, but it can be worth quite a bit more to your significant other to know you were thinking of them and decided to get them a treat just because you want to see them smile.
Quality Time
I will often ask couples to think about the time they spend together and the quality of that time. Is the time spent watching hours of mindless television and not speaking to each other? Is all their time spent taking care of kids or household chores? It’s common for people to feel like they do actually spend a lot of time together, but if they aren’t focusing on each other, is it really quality time? When it comes to spending time together, I want people to start thinking about the differences between quantity and quality.
Words of Affirmation
Often times in life, we don’t get praise or words of affirmation nearly as frequently as we would like. When’s the last time you were told how awesome you are by your significant other? What about being thanked for simply completing your daily chores around the house? As a relationship progresses into long term commitment, we don’t always think to tell our partner how much we appreciate them and the things they do for us. I am not asking anyone to be fake or insincere, however I do want to encourage people to use their words to say, “thanks” or “good job” or “I really appreciate you”.
Acts of Service
An act of service doesn’t have to be complicated, although I’m not saying complicated is a bad thing. It could be offering to cook dinner for your partner after a long day at the office. Maybe you run them a soothing bath to relax while you take care of the laundry that has piled up all week long. There really are no shortages of acts of service that can be done to show someone how much you care and appreciate them. It may not take much effort to do, but it can mean so very much to the ones we love.
Physical Touch
Clients often think that physical touch has to mean sex, and although it can include sexual things, I try to help them reframe their thinking to encompass all types of physical touch. Maybe your partner has been working hard all day doing yard work. Could you give them a back rub to soothe their sore muscles before going to bed? Even taking a few seconds to give them a hug after you both get home for the day can be a way to maintain the feeling of being physically connected. Another great idea is to just reach over and hold their hand while driving in the car. These small act of physical affection can go a long way in making someone feel like they matter to you.
How to Reconnect
As you think about how you could apply any of these ideas to your relationship, keep in mind that each person has their own unique love language. What works for one person may not be the same for another. I will have couples talk to each other about what makes them feel the loved and appreciated.
I also highly recommend taking the online Love Language Test to see what works best for you. The goal is to build a strong foundation for your relationship in order to strengthen the love and the bond you share as well as to create a deeper connection. By understanding the love languages, you’ll be less likely to misinterpret expressions of love in your relationship. You’ll stat to uncover the secret to translating expressions of love into what they really mean.
Are you ready to transform your relationship, reset, and reconnect? Are you looking to discover what is holding you back from having the relationship you deserve? Do you need some relationship guidance? In my Relationship Reset Workshop, we dive into the truth of what is disconnecting you from your partner and work on overcoming those hurdles to get you guys back on track.
***This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping me out.***
Do you feel like your partner or spouse is speaking a different love language? Are you having trouble connecting with them and explaining how you express your love for them? It's totally possible the two of you are, in fact, speaking a different love language. Once you know their language and they know yours, you guys can get back to you and form an even deeper connection than before. READ on to find out more. #Relationships #Love #CouplesTherapy
Relationship Communication Online Workshop
I have created an online Relationship Communication Workshop to help you dig into the communication struggles in your relationship and start getting things back on track. I realize that not everyone wants to go through long term therapy or the process of getting to a therapy appointment may not fit into your busy schedule. That's why I created this course. I wanted to provide you with a way to get access to the tools my clients get from me in my practice, but you can access the material from the comfort of your own home or wherever you are.
What's Included?
You will get access to a series of videos, activities and worksheets that are designed to help you dig into the various aspects of relationship communication.
We will talk about The 5 Love Languages, The 4 Tendencies, The 4 Agreements and so much more.
I'll provide you with actionable steps you can take to implement these tools into your relationships.
The Relationship Communication Online Video Workshop will be live on June 15, and from now until then, you can join the waiting list so you’ll know all the updates and have access to any pre-launch specials I have available. Click the button below to join the waiting list.
Here’s the link to join the waiting list for this workshop. You can also find it and all my courses and variety of services on my Work with Me page. I am so excited to have you take part in this course, and I’m counting down the days to the launch!
1:1 Coaching Appointments Now Available
I am now offering a 1:1 coaching sessions. If you would like to set up a 1:1 coaching video session, you can click here.
You get to decide how many minutes you’d like to purchase worth of coaching. Then, I’ll reach out to you in order to make the determination of how you’d like to use your time. We will decide how to split up your time in 30 minute increments up to the total amount you select.
Also, notice that the more time you purchase upfront, the more you save!
You can always reach me directly through my email lindsay@lindsaywalden.com if you have any questions or if you want to know if this is a good fit for you.
Coach Crate
I cannot speak highly enough about Coach Crate. This monthly subscription service has helped me stay regular with my own self-care in so many ways, and I would love to have you join me on the Coach Crate adventure. It would make a great addition to the other work you are doing to live your best life.
January is all about habits and creating routines that work for you not against you. It has sold out, but you can sign up with my link, and you’ll get to start on the Coach Crate journey in February. You can save money on your first order by using the code FIRSTBOX at checkout! I stalk my mailbox waiting it to arrive each month, and I know you’ll love it as much as I do!
Therapy Thoughts with Lindsay Podcast
Each new podcast episode is uploaded to my Therapy Thoughts Podcast Blog on the website Thursday afternoons at 2:00pm CST, and then it is shared to all the podcasting sites from there. It is also available on the Apple iTunes podcast site. You can subscribe, so you will never miss an episode!
If you want to check out last week’s Episode 21, here is the link.
I really am so grateful to all of you for your continued support, and I hope you’ll tune in this Thursday for Episode 22. Remember to make sure that you are following all my social media platforms so will know when each new episode is available. And, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, so you will be able to watch the episodes once we start recording them on video as well as audio! We are so close to having the episodes available on video!!!
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