Relationships and Communication

Sometimes students struggle with beliefs they have formed about how, when and with whom they should form a romantic relationship. Many students feel the need or urge to act on impressions they have formed from popular media and friends about relationships, and many times this leads to frustration and disappointment. So, we all may need…

Students are quite adept at the practice of cyber-relationships. Email, Snapchat, texting, gaming, Facebook, Twitter and other media have become popular communication methods for students, even replacing face-to-face contact for some. While such methods are appealing due to ease of use and apparent anonymity, students are often not aware of the potential problems that can…

College students have many opportunities to meet new friends and develop enriching relationships. Such relationships can make the difference between a positive and negative college experience. It is important to know the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and to know how to make choices to preserve the former and improve the latter. While no…

“Growing up” for some can be a painful experience, especially if their family background was unstable. In healthy families, members contribute to the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of each other, creating an environment that helps children feel worthwhile and valuable. In a dysfunctional family one or more family members experience unmanageable stress, which…

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is an aspect of two of eight “intelligences” that are now believed to exist. For many years academic or analytical intelligence, that which is measured by many “intelligence tests,” was seen as the only or best kind of intelligence. Psychologists now believe there are several forms of intelligence, including musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical,…

Assertiveness refers to the ability to directly and confidently express one’s thoughts and feelings to others. It is not aggressiveness; assertive people can express themselves without violating the rights of others and yet get their needs met at the same time. Assertiveness is a crucial life skill. Attaining goals, managing stress, having rewarding relationships and…