all relationships have good days and bad days, but just because you two may not agree on something, or life doesn’t go the way you want it to, does not mean it needs to turn into a huge fight. if your partner is so angry and upset that they start screaming at you for something that has absolutely nothing to do with you, simply walk out the door and go somewhere for 10-20 minutes. punching bags are actually pretty hard …

wondering how to know if a man has anger issues? if so, it might be time to delve deeper and look for signs he has a temper. you not knowing how he is going to react to a situation, no matter how routine, is among the most telling indicators that your spouse or boyfriend has anger issues. you decide to watch a movie together, he complains about it and blames you for choosing it. so then, how do you tell …

it is unwise to get angry in response to a partner’s anger; better to let the other person be angry and recognize they will eventually calm down. the key to validation is being present and genuinely attempting to understand. when both of you are calm and collected, address the issue that led to your partner’s angry behavior. i always feel like this is all about her wanting to be in control of the situation, not allowing me to be free …

i don’t want him to leave; he’s the most supportive and loving person in my life. as a guy, i can say that i bet a lot of your boyfriend’s patience is due to your genuine self-reflection. if you can get just a tiny bit better at predicting when something is going to set you off, it can make it a bit easier to recognize how you’re feeling in the moment. if these outbursts happen in a flash — maybe …

in the blog “why you keep winding up in the same relationship,” i discussed how and why we form defenses that make it difficult to get close. conversely, when we interrupt this tendency to build a case, we can focus on ourselves and act in ways that truly represent who we are and how we feel. we can draw them out and really listen to what the experience was like for our partner. we can do this by knowing ourselves …