Articles
Browse every published article connected to Susie and Otto Collins, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Susie and Otto Collins, or search within this exact expert archive.
Reverend Ed Young, founder of a nondenominational church in Texas, made an unusual proposal to his congregation a few months ago. He suggested that married couples in his church make an agreement to have sex with one another every day for seven days. This “sexperiment” was intended ...
It usually starts out small—just a twinge of worry or insecurity—and then before you know it grows to such huge proportions it seems like it will never leave. We’re talking about jealousy here. And if you’ve been in the throes of jealous feelings, you probably know what ...
So you've met a special someone and have started spending a lot of time together. You're realizing that this attraction and connection is turning into a love relationship. This is exciting news but perhaps a little scary as well. Past relationships may have left you feeling hurt and wary of ...
Do you play the “Comparing Game?” If you get jealous easily, chances are high that you play this game-- that isn't fun and won't bring laughs into your life. In fact, both the “Comparing Game” and jealousy will undoubtedly cause you pain and wreak havoc on your love relationship or marriage. Here's how it usually goes... Liz and her boyfriend, Rick, are out together with a group of friends. They both love to dance, stay out late and socialize with friends. They also love each other and have a commitment to their relationship with one another.
Are you in a love relationship or marriage with your soulmate? Have you found “the one” for you? Maybe you haven't yet found “Mr. Right” or “Ms Right” and are trying to attract the relationship of your dreams. If you're in a relationship with someone you love and you want this relationship to stay close and you want it to last, you might be looking for ways that you can keep your connection healthy. If you're not in that perfect-for-you kind of relationship yet, you may still want to learn ways to keep that relationship strong when it does happen.
Breaking up or getting a divorce might have been your idea. It could be that you, your partner or both of you were caught in destructive behaviors that could only be stopped by ending your relationship. Maybe there was abuse of some kind involved. Or perhaps the troubles in your relationship were less overtly damaging, but they seemed unresolvable and the dynamics were making you both miserable and unhappy. As much as you know, deep down, that ending your relationship and moving on with your life was the “best” decision, your heart might feel broken.
Julie cannot believe the audacity of her husband Andrew's ex-wife. Julie and Andrew have been married for almost 6 months now and his ex continues to call him asking for favors, e-mail him with news about her family and even drop by their house, usually when Julie is out. It sometimes seems as if Andrew's ex is watching their house to see when Julie leaves and then she conveniently drops by. Julie knows that Andrew has tried to set some boundaries with his ex. She has seen him delete his ex's text messages and e-mails without a reply.
We've all had stressful times in our lives-- some of us seem to have more frequent stress and upheaval than others. And if you've been in the middle of a stressful period, you probably know that being under pressure can have detrimental effects on your love relationship. This is the time that ...
In a love relationship or marriage there are always commitments. You might make a commitment to be monogamous with your partner. Or you might make a commitment to love him or her “through sickness and in health.” Even if you’ve not sworn in front of a religious leader or ...
After many years of being in a love relationship, you might be asking yourself: “Can I have it all?” It’s a good question and here’s what we find in our experience working with couples…. nn--A couple may have friendship or compatibility, but little or no passion.nn--A person might feel like he ...
We all go through times of stress in our lives. When you're in the midst of difficulties, it can seem like the difficulty is all you can see. It can be equally challenging when the one you love is going through a tough time. Your partner may withdraw from you, lash out at you, or vacillate ...
“I feel like I just walked into a buzz saw.” Have you ever felt this way about your partner? Perhaps you've been apart all day and when you next see him or her, it seems like you can't do anything to your mate's liking. In fact, to you it feels like your love is critical or ...
Change is an undeniable part of life. Seasons change. Our bodies change as the years pass. And relationships change. Sometimes deep down inside, you are called to make a change in your life or your relationship. For a variety of reasons, you might choose to ignore that call for change and ...
Do you tend to see your partner as a “fixer-upper” kind of man or woman? Sure, you love him or her-- but there are certain aspects about your mate that, to you, need fixing or improving. Perhaps you spend your time either subtly (or more overtly) working to help your partner become more ...
Sure. It's easy to feel gratitude about your relationship and partner when things are running smoothly. Wasn't it wonderful the way she surprised me with a love note in my briefcase the other day? Or, I just adore the way he knows when I need a bouquet of flowers at the end of a long week. But ...
It seems that everywhere you look, many long-standing (or short) relationships and/or marriages are dissolving. If you’re like most people, when this happens, you find yourself stuck in thinking about the past, wondering what went wrong, and unable to move from the pain of the relationship. ...
