As a Portland relationship counselor, I’ve noticed that the recent high profile cases of sex addiction – David Duchovny, Jesse James, and Tiger Woods – have left people with more questions than answers about the disorder. Some falsely believe that simply having an affair means you are a sex addict, but that’s not the case.
Portland [...]

The terrible economy may be a contributor to many relationship problems, including men acting out sexually. Why? When faced with a threatening environment, like the bad economy, men are more likely to seek out more sexual partners. This short-term mating strategy gives them a higher likelihood of passing on their genes to the next generation, [...]

An emotional affair can sometimes start out innocently. You’re just bantering with a co-worker. It’s harmless flirting, right? It can be, but sometimes those boundaries get blurred.
As a Portland marriage counselor, I can tell you that the definition of an emotional affair isn’t set in stone. What would be considered cheating in one relationship would [...]

When people come to me looking for relationship advice after an affair, one of the first things I help them understand is why it happens. In my years of experience as a Portland marriage counselor, I’ve dealt with numerous client infidelities, and they all occurred for the same basic reason: the person who strayed wasn’t [...]

Afraid your relationship problems mean your spouse is having an affair? The first sign of an infidelity is often a simple feeling that something just isn’t right in your relationship. Maybe you find yourself waiting more and more for your spouse to come home, or wonder why they’ve stopped being as affectionate as they used [...]

Relationship advice heal after an emotional affair may seem a little too late. But understanding what happened and why is always important Often, people have emotional affairs because they are lacking that connection with their partner in the first place, and whatever emotional connection they had to their partner before the affair may be now [...]

Infidelity is one of the hardest issues a marriage can face, but divorce isn’t inevitable. In fact, it may be hard to believe this now, but in my years working in Portland, Oregon marriage counseling, I have seen many couples emerge with a stronger and healthier relationship than before. Both partners need to be on [...]

Infidelity can destroy a marriage in one misguided moment. As a Portland relationship counselor, I’ve seen this far too many times. Why, then, do so many culprits seem to think “virtual” infidelities on Facebook or other social media sites will be seen differently? And why, when confronted with these problems in society, do so many [...]

Some relationship problems aren’t taken as seriously as others. Emotional affairs are one such issue. Because you are not cheating on your partner sexually, you may think it’s not a problem, but the truth is an emotional affair can be just as damaging as a physical one, and you may need couples therapy to work [...]

My years as a Portland relationship counselor have taught me that the best marriage enhancement is spending time quality together. Nothing else helps as much to avoid affairs or divorce. If you are like most couples you experience multiple challenges to finding that time. In the last blog I addressed the interference of media. Today [...]