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Carpenter Couple & Family Counseling, PLLC
Erica Carpenter, Ph.D., LMFT-S

Blog


Navigating Life Transitions as a Couple
Life transitions are major events that happen throughout our life and often involve change. These transitions can be both positive and/or...


Some Questions to Help Build Emotional Intimacy
One of the best ways to continue building emotional intimacy in a relationship is for partners to continue to learn about each other as...


Thinking Systemically
As a couple and family therapist, I have been trained to think systemically and look at situations and relationships through a systemic...


Primary vs. Secondary Emotions
You may have heard the phrase “anger is a secondary emotion”, but what does that mean? To understand this phrase, let me first describe...


Getting to Know Your Partner’s Inner World
How well do you know the inner world of your partner or spouse? Do you know how they think about things, their fears, dreams, etc.?...


The Three Levels of Communication
When you hear the word “communication”, you probably think about talking. But communication includes so much more: body language, tone of...


How Self-Differentiated Are You?
One of the masters of family therapy, Murray Bowen, created the concept of differentiation of self, which is defined as “the ability to...


Creating Shared Meaning in Your Relationship
Relationships between partners/spouses take work in order for the relationship to continue building and growing. According to Dr. John...


What Are Your Values as a Couple?
Values are what we believe are important and should be prioritized in our lives, and many of us do our best to try to live our lives in a...


Simple Things Couples Can Do to Grow Closer
When couples are still in the early phases of a relationship, it can seem effortless. But once that phase wears off, the truth is,...
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