Relationship Issues Archives | Richardson Christian Counseling

What Does It Mean to Have Abandonment Issues In Relationships?

What Does It Mean to Have Abandonment Issues In Relationships?

Dr. Barbara Orticelli, Kate Motaung2025-08-12T08:58:21+00:00August 12th, 2025|Abandonment and Neglect, Couples Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

The term abandonment issues in relationships refers to an irrational fear of being deserted or rejected by those closest to you. People with abandonment issues have a hard time trusting others or believing that their partner’s feelings are sincere. This can lead to a fear of intimacy and seeing problems where none exist. Reasons People Develop Abandonment Issues In Relationships Abandonment issues in relationships most often stem from family instability growing up. Having a primary caregiver who was unpredictable and inconsistent, for example, or being severely traumatized by physical or emotional neglect or abuse. They can, however, also be rooted in attachment injuries that happen later in life, such as an unexpected divorce or breakup, being betrayed by a partner, or the death of a loved one. Common Characteristics Of People With Abandonment Issues Insecurity You feel needy and insecure, never knowing what to expect, seek constant validation and reassurance that your partner really loves you and is not going to leave you and look for signs that he or she does not. Fear of intimacy You may avoid getting too close to another person or becoming fully committed to a relationship because you associate intimacy with eventual pain and loss. Clinginess On the flip side, you may be clingy, overly attached to your partner, dependent on him or her to meet all your needs, and afraid of any distance between you. You try to micromanage every detail of your relationship and use subtle forms of emotional manipulation to make life feel safe and predictable, which it never does. Trust Issues You don’t believe anyone is reliable, have trouble trusting other people’s commitment and intentions, and are convinced everyone will eventually leave you. Even when you are in a loving, supportive relationship, you still struggle with jealousy and suspicion, [...]

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Reasons to Consider Christian Couples Counseling

Reasons to Consider Christian Couples Counseling

Dr. Barbara Orticelli, Kate Motaung2025-07-26T07:10:26+00:00July 28th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Family Counseling, Featured, Relationship Issues|

Relationships don’t come ready-made out of the box. There’s a lot of growth, negotiation, mutual understanding, and accommodation that happens to make a relationship flourish. These skills aren’t obvious, and not everyone has them from the outset. However, we all can learn, and that capacity for growth means that we can improve our relationships. One avenue for growth is through seeking couples counseling. There are many reasons an individual might consider seeing a counselor. When two people begin a relationship, each with their own unique personalities and histories, the potential for misunderstandings, conflict, and hurt increases. Going to counseling as a couple can help you navigate these kinds of challenges and build a healthier partnership between you. What is Christian couples counseling? Christian couples counseling is a form of talk therapy where two people are guided by a professional with training to help them navigate the many thorny issues that often come up in relationships. The counselor has many years of specialized training to help them understand the dynamics of human relationships and to help you understand your situation better. When you go for counseling, it’s a partnership relationship. It’s important that you feel comfortable with your counselor’s approach and that you trust them. Without that trust, it’s hard to undergo the process, putting in the work that takes time before you see its fruit. This therapeutic alliance is important for getting the most out of your sessions. Couples counseling addresses a wide range of issues, but one of the important things is to come with the willingness to change and grow. Being open to the counseling process helps you receive what your counselor has for you, whether it’s encouragement and pointing out your strengths as a couple or highlighting unhealthy patterns of behavior. Your counselor wants to help [...]

