Many people are familiar with the idea of “love languages.” This is something that Gary Chapman wrote about in his book The Five Love Languages, and it’s something that many …
The Ellie Blog
Relationships tips and insights
Unraveling Enmeshment: Understanding Healthy Boundaries in Family Relationships
Remember that last family gathering? Or are you secretly trying to forget it? If the latter is true, we get you. Our families have the power to make us laugh, cry, and then some. …
What A Christmas Carol Teaches Us About Ourselves this Holiday Season
As I settled down to watch “The Muppet Christmas Carol” with my seven-year-old kiddo earlier this month, I found myself falling into my often tread path of wondering how I can tie …
Building Strong and Lasting Relationships: Top 10 Relationship Books
Everyone knows that relationships can be tough at times. There are plenty of self-help books out there that promise to improve communication or decrease conflict, but how do you …
How To Build a Healthy Relationship: Nurturing Communication, Connection, and Mental Well-being
Let’s be real. Romantic relationships aren’t like those picture-perfect scenes from a rom-com (unless your life somehow involves unexpected rain showers and airport chase scenes). …
Conversion Therapy: Why It’s Harmful and Why Banning It Matters
According to a recent study by the Williams Institute at UCLA, approximately 698,000 adults in the US have received conversion therapy, and about 350,000 of them were adolescents …
How to Validate Someone’s Feelings and Become a Better Listener
Someone tells you they are struggling. Maybe they’re stressed about their tumultuous relationship, or maybe they’re in a funk and feeling like they’re completely worthless. How do …
Setting Boundaries in Relationships: When, Why, and How
When is setting boundaries in your relationship necessary? Why are they so important? And how do you set and maintain healthy boundaries? If you’re new to setting boundaries, …
How To Cope With Loneliness and Rejection in Relationships
Rejection can hurt – whether you were rejected by your crush, a friend, or a romantic partner. When you’ve been rejected, it’s easy to look at yourself as the problem and think …
How To Deal With Divorce: 10 Helpful Books
Divorce is one of the hardest and most painful events a person can experience in their lifetime. Add kids into the mix, and divorce can feel impossibly difficult to navigate in a …
Divorce and the Five Stages of Grief
Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Most of us recognize these as the 5 Stages of Grief, introduced into the cultural zeitgeist by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969. …
How To Identify Gaslighting: 10 Phrases To Listen For
Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt like you were constantly second-guessing yourself? Or perhaps your version of events never lines up with your partner’s? If so, …