Change. Every single one of us goes through a myriad of changes not only in our lives but in our day to day existences. Some changes are pretty small and insignificant. Perhaps your favorite coffee shop stopped carrying your preferred blend of java and you have to make another choice. Other ...
Amanda feels unloved and under-appreciated in her love relationship. She's dated Jeff for 2 years now and she's starting to wonder what she's doing in this passion-less relationship. To Amanda, it seems that Jeff is more willing to spend a weekend fixing her broken toilet, than he is to take her out for a romantic dinner followed by sensual lovemaking. Would you like to feel more appreciation, love and passion in your love relationship or marriage?
Lindsay and Brian have been dating for about a month now. They've been spending every weekend together. Both of them are beginning to wonder if this is turning into something more. This is an exciting time for Lindsay and Brian. They are having fun together and their growing intimacy is welcomed by both. Neither Lindsay nor Brian wants to rush things though. Lindsay doesn't want to scare Brian off or make him think that she's pushing him to get serious. At the same time, she would like to be certain of the level of commitment he has to her and their developing relationship.
When Jeff sees his girlfriend, Tami, flirting with another guy, he gets jealous-- really jealous. It can take every ounce of restraint that Jeff has to not storm over and confront the other man, and Tami too. But Jeff has promised himself-- and Tami-- that he won't let his jealousy take over anymore. The trouble is, the anger and worry that fuel his jealousy have only become more intense as he tries to deny his emotions. In situations like this, Jeff feels as if he's going to lose it. Something has got to change.
Saundra had an affair a year ago. Her husband, Rick, agreed to try to work things out and rebuild trust. This hasn't been as easy or as smooth a process as either of them hoped it would be. They are both willing to keep trying, but are starting to wonder if they need outside help. “Is it time to see a professional to help us rebuild relationship trust?” If you and your partner are struggling in the aftermath of an affair, you might be asking yourselves the same question.
Have you ever wondered how a casual conversation with your mate can somehow end up an argument? Maybe you two started out talking about something as mild as the weather and in some way one or both of you were triggered and ended up shutting down. If you’re tuned in to yourself and your ...
“There's nothing better than make-up sex,” Joe's friends tell him. Joe and his wife, Elizabeth, had a huge argument a couple of days ago. He wasn't completely honest about where he'd been and she found out. She became jealous after discovering Joe's lie and accused him of cheating. Joe pointed out that this is exactly why he lied about meeting a female business associate for lunch-- because Elizabeth gets jealous so easily. He defended that he was just trying to avoid causing Elizabeth worry and was also trying to prevent a big blow up like this one.
Jessica is a mess. She has cried herself to sleep-- all alone-- more nights than she can even keep track of. Her husband, Charles, has been absent a lot of the time. He stays out all night, partying with friends or, when he does come home, he sleeps on the couch. When Jessica and Charles are together in the same room, they often argue and fight-- sometimes the fights even become violent. Jessica has no appetite, she can't focus on her work at the office and she has withdrawn from her friends and family. Everyone is worried about her...except, it seems, Charles.
The cover story on the men's magazine read, “Make Your Woman Deliriously Happy.” This article title immediately caught Jeff's attention. He was, however, disappointed to see that most of the suggestions involved bouquets of flowers, expensive romantic get-aways or extravagant jewelry. A big portion of the article seemed like an advertisement for florists and cruise lines!
Jamie and Carlo fell in love while Jamie held a temporary job in the city where Carlo lives. When the time came for Jamie to return to her home-- which is in a neighboring country-- both of them worried about how to keep their relationship alive and well. They considered breaking off their relationship, but neither of them really wanted to do this. They briefly considered having one of them re-locate to the other's city, but it felt too soon and too financially difficult to do at the time. Instead, Jamie and Carlo decided to try a long distance relationship and see how things progress.
Are there any "holes" in your relationship? nnIf you're like us--the answer is yes. nnIn fact, in many relationships there are usually quite a few "holes." nn"Holes" are those things in your relationships and life that you may know are there but it's always a surprise when you fall into one. nnThings can be going along just fine and before you know it, you've fallen into one of those darn holes again. nnThe house we live in is over 130 years old and just like a lot of relatio
We have discovered that one of the most important things you can do to create a great relationship is to be fully present with your partner. nnTo illustrate what we mean by "being present" we want to share part of a conversation Otto had with a business associate recently. nnnThe person Otto was talking with referred to himself as a "social dancer" who had just spent the weekend at a dancing event. nnAs a result of this conversation, Otto who doesn't enjoy dancing, has gained