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Coping with Grief as a Couple

Coping with Grief as a Couple

Kate Motaung2025-07-02T08:47:01+00:00July 2nd, 2025|Couples Counseling, Featured, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Many events in life cause stress, and one of those events is loss. Loss affects us in profound ways, and we can’t always anticipate how we’ll respond to it. Grief and loss are inevitable on this side of heaven, and as a fact of life, that means we need to be equipped to cope well with it. Whether you are single or in a committed relationship with someone, coping with grief is a useful skill that we need to nurture. Coping with grief requires understanding what it is, how it functions, and how it affects individuals. When you are in a relationship with another person and you experience a joint loss, you need to understand how both you and your partner are coping. The stress of grief can affect how you relate to each other. It’s possible for grief and your response to it to damage your relationship. Understanding Grief Grief is the emotional and psychological response to loss of any kind. Grief can be intense, disrupting how you think and function in daily life. It stirs up many complex emotions such as sadness, regret, anger, peace, and weariness. Grief is brought on by many things, including bereavement through the death of a loved one or family pet, the termination of a relationship, betrayal, or the loss of a cherished goal or dream, for example. What makes one person grieve might not affect another person at all. One’s response to loss will depend on many things, including the nature of the relationship, one’s personality, the nature of the loss, as well as what caused it, and the mental and emotional resources one has to deal with the loss. Grief is often explained as unfolding in five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. These stages depict what many people [...]

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Why Go for Premarital Counseling?

Why Go for Premarital Counseling?

Dr. Barbara Orticelli, Kate Motaung2025-06-18T06:16:43+00:00June 18th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Are you thinking of getting married? Or married again? Before you make that wonderful commitment in the presence of God, it would be wise to go for premarital counseling as a couple. Facilitated by a professional and experienced counselor, you and your future spouse will be able to talk through critical issues and obtain guidance on navigating conflict or potential obstacles to a successful relationship. Biblical premarital counseling in Texas will help you and your future spouse to prepare your hearts and minds for the type of marriage that God intended and in which you both can flourish and grow together. What does God say about marriage? Unlike other contractual arrangements made by human beings, marriage is God’s institution. It is His idea and His design. The primary purpose of marriage, like the purpose of our lives in general, is actually to glorify God. It is supposed to be a living picture of Christ’s relationship with the church – a relationship that is characterized by sacrificial love as each spouse seeks the good of the other above himself or herself. Our security, happiness, and other goals for marriage are still important but they are secondary and subject to this first goal. God has designed marriage to function best according to the rules He has established and laid out for us in His Word. He is clear that it is intended to last a lifetime. Therefore, we should take marriage seriously, and find out what it requires of us. We should not rush into it without careful consideration or counsel from other trustworthy and wise Christians. The Bible acknowledges that the world and our relationships have been marred by sin and that sometimes marriages are severed by death or divorce. God makes provision for people to remarry in certain cases; [...]

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OCD Help: Take a Vacation from Your Worries

OCD Help: Take a Vacation from Your Worries

Stephanie Kramer2025-05-23T06:59:34+00:00May 23rd, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, OCD, Relationship Issues|

Ever thought about taking a vacation from your brain? One of the most challenging aspects of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the belief that focusing on a problem is necessary to prevent it from spiraling out of control. This is a common misconception. In reality, obsessing over a problem doesn’t grant you control; it often increases your anxiety and perpetuates the OCD cycle. Without OCD help, this can leave you worn out and exhausted. It’s important to realize that taking a break from a problem doesn’t mean you’re ignoring it or letting it go unresolved. Just as your body needs rest to function properly, so does your mind. Allowing yourself a mental break can provide you with clarity and perspective, enabling you to approach the problem with a fresh, calmer mindset later on. OCD Help: Take a Mental Vacation Imagine lounging on a beach, sipping a cool drink, and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin. The waves gently lap at the shore, and your biggest concern is whether to take a dip in the ocean or finish your book. Sounds like a dream, right? Now imagine the same scenario but without the constant, nagging thoughts that usually follow you everywhere, turning even a relaxing vacation into a mental marathon. What if you could take a vacation – not just from work or your daily routine – but from your worries? For those with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), that sounds like a fantasy. Here’s the good news: you can do it, even if you’re not actually lying on a beach! Here are some fun and practical methods of OCD help to give your brain a much-needed break from its usual obsessive chatter. The Mental Suitcase Before any vacation, you pack a suitcase, right? So, why not do the same [...]

