Houston Relationship Counseling: A Three-Step Guide to Getting Healthy Together

If you’ve noticed the number on your bathroom scale creeping upwards over the course of your marriage, rest assured—you’re not alone.

A recent study published by the Obesity Society found that it is not uncommon for married individuals to gain 24 to 30 pounds within their first five years of marriage alone. From demanding home and work schedules to the lure of your children’s Halloween candy, married life poses countless hurdles that make it difficult to prioritize healthy eating and exercise. Read more

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Houston Marriage Counselor: Are You Taking Your Partner for Granted?

Do you feel like your partner is your rock? Can you always depend on them to be there for you when you most need them? And, if you answered ‘yes’ to those first two questions, have you told your partner how much you value them for being there for you?

If not, you may be taking your partner and your relationship for granted. This is, unfortunately, a relatively common occurrence in long-term relationships. Early on, partners will go above and beyond to do thoughtful things for each other in an effort to make a good relationship last. After a few years, however, many people begin to settle into a routine and grow more comfortable in what they feel is a stable relationship, causing them to become complacent. Read more

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Houston Marriage Therapist: Late Fall Date Ideas

While there’s nothing wrong with having a few “favorite dates” that you and your partner frequently fall back on for your date night, it’s also a good idea to make sure that you’re periodically trying novel activities together in order to keep the spark alive and avoid falling into a rut. And fortunately, the changing seasons provide a great opportunity to try out some new date ideas that work best at certain times of the year.

As a Houston marriage therapist, I encourage couples to make time to focus on their relationship and schedule a regular date night (or date day). If you’re having trouble coming up with new date ideas for the late fall season, consider some of the suggestions below. Don’t hesitate to branch out from these suggestions, as well—talk to your partner about what he or she would most like to do this season and come up with activities that you’ll both enjoy. Read more

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Houston Relationship Counselor: How Sex Benefits Your Brain

You’ve probably already heard that doing crossword puzzles and eating certain foods can help boost your brain power and stave off the effects of aging, but one activity you might not have thought would benefit your brain is to have more sex with your partner.

There are several different ways that regular sex may boost your brain power. One study from 2010 found that sexually active adult male rats experienced an increase in the number of neurons in their hippocampus (the part of the brain associated with memory) when having sex (either on a daily basis or once every two weeks), something that non-sexually active rats in the control group did not experience. Researchers also found that rats in the group that had sex daily had a rise in the number of connections between brain cells. In short, sex actually helped the experimental subjects’ brains to grow. Read more

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