An apology, meaningfully and thoughtfully given, transforms. It transforms us, empowering us to take ownership of our actions and behavior. It transforms relationships between couples, paving the way for love and intimacy. It transforms relationships between peoples, giving them the courage to take responsibility for the past and standing up for racial equality and justice. These are lessons I keep learning in the life I share with my wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky. Rainbow is an artist, fashion designer, and founder of the Artsy Goddess Studio. Together, Rainbow and I continue to hone our skills in the art of apology. We consistently learn about the truths of apologies and forgiveness, whether it’s from our daily interactions with each other or from social and human rights movements like the Black Lives Matter movement. In today’s episode, Rainbow and I discuss why apologizing is as essential in relationships as appreciating. We illustrate how upbringing and social and cultural environments can affect our attitudes toward taking responsibility and asking for forgiveness. We reveal the foundation of giving meaningful and profound apologies and underscore the role of empathy in this foundation. We also share how we apologize to each other and explain how apologizing brings connection and healing.   “A happy marriage is between people who are willing to apologize and forgive.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: The value of asking for forgiveness in today’s social climate How important and impactful apologies have been in our relationship Why we emphasize apologizing as much as appreciation in committed relationships How Rainbow used to find apologies dreadful but now sees it as an opportunity for connection Why the inability to apologize is a source of dysfunction in relationships How apologizing paves the way for understanding, intimacy, and empowerment The pillars of giving a profound and meaningful apology The importance of waiting to be ready before apologizing Why an apology shouldn’t come with defending or explaining a behavior How culture, upbringing, and social environments create negative behaviors around apologizing and taking responsibility Creating a bridge for connection by apologizing first Why learning to receive an apology is as important as giving it Sharing feelings of hurt, discomfort, or shame without disconnection and how to respond to its expression   Related Content:  The Art of Apology The Art of Appreciation The Art of Listening Maintaining Connection Through Conflict Practicing Empathy is Key to Building Trust   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com   Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, email HeartShares@yahoo.com or visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page! Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Relationships! Let's Talk About It with Pripo Teplitsky

The Importance of Apologies

It is a heavy time in America. Viruses are taking the nation by storm - and not just the ones that cause disease. I was young when the Detroit riots in 1967 broke out. Some 50 years later, we still have the same issues: African-Americans are still being oppressed and assaulted by police. Racism is a prevalent issue that all of us need to discuss and resolve. We need to step up our game in addressing the racial prejudice deeply ingrained and institutionalized in our society.   For white people, a part of that means confronting what it means to be white, a question Mana Vermeulen-McLeod is dedicated to answering. Mana is a natural builder, social activist, and life coach. Born in Holland, Mana is a generational European-American who came to the U.S. about 15 years ago. She is committed to confronting her whiteness through education and understanding profound questions about the privileges that come with being a white woman.   In this episode, which was recorded many months ago, Mana and I discuss witnessing our whiteness, white privilege, and how we should tackle racism as white people. We describe how racism is institutionalized in our society and share our experiences with racism and diversity. We underscore the need to teach children about racial prejudice and explain how racism is not going to die on its own. We also discuss how books can help us learn more about racism and prejudice and highlight how we can support each other in unlearning racism.   “We need to think of that deep healing: how are we going to own what our forefathers did? That’s a huge piece nobody wants to do.” - Mana Vermeulen-McLeod   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:  The Racism 101 class that sparked Mana’s interest in issues about race relations Looking at racism from the perspective of what it means to be white Our experiences growing up with racism and diversity How we all live in a racist society and the institutionalization of racism How white people can tackle racial prejudice by looking into themselves Book recommendations on unlearning racism and prejudice How books can help us learn about racism and white privilege Mana’s experiences growing up in a segregated environment What colorism or shadism is and a controversial Dutch cultural heritage Why we need to talk to children about racism Why we need to step up our game when it comes to racism and diversity Looking at history and ancestry to address racial prejudice Supporting each other in unlearning internalized racism     Related Content:  Women Working in Male-Dominated Workplaces Understanding Racism: Relationships are at the Heart of This Work   Resources Mentioned:  Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Racism and How to Do It by Shelly Tochluk White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo White Awake Me and White Supremacy Workbook by Layla Saad   Connect with Mana Vermeulen-McLeod: Earthaven Ecovillage The Work that Reconnects Southeast Wise Women’s Herbal Conference Culture’s Edge Mana Vermeulen-McLeod on Facebook   Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page! Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Exploring Our Racial Biases

