September 12, 2014 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
I am leading a new men’s group, attended mostly by men who I have been seeing with their wives in couple’s therapy. Beginning each group with a centering mediation, today I began to focus on the area of embracing our true masculinity. I asked the men to get in touch with who they are as […]
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Marriage Counseling – San Luis Obispo, CA
How Emotionally Focused Therapy Can Save and Transform Your Marriage
February 29, 2016 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
I will never forget the day I sat wide and teary-eyed in my Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) externship. I watched as Sue Johnson, co-founder of EFT, worked live with a couple, exposing us to the EFT process. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. None of my previous therapy training had prepared me […]
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Tandem Marriage: Being Your Best Self With The Person You Love
January 22, 2016 / by Paula / Relational Excellence Articles, Tandem Marriage
What is Tandem Marriage? Merriam Webster defines “tandem” as: a group of two people or things that work together; in partnership or in conjunction. If you have read through some of our previous Tandem Marriage blog posts, you’ll know that Michael and I ride a tandem racing bike, a bicycle-built-for-two. We have covered a bunch […]
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Love, Respect and Love Languages Did Not Save My Life!
December 16, 2014 / by Paula / Relational Excellence Articles, Tandem Marriage
Admittedly I am envious of the fame and fortune of popular Christian books suggesting a better marriage in 5, 7 or 10 steps. Love languages, respect and his and her needs are all pieces of making great marriage. But so much popular love advice today misses the love language of emotional connection. On a […]
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Pulling Your Own Weight: Is Your Marital Partnership Equitable?
December 8, 2014 / by Paula / Relational Excellence Articles, Tandem Marriage
It’s been two and a half years since saying goodbye to my healthy monthly paycheck and joining my husband in full time partnership. On occasion I still wonder if my accomplishments or contributions to our partnership are earning my keep. Am I doing my fair share in furthering our mission and vision? Though I have […]
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Emotional Attunement is Essential for Marriage and Personal Health
September 30, 2014 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
What is Emotional Attunement? Emotional attunement is being tuned in to the emotions of others. From the time we are born we need at least one trusted person to help us make sense of our internal and external world. Infants who bond with their mothers look to them for first-line help to navigate physical reality. […]
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What is True Masculinity?
September 12, 2014 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
I am leading a new men’s group, attended mostly by men who I have been seeing with their wives in couple’s therapy. Beginning each group with a centering mediation, today I began to focus on the area of embracing our true masculinity. I asked the men to get in touch with who they are as […]
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10 Resolutions Worth Keeping
December 31, 2013 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
Have you ever wondered why less than 17% of Americans are able to live into their new years resolutions? Can you guess what the top three resolutions are that Americans make? 1. Loosing weight. 2. Getting organized. 3. Spending less and saving more. What if our resolutions truly lined up with our core values and […]
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What Makes the Holidays Happy?
December 24, 2013 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
So many of us idealize the season of Christmas. Neuroscience has taught us that we are created for connection and that our brains crave hugs and warm emotional affirmations. This does indeed bring us happiness and a sense of well being. No matter how old we are we cannot help but wish for the magic […]
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Inhaling Capacity to Connect: Oxytocin, Brain and Behavior
December 20, 2013 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
New research has found a that inhaling oxytocin decreased decision making time about non-verbal social information in autism spectrum disorder patients (ASD). Oxytocin, known as the cuddle hormone, exists in higher levels in mothers with newborn children and in couples who are connected and sexually active. It is believed to be the hormone that is […]
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Building Emotional Muscle
November 4, 2013 / by Michael Wayne Regier Ph.D. / Relational Excellence Articles
When I returned to the gym two years ago it had been 30 years since I had lifted weights. Since I would never again play college football I didn’t see the point. But at age 56 when I began falling over when trying to put on my underwear I knew I needed to get with […]
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