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Frequently Asked Questions About Toxic Marriage

Frequently Asked Questions About Toxic Marriage

Lori Askew, Kate Motaung2025-05-19T08:43:07+00:00May 19th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues|

We are all imperfect human beings with flaws and weaknesses. All relationships have their ups and downs. Over time there are bound to be arguments and frustrations, intimacy may wax and wane, and your spouse may seem boring or exhibit annoying behavior, but that does not necessarily mean you’re in a toxic marriage. At the heart of any great relationship is partnership. . . . If you’re dealing with an opponent instead of a partner, that’s toxic. – Wendy Newman A healthy marriage is built on trust, cooperation, and open, honest communication that enables you and your spouse to talk through issues respectfully. Both of you are willing to accept some of the responsibility when things go wrong, and to look at things from your partner’s perspective. In a healthy marriage, spouses do not often get unpredictably upset over minor issues. They care about each other’s well-being, try to meet one another’s needs, and provide each other with emotional support. What is the difference between a difficult marriage and a toxic marriage? The main difference between a toxic marriage and a difficult one is that you can grow in a difficult marriage and learn to become more patient, understanding, and unassuming. In a toxic marriage, however, spouses do not support one another, and the discord goes far beyond an occasional rough patch. A toxic marriage is destructive and damaging to your physical health as well as to your mental and emotional well-being. It is marked by persistent conflict, disrespect, and attacks on your character as your spouse frequently tries to undermine you. Negative experiences far outweigh any positive ones, and you feel as though you are being destroyed. What are the signs of a toxic marriage? You may experience any or all of these signs: The relationship feels draining You [...]

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Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Navigating Romantic Relationships and Issues of the Heart

Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Navigating Romantic Relationships and Issues of the Heart

Lori Askew, Kate Motaung2025-04-25T04:38:52+00:00April 24th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Billions of people populate planet Earth. Naturally, it feels like we’ve discovered hidden treasure when meeting “the one” of a million potential romantic interests. It’s exciting to start a new romantic relationship and to learn about that person, while also discovering and developing ourselves. As the relationship progresses, we discover the beauty of connection, learning to give and receive love. Yet, as time evolves, the match we have made may look and feel different than we remember at the start. Often, what seemed magical in the beginning feels weighty in time. King Solomon, who penned many proverbs, echoed that God coordinates our purpose with the times and seasons of our lives. When relationships fray, we may question why an individual came into our lives. Growing a healthy relationship takes two people with God at the core, but everyone who comes together won’t necessarily remain together. Whether joining with a potential partner or separating from them, our hearts require tender care as we pray, seek counsel, and follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. Not only do we need to discern God’s heart before we enter a dating partnership, but we also need to search His heart before terminating a relationship. Richardson Christian Counseling provides Christ-centered support and guidance through every season of relationships, helping individuals navigate both beginnings and endings with wisdom and grace. This article outfits us with spiritual insight and practical considerations for relationships when plagued with issues of the heart. Suitability and Breaking Up While some people may not have all of what we are looking for, that may not mean they are an unsuitable fit or a poor choice. Likewise, some people may possess desirable qualities, and not be suitable or well-matched for us. According to the Bible, God wants us to have partners that are a [...]

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Taking Active Steps Toward Bullying Prevention