In cultivating a loving relationship, practicing self-care as individuals is as essential as co-creating the relationship itself as a couple. The journey to our inner individual worlds helps us maintain a healthy sense of self that will spring the wellbeing we can bring to our relationship. My wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, is a self-care inspiration. She is a fashion designer, artist, and the founder and owner of the Artsy Goddess Studio. As a creative, Rainbow’s artistry not only manifests in the up-cycled garments and tapestries that she creates but also in how she practices self-care and maintaining a connection with herself. In today’s episode, Rainbow and I discuss the role of practicing self-care as individuals in a relationship. We share how our parents practiced self-care while we were growing up and how we, as parents ourselves, maintained our self-care activities while raising a young child. We explain how we prioritize and make time for self-care activities, especially during the pandemic. We also discuss the impact of practicing self-care, both as individuals and couples, and underscore how staying connected to ourselves helps bring more balance in a relationship.   “We need to stay the individuals that we are while we merge into the relationship that we co-create.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: How we learned about self-care, alone time, and communication at the Esalen Institute Why we should communicate our need for alone time and self-care practice How self-care brings back self-worth, self-love, and self-esteem Self-care through creativity and artistry The importance of prioritizing and making time for self-care Rainbow’s self-care activities during the pandemic and how free-flow writing lifted her spirits Self-care for parents raising young children and why maintaining a spotless house takes a lower place in Rainbow’s priority list The role of parents in teaching children about self-care Maintaining connections and spending time with friends as a form of self-care How prioritizing self-care and self-soothing help bring our best selves in our relationships Challenges and unrealistic expectations in self-care and why it’s not selfish The power of supporting and encouraging self-care in a relationship   Related Content: Time Apart vs. Time Together: What’s Healthy? Encourage Your Partner’s Authenticity Emotional Regulation   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com   Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, email HeartShares@yahoo.com or visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Practicing Self Care In Your Relationships

When your partner asks you about what you’re feeling, what’s your typical response? Do you attempt to change the subject or joke around? Freeze for a while? Or maybe start blaming your partner? Everyone can find it challenging to open up their inner world of emotions - but a lot of men find it particularly difficult to do. It’s understandable why the topic of emotions and feelings can be puzzling for men. Yet, emotional honesty is a crucial aspect of cultivating intimacy, connection, and trust in a relationship; it’s an essential tool that everybody needs to develop to become relational heroes.   In today’s episode, I discuss the difficulty men experience when they share their emotional world in their relationships. I reveal the significance of emotional honesty in cultivating connection and intimacy in relationships. I explain why men avoid the topic of emotions and opening up to their partners and explain how a person should respond when someone shares their feelings, despite the difficulty of expressing them. I also highlight the importance of cultivating emotional truth within our friendships and share a story about a friend who honestly shared their feelings and emotions.    “This path of emotional honesty is the way of the relational hero.” - Pripo Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:  What it means to be emotionally honest How and why men avoid expressing their feelings and emotions The relational dread and fear that men feel when they’re asked to open up their feelings The vulnerability that comes with being emotionally truthful and how shame prevents us from sharing our emotions with our partners Responding and validating our partners when they attempt to share their feelings despite their difficulty in expressing emotions How our childhood upbringing influences how we express, contain, or avoid our emotions Speaking our emotional truth without anger, blame, or judgment The difference between emotional honesty, behavioral honesty, and outbursts of anger Developing your distress tolerance to cultivate emotional honesty The impact of emotional honesty on intimacy The importance of practicing emotional honesty within friendships    Related Content:  Difficult Conversations Building Trust in Relationships Stonewalling: the Silent Treatment that Blocks Communication Emotional Availability in Relationships     Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page! Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Men And Emotional Honesty

