Tag: marriage therapist

Gift Ideas if Your Partner’s Love Language is Gift Giving

If your partner’s love language is gift giving and you’re trying to figure out a gift to actually give them, you can begin asking yourself if this is going to be a fun gift or a helpful one. Gifts don’t have to be expensive in order to be meaningful. Just pick something that shows your partner that you know and appreciate who they are.

Essentially, gift giving is anything that says…

  • “I was thinking of you..”
  • “I remember you like this..”
  • “I saw this and thought of you..”
  • “I knew you’d love this”

Here are some ideas to consider:

Gifts that reflect their hobbies. Support your partner’s interests with a unique gift related to their favorite hobby. Give a camera accessory for the photography enthusiast, a vinyl record player for the music lover, a set of gardening tools for the green thumb, or a new kitchen gadget for the cook. This gesture expresses support for your partner’s happiness.

Gifts personalized just for them. Personalized gifts show your partner you pay attention to the things they specifically love. Surprise them with a customized gift basket filled with their favorite foods, sending a beautiful bouquet of flowers in their favorite color, an engraved necklace, matching bracelets, a charm that represents something special to you both, or a custom photo album documenting your relationship.

Self-care / healthy gifts: Pamper your partner with gifts that promote self-care and relaxation. Set up a sensory-filled bath with oils, candles and music for when they come home from work, give them a spa day voucher, new silky sheets, a luxurious robe, or a package of their favorite health supplements. This shows that you care about their well-being and want them to feel cared for.

Making an effort to consistently show your partner how much you care strengthens the bond between you.

Out of the 5 Love Languages, if your partner’s preferred love language is gift giving, it’s not just about the material object, but the thought and careful intention behind it.

If you have questions about how Imago relationship therapy can help your relationship, contact Chana Pfeifer, LCSW in Long Island.

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Relationship Therapy with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW – May 2020

Relationship Therapy with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW – May 2020 – This is an example of an Imago therapy session conducted remotely during Coronavirus. It is with a pregnant couple as they learn Imago dialogues to communicate more effectively with one another.

Thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to share this therapy session with you. This is a live Imago session and this is what it looks like in my office. For me, we start with a brief meditation so that you can be in a calm, non-reactive way.

In a relationship, it’s so important to share how you’re feeling.

Use these relationship dialogue examples to begin communicating better:

I’d like to talk to you about ___. Is now a good time?

The one thing that I appreciate about you is…

What I heard you say is that…

Did I get you? Is there more?

Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for listening.

Relationship Therapy with Chana Pfeifer LCSW - May 2020

Feel really seen and heard in your relationship.

Learn to communicate effectively and truly feel listened to and understood. Break emotional boundaries, improve intimacy, and intellectually connect to live a full, healthy, and happy life.

For more information on relationship therapy, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer, LCSW.

Couples Therapy with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW

Sometimes it can be difficult to get your spouse to talk about the issues you’re both experiencing. It’s important to remember that it might not be a matter of them not wanting to talk about things, but rather them not knowing exactly how to talk about them. This is where couples therapy with Chana Pfeifer, LCSW might come in handy!

Chana’s couples’ therapy is based on Imago Relationship Therapy, created by Harville Hendrix & Helen LaKelly Hunt.

Physical intimacy in a relationship is important for couples. Holding hands, massaging each other, cuddling during a movie, etc. keeps your bond together. It’s not just about sex. It’s about connecting physically and emotionally.

Not only can affectionate touch promote feelings of bonding and attachment in couples, but in long-term relationships, it also contributes to overall physical health and well-being.

Chana Pfeifer will help each partner make clear what he or she needs, so the partner can feel safe to give it. She assists couples in difficult times come into safety and connection. She helps partners be heard. She helps couples work through conflict and anger to create an environment of “getting my world”.

For more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com

Why Surrendering To Love Makes Relationships Work

Maya Kollman – Surrendering to Love

Is the answer to a successful relationship found in your ability to surrender to love? If it is, wow, that requires a lot of trust. Obviously we’re willing to try because we are driven to couple up, yet connecting is extremely difficult.

According to relationship guru Maya Kollman, “loving somebody, really loving somebody and surrendering to love forces us to face our deepest fears which are ‘they’ll leave me or they’ll die.’”

love adviceKollman says that love – that connection – is the key to our very survival as individuals.

She says we are really good at finding “the” partner who can fulfill us and help us actualize who we are.

Living with those same people, however, isn’t easy.

Kollman points out, “This is where a respectful and appropriate communication strategy is required” – a strategy she insists exists.

Surrendering to love is faith that the power of love can accomplish anything – even when you cannot foresee the outcome.

Instead of running from fear, instead of pushing it away or shoving it down, embrace it, and become intimate with it. Know it inside and outside.

Contact Chana Pfeifer LCSW

Counseling for Conscious Couples
Chana Pfeifer, LCSW
(516) 592-1107
TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com