Taking Active Steps Toward Bullying Prevention

Sarah Gibson, Kate Motaung2025-04-25T05:20:44+00:00April 4th, 2025|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Whether in person or online, our society has become increasingly intertwined. Even though we now have more ways to connect with people through social media, texts, calls, or video chats, these same means of connection can also cause us to feel distant from one another. One area where this is keenly seen is with regard to bullying. Bullying is one such way in which people ignore the basic needs, dignity, and humanity of others. Bullying affects both adults and children, leading to feelings of isolation, anxiety, low self-esteem, and even depression. Richardson Christian Counseling supports individuals who are struggling with the emotional effects of bullying, offering compassionate care grounded in faith and healing. When it comes to children, bullying most often happens at school, but it also can take place online as well. Those who are more at risk of being bullied are: People who are considered weak or unable to defend themselves Those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and two-spirit People who are perceived as being different based on their weight, what they wear, or their social status Those who have a physical, mental, or intellectual disability Bullying Prevention by Understanding Bullying To develop effective strategies to prevent bullying, we must understand the nature of bullying. According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), bullying is characterized by the following: Intentional It is unwanted, aggressive behavior that is intended to cause emotional or physical harm. Repeated Unwanted behavior is repeated multiple times or has the likelihood of being repeated many times. Power imbalance Bullying involves an imbalance of power between the target and perpetrator(s) based on a person’s weight, real or perceived race, color, national origin, religion or religious practices, disability ethnic group, sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance, sex, or other distinguishing characteristics. [...]

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How to Identify Codependent Behavior in a Relationship

How to Identify Codependent Behavior in a Relationship

Kate Motaung2025-04-25T05:57:51+00:00March 6th, 2025|Codependency, Couples Counseling, Featured, Infidelity and Affairs, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues|

When it comes to relationships, there are many different ways and reasons it can be unhealthy and struggling to flourish. One of those ways is through codependent behavior. Codependency Briefly Explained The term codependency describes a relationship in which the people involved are over-reliant on one another. This over-reliance may be mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical, and it often leads to a person entering and remaining in destructive, one-sided, or abusive relationships. Codependent relationships can be found in all kinds of relationships, such as the parent-child relationship, between siblings, coworkers, or lovers. Often, codependent behavior is learned as a person watches and then goes on to imitate the behavior they see displayed in unhealthy relationships. That’s one reason there can be patterns of codependent behavior in families. A codependent person will often feel, for one reason or another, that it is their role to ‘save’ another person and to meet their needs, even if it is at the expense of their own needs and well-being. Richardson Christian Counseling offers support for individuals struggling with codependency, helping them break unhealthy patterns and develop balanced, healthy relationships. In a codependent relationship dynamic, there is a severe imbalance in meeting one another’s needs. The person who gives of themselves to meet the needs of another can lose their sense of who they are by defining themselves by the needs of the other person. Codependency often results from taking on too much responsibility for another person’s needs, and it goes beyond a healthy mutual dependence. Some Signs of Codependent Behavior in Relationships A codependent relationship is unhealthy at the root because it wraps one’s sense of self in meeting someone else’s needs. It also enables the other person to not resolve issues for themselves. It’s natural to want to move toward your loved [...]

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7 Pieces of Relationship Advice for Women

7 Pieces of Relationship Advice for Women

Melissa Plantz2025-04-25T06:40:30+00:00February 28th, 2025|Featured, Relationship Issues, Women’s Issues|

Entering a relationship is exciting and a little scary. Are you moving too fast? Is it too early to share with him certain private matters? Is he treating you right? We can rush in if we feel lonely or have recently divorced. A list of relationship advice for women exists to assist us in making the right choices while keeping our priorities and values front and center. Think of it as a checklist detailing what you want in a healthy relationship and from a man who will add to your life. Relationship Advice for Women You can take these suggestions as standard relationship advice for women who want a partner who will make them better without losing their sense of self. Often, we connect with a man on a surface level, worrying about what he thinks about us or if we are rushing the relationship’s growth. If you have past failed relationships, this may scare you even more. Am I pushing him away if I am myself? Should I pretend to be the person he would want to date and marry? Being anyone other than yourself is futile – no one can hide who they are for long. And why would you? God created you with the personality and appearance unique to you. This does not mean that you should not try to be a better version of yourself by learning new skills and taking care of your health and body. Instead, it means being vulnerable and allowing your true self to shine. If someone cannot accept you for the person God created you to be, that man is probably not the one for you. Move on, Richardson Christian Counseling helps individuals embrace their authentic selves, offering support in building self-acceptance and navigating healthy relationships. Know Your Worth As [...]

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