If there’s another big contagion going around, it’s blame. Its infectious nature is so profound that it goes back and forth between a couple, trapping them in a cycle of criticism, pain, and disempowerment. No one wins in a relationship that plays the blame game - it has no positive impact on any of the parties involved. It’s sometimes difficult for people to see themselves tethered with the chains of blame, but to be able to co-create a relationship, one must rise to the challenge of letting go of blame and criticism. In this episode, I discuss how blame erodes a relationship’s creative potential and how to overcome it. I illustrate blame and criticism’s addictive nature and describe the physiological stimuli we feel when we attack or blame another person. I discuss how chronic blaming could destroy your partner’s self-esteem and self-worth and how it could set you up for an unhealthy relationship in the future. I also share how we learn to blame another person through our parents as well as highlight how we can foster an environment where our children can learn responsibility instead of criticism.    “Blame is an endless loop. The antidote is curiosity, connection, appreciation, and responsibility.” - Pripo Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: What blame is, how it fuels anger, and how it’s based on a relationship’s inequality Blame as a defense mechanism to avoid responsibility How blame hurts our partners and erodes the relationship The addictive nature of blaming and criticism How chronic blaming can be a form of emotional abuse and lead to low self-esteem The vicious cycle of blame How we learned to blame other people and how we can teach our children to be more responsible The importance of learning the difference between blame and responsibility How taking responsibility impacts our relationships The role of honesty in taking responsibility   Related Content: The Art of Apology Taking Responsibility In Your Relationship Curiosity Can Improve Your Relationships Pandemic Series: Intentions: Setting The Tone Of Your Relationships     Let’s Talk About It!   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.   If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, email HeartShares@yahoo.com or visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode!   Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships.   And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Stop Playing The Blame Game: Take Responsibility In Your Relationships

Many people are well-acquainted with the power of intention to manifest their projects, their desires, even their businesses. But intent could be also be taken into our relationships and used to transform us into better individuals, partners, and human beings. At the beginning of our relationship, my wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, and I set the tone of our life together by creating our foundations through intent. Rainbow is the founder and owner of the Artsy Goddess Studio. A brilliant artist born and raised in Denmark, Rainbow brings creativity not only in her work but also in our relationship, where she cultivates ‘intentional coziness’. In this episode, Rainbow and I share stories of how we met, how we built the foundation of our relationship through intention, and the role of improv in our life as a couple. We discuss how we continue to create intent in our relationship, especially while we spend our time in quarantine. We illustrate how conscious intent impacts our everyday interactions and help us become the people we want to be. We also share how you can use visualization to create and manifest intent into your life as well as describe how your intentions program the brain.   “Intention brings up how we want to co-create our relationship together.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: How we consciously set intentions in light of the pandemic Using visualization as a tool to set an intention How setting an intention built the foundation of our relationship Transforming intent into how we want to behave in our relationships and respond to conflict Bringing improv into our life and relationship Resetting the tone of your relationship through evaluating its foundations How Rainbow used intention-setting before we became a couple The neuroscience of setting intentions and how it helps us become the partners we want to be The benefits of communicating intent with your partner Co-creating intent in a couple’s sexual life Rainbow’s intention-setting routine The difference between setting intentions and goal-setting   Related Content: Maintaining Connection Through Conflict The Need for Patience Dealing with Grumpiness, Irritability, and Defensiveness Practicing Empathy is Key to Building Trust Navigating Your Relationships   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com   Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, email HeartShares@yahoo.com or visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page! Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Intentions: Setting The Tone Of Your Relationships: Relationships in a Pandemic

Conflict is a truth for every couple. Every relationship has its fair share of arguments from time to time. While the threat of COVID-19 persists around the world, couples are spending more time in close proximity while quarantined together and find themselves in more bouts of conflict. In fact, my wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, and I recently had a special conflict situation. Rainbow is an artist and fashion designer. She is the founder and owner of the Artsy Goddess Studio, where she facilitates voice-empowering workshops and Wisdom Women’s Tents.   Today, Rainbow and I share a recent conflict we had, how we stayed connected through it, and what insights we realized during that time. We explain how the lack of alone time can fuel impatience and highlight the importance of repair and reset after a conflict. We also describe how our practice of deliberate appreciation, acknowledgment, and validation has empowered our relationship over the years, allowing us to stay connected through conflict.   “Don’t get your emotions involved in the unloading. Just be there and witness.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky     This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: The fixer and the listener, and how we sometimes just want to be witnessed How not getting our regular doses of alone time has affected us Understanding the importance of repairing a relationship after conflict How making agreements can support a relationship’s repair Responding the right way when a person is venting, and why you shouldn’t make it about yourself Our process of getting back to understanding, acknowledgment, and validation How practicing HeartShare appreciation has fueled our relationship’s foundation The power of setting intent How we’re nurturing ourselves during the COVID-19 pandemic   Related Content: The Need for Patience Dealing with Grumpiness, Irritability, and Defensiveness Practicing Empathy is Key to Building Trust Navigating Your Relationships The Goal of Healthy Conflict     Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com     Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, email HeartShares@yahoo.com or visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Maintaining Connection Through Conflict: Relationships in a Pandemic

In many ways, a relationship is like a garden: you need to make a deliberate effort to care for the soil so that plants can have a strong foundation. Whether it’s igniting a spark in the relationship or handling conflicts better, the quarantine presents us with opportunities to connect with our loved ones and understand them more profoundly. It’s our relationships that will get us through this time where the world is filled with anxiety and distress, and it’s become critical now more than ever that we cultivate our relationships. In this episode, I answer questions from two listeners regarding how we can deeply connect with our partners and the different ways we process disagreements. I discuss the need for vulnerability in relationships as well as share questions you can ask your partners to foster a connection with them. I suggest ways for a couple to manage their differences when it comes to conflict resolution and discuss things to avoid while arguing. I also discuss how arguments are more about managing them - as opposed to solving them - and how successfully managing differences in the ways we handle conflict can create more respect for each other.   “Go underneath the surface. That’s the soil where your relationship is going to flourish.” - Pripo Teplitsky    This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: What you can do to create a spark in your relationship How deeper questions can build deeper connections Questions to ask your partner to understand them on a deeper level Different ways to ask deep questions The need for vulnerability in relationships How to manage differences in the way we process disagreements The different styles of dealing with conflict and fair fighting Making agreements as a means to handle relationship conflict Blaming, lashing out, degrading language, and other things to avoid during an argument     Listener Questions - Let’s Talk About It: What can we do to feel more connected in our relationship? How can we manage our differences in processing disagreements?     Resources Mentioned: Facebook Live with Joan Lunden     Related Content: The Need for Patience Dealing with Grumpiness, Irritability, and Defensiveness Practicing Empathy is Key to Building Trust Navigating Your Relationships The Art of Listening Understand and Manage Differences in Your Relationships Managing Conflict in Partnerships     Let’s Talk About It!   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Listener Q & A: Different Processing Styles & Connecting More Deeply

Patience is one of the pillars of our everyday lives that must be cultivated. At a time where uncertainty about our future plagues the air, we can feel an anxiety that could drain our patience. We may feel irascible and get frustrated easily, even with people whom we love. Recently, my wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, and I had a bout of impatience with each other and worked through it. After all, we need patience now more than ever, as it will foster the love that will see us through this crisis. Yvonne is the founder and owner of the Artsy Goddess Studio, where she facilitates workshops and day-long retreats. In today’s episode, Rainbow and I discuss the need for patience amid the COVID-19 crisis. We illustrate how the pandemic is making people lose their patience and describe how impatience can affect our relationships. We share our recent experiences with impatience in our relationship and how we dealt with it. We also explain how insecurity can cause impatience as well as describe the steps you can take to cultivate patience for yourself and others.   “Frustration is something we all experience - it’s not something to feel ashamed or guilty of, as long as we don’t take it out on each other.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: The difference between patience and passivity How impatience can show up in small things How we’re using eye contact to avoid impatience Practicing meditation to cultivate patience The effect of impatience on our partners and relationships The relationship between stress and impatience Why we need to be patient with ourselves and how to purposefully develop patience The addictive nature of anger and its relationship with impatience Cooking together as a shared experience The impact of parents’ impatience on their children How insecurity and a sense of inadequacy cause impatience How a lack of communication causes passive-aggressiveness How patience can inspire and heal our partners    Related Content: The Goal of Healthy Conflict Emotional Regulation Dealing with Grumpiness, Irritability, and Defensiveness Practicing Empathy is Key to Building Trust Navigating Your Relationships   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com     Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.   If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode!   Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships.   And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

The Need For Patience: Relationships in a Pandemic

COVID-19 has disrupted our normal life and confined us into the spaces of our homes. Many people have been isolated in their houses for weeks, and there is a lack of certainty in how long the quarantines will last. This confinement impacts couples, too. Being in constant, close proximity with each other can erode the novelty in their relationships and bring in grumpiness, irritability, and defensiveness. Even my wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, and I recently had our own experience with grumpiness and irritability - and made it through. Rainbow is an artist and the founder & owner of the Artsy Goddess Studio. In today’s episode, Rainbow and I share our recent experience with grumpiness and the steps we took to manage it. We illustrate why grumpiness is a contagion and discuss how a person should react when their partner is grumpy. We discuss COVID-19’s impact on our mood and emotions and describe how defensiveness can erode a relationship. We also highlight the power of humor in alleviating grumpiness as well as underscore how self-awareness and self-care can help combat irritability and defensiveness.   “Have time for reflection and kindness; be with each other and ourselves.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky     This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: Our recent experience with grumpiness and how we managed it Why grumpiness and irritability are like contagions How to react when your partner is grumpy or irritated How the pandemic can make us moody The correlation between lack of sleep and grumpiness Why you shouldn’t take another person’s bad mood personally How to influence another person’s mood through kindness and humor Giving your partner space when they’re not in a good mood The impact of self-awareness on combating irritability and defensiveness How defensiveness can erode the quality of a relationship Irritability and grumpiness as symptoms of mood disorders and body pain The effect of movies on our mood and emotions   Related Content: Understanding and Managing Differences in Your Relationships The Art of Apology The Power of Appreciation Emotional Regulation   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com     Let’s Talk About It!   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Dealing With Grumpiness, Irritability and Defensiveness: Relationships in a Pandemic

In a world disrupted by a pandemic, it may be difficult to express empathy for other people. The unknown can be scary, and we might be anxious about our own finances, health, and survival. Yet, we need empathy for each other now more than ever. How do you practice empathy, especially in a time of distress? My wife, Yvonne (Rainbow) Teplitsky—artist, founder & owner of Artsy Goddess Studio—believes that we need to have empathy for ourselves first to have the capacity to have empathy for others. Today, Yvonne and I discuss the power of cultivating empathy.  We illustrate how empathy can reduce stress and build trust in relationships and share our experiences with giving and receiving it. We define the meaning of empathy and its difference from sympathy. We explore the different ways of cultivating empathy and how parents can teach their children to be more empathetic through ways like role modeling. We also underscore the value of empathy in today’s time of crisis and uncertainty and discuss how it can foster compassion.   “We can listen, but we don’t have to fix it. It’s enough to witness, look into their eyes, and show empathy.” - Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: Cultivating empathy in our relationship A recent example of how Yvonne expressed empathy Emotional mirroring and the different ways of conveying empathy The difference between sympathy and empathy What empathy fatigue is and how you can avoid it How always trying to be right affects relationships How to teach boys to be more empathetic How literary fiction can help us be more empathetic The physical and psychological blocks that prevent us from being empathetic in relationships Social distancing and how empathy can foster compassion The role of empathy in the time of the COVID-19 crisis   Related Content: Pandemic Series: Navigating Your Relationships The Art of Apology Setting Boundaries Without Feeling Guilty Emotional Regulation   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com   Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Pandemic Series: Practicing Empathy Is Key to Building Trust

Human beings are resilient creatures. Amidst the fear, stress, and anxiety brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, people relate to each other kindly and meaningfully, from checking-in online to singing together on balconies. But social distancing and quarantines can challenge even the happiest and most stable relationships. My wife Yvonne Teplitsky—the founder & owner of Artsy Goddess Studio—and I have been spending time in quarantine together. Like many couples in quarantine around the world, we’ve had our share of ups and downs while sharing this experience. In today’s episode, Yvonne and I share our experiences with spending time together while being self-quarantined and how we’re navigating it as a couple. We discuss how we cancelled a trip to Florida in light of COVID-19 and how a quarantine can exacerbate relationship issues. We highlight the importance of communication and intentionally making space to talk about fears and anxiety about the crisis. We also discuss how appreciation can keep us grounded and connected to our partners as well as illustrate how allowing ourselves to feel joy can help us in these trying times.   “It’s like we’ve all been turned upside-down and shaken. Everything is getting reset and we’re asking: “What am I about now and how do I want to continue?’” - Yvonne Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: The importance of intentionally making space to talk about fears and anxiety over the coronavirus crisis Creating new routines, setting boundaries, and navigating alone time versus together time while in quarantine How to check-in with your partner instead of placing blame How we respond to and ease each other’s anxiety over the COVID-19 pandemic Cultivating communication skills and things to talk about with your partner while in self-quarantine How to stop bickering and relationship escalations through staying connected The power of bringing humor and joy into your relationships The relationship challenges of being in extremely close quarters Microboredom and how we can respond to boredom while in quarantine The value of physical intimacy in a time of crisis   Resources Mentioned: Understanding and Managing Differences in Your Relationships The Art of Apology The Power of Appreciation Emotional Regulation The Goal of Healthy Conflict Setting Boundaries Without Feeling Guilty   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com     Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Pandemic Series: Navigating Your Relationships

Commitment: that big ‘c’ word that causes cold feet for some people. In many ways, it’s a projection of future scenarios that a person creates in their mind. Will their partner change? Will they be able to make decisions for themselves? Will they be able to meet new people and do the things that they like? If you’re someone who constantly asks these questions before entering a relationship, you may have a fear of commitment. But whether you have this fear or not, it’s worthwhile to look inward and meditate on the meaning of commitment and your relationship with it. In today’s episode, I explore the fear of commitment, its causes, and the ways we can overcome it. I share my personal experience with the fear of commitment in my 20s and explain how that eventually led to my current relationship. I reveal how being afraid of boredom, change, and the lack of freedom can make a person not want to commit as well as underscore the importance of shared values in a relationship. I also discuss the vital role that creativity plays in relationships and how we can cultivate the courage to overcome our fear of commitment.   “When we fear commitment, we see a future where we feel trapped. We must focus on the kind of intimacy we want and envision ourselves responding to it.” - Pripo Teplitsky       This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: The meaning of commitment My experience with fear of commitment Why the fear of commitment could be about fear of losing your own freedom The role of authentic communication in a long-term relationship The importance of having shared values with your partner Why seeking perfection from a partner is not attainable The fear of boredom and creating excitement in long term relationships Being in love with an artist and how creativity can keep a relationship alive How fear of change can accompany the fear of commitment Ways to overcome the fear of rejection or approval The signs that tell you when your partner is afraid of commitment Developing fearlessness and overcoming the fear of commitment with courage   Related Content: What Do We Mean by Commitment?     Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

The Fear Of Commitment

Trish Kruger is a professional counselor and therapist currently working at Blue Ridge Treks, a community of mental health therapists in Asheville, North Carolina. She is dual-licensed as a counselor and addiction therapist trained in trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing. With a diverse background in yoga, art, and entrepreneurship, Trish values mindfulness, expressive art, and talk therapy in her practice. In this episode, Trish and I discuss the role of rituals and ceremonies in transforming relationships. We share some of our personal experiences with bringing rituals into the transition periods of our lives and how they help us honor those processes. We illustrate how we work with clients and help them create rituals for divorce, coming of age, and others. We also discuss how meaningful rituals can help us heal in times of grief and difficulty and describe rituals from the perspective of neuroscience.   “There’s so much ritual hidden in our culture. If we can consciously bring ritual in times of transition, it can help people start the next phase in an opened, renewed way.” - Trish Kruger   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: How rituals can give us a sense of purpose The loss of rituals and ceremonies in our culture Why my wife and I decided to perform our own marriage ceremony How a divorce ritual helped Trish and her former husband transition into friendship The shame that comes with divorce and how rituals can help heal it Rituals and ceremony from the perspective of neuroscience How rituals can create new neural pathways The different ways men and women relate to rituals The importance of intent and personal meaning when creating rituals The medicine wheel and the different transition periods during the day Why our culture needs transformational rituals for men How rituals can empower us in times of grief   Resources Mentioned: The Power and Effect of Words Letting Go of Family Relationships: Whether Toxic or Not    Connect with Trish Kruger: Blue Ridge Treks Blue Ridge Treks on Twitter Blue Ridge Treks on Facebook Blue Ridge Treks on LinkedIn Trish Kruger on Facebook     Let’s Talk About It! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review. If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode! Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships. And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page! Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

The Importance of Rituals For Relationship Transformation

Families are complicated. As much as we want to always be there and support our loved ones, sometimes our relationships could be toxic. It’s difficult to draw a boundary between you and a relative, but how do you know it’s time to cut off ties with a family member? Or how do you know when to maintain the relationship? My wife, Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky, the founder & owner of Artsy Goddess Studio, has her own experiences of challenging family relationships where issues and misunderstandings have stacked on one another. In this episode, Rainbow and I answer a listener’s question about drawing boundaries with an important family member and explain why it’s important to not force conflict resolution and instead opt for cultivating space. We share our experiences and vulnerabilities with family issues and cutting-off friends and relatives. We describe how toxic behavior in the family affected us as children. We reveal the common characteristics that define toxic behavior such as manipulation and lying, as well as illustrate how guilt can prevent us from letting go of toxic people. We also discuss the importance of looking inwards when considering challenging relationships and cutting ties with family.   “Cutting ties with family members is one of the hardest decisions that we may ever face in life.” - Pripo Teplitsky   This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It: The difference between toxic relationships and family dramas Rainbow’s experiences growing up with family issues The effect of family conflict on children The inevitability of conflict and the best time to learn about conflict resolution skills Why it can be challenging to cut ties with family members The power of creating connections with an estranged family member What makes a relationship one-sided My experience with a toxic family member Why you should consider creating space instead of severing relationships How we are met with resistance when we force conflict resolution Manipulation, deceit, victim-playing, and other aspects of toxic behavior Why toxic people attach to loving and kind ones How guilt prevents us from cutting ties with family members How family loyalty can create toxic relationships Why friendships can be difficult to end   Listener Questions - Let’s Talk About It: At what point do you let go of relationships that may no longer feel fulfilling, even if it means hurting other family members?   Related Content: Dealing With Family Dramas: Standing Up For Yourself Courage In Relationships Taking Responsibility In Your Relationships Managing Conflict In Relationships Encourage Your Partner’s Authenticity Encourage Your Partner’s “Deeper” Authenticity Time Apart vs. Time Together: What’s Healthy?   Connect with Yvonne Rainbow Teplitsky: Artsy Goddess Studio Yvonne on LinkedIn Yvonne on Facebook Email: rainbowmoonsky@aol.com   Let’s Talk About It!   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.   If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode!   Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook at HeartShare Counseling, join our Relationships! Let’s Talk About It Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share your favorite episodes on social media to help others build better, more meaningful relationships.   And if our content has helped you forge deeper connections and more meaningful relationships, be sure to help support the show by visiting our Support the Podcast page!   Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk

Letting Go of Family Relationships: Whether Toxic Or Not

Exploring and discussing a variety of relationship topics and issues for people in all kinds of relationships; including partnerships, family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, roommates and more.

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Relationships! Let's Talk About It with Pripo Teplitsky

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