Emotional Health | Romance Is Everything. Rediscover The Joy Of Playtime https://intimatetickles.com Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:24:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://intimatetickles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/cropped-nn-headshot-in-square-32x32.png Emotional Health | Romance Is Everything. Rediscover The Joy Of Playtime https://intimatetickles.com 32 32 Why Your Family of Origin Still Controls Your Emotions (and What to Do About It) https://intimatetickles.com/why-your-family-of-origin-still-controls-your-emotions-and-what-to-do-about-it Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:24:43 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/why-your-family-of-origin-still-controls-your-emotions-and-what-to-do-about-it It’s a common assumption that once we move out, build a career, or start our own families, we have finally “grown up” and left the past behind. Yet, for many, an unexpected comment from a partner or a specific tone of voice from a friend or co-worker can instantly transport them back to the feeling of being a vulnerable child. The family of origin impact is like an invisible “emotional GPS” that…

Source

]]> Why AI is Not a Replacement for Therapy https://intimatetickles.com/why-ai-is-not-a-replacement-for-therapy Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:47:04 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/why-ai-is-not-a-replacement-for-therapy As a practicing individual and couples therapist, I am observing along with the world, the way AI is rapidly changing how we live, work, and even support our mental health. With accessible chatbots, it’s never been easier to ask questions or get feedback on anything within seconds. But when it comes to deep emotional healing, there’s an important question we need to ask ourselves: While AI can…

Source

]]> How to Work on Yourself for Lasting Change https://intimatetickles.com/how-to-work-on-yourself-for-lasting-change Wed, 02 Apr 2025 06:26:56 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/how-to-work-on-yourself-for-lasting-change The pursuit of self-improvement is a process that can unfold over your lifetime, a journey of uncovering your authentic self and building a life of meaning and fulfillment. Learning how to work on yourself is not a destination, but a continuous process that profoundly impacts your emotional health, quality of life, and your potential for genuine happiness . It’s about tending to your inner world…

Source

]]> Middle-Aged Women: Thriving Through Emotional and Relationship Transitions https://intimatetickles.com/middle-aged-women-thriving-through-emotional-and-relationship-transitions Sat, 10 Aug 2024 10:10:09 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/middle-aged-women-thriving-through-emotional-and-relationship-transitions Middle age, often defined as the years between 40 and 65, is a time of significant transition for many women. It’s a period marked by physical, emotional, and social changes, which can ripple through all aspects of life, particularly emotional health and relationships . I am a middle-aged women (funny that it is still hard to say that aloud), and I can fully attest to the surge of introspection…

Source

]]> Happy 2024, I Have a Few Things for You https://intimatetickles.com/happy-2024-i-have-a-few-things-for-you Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:46:34 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/happy-2024-i-have-a-few-things-for-you 2023 was quite a year. To say there have been some challenges is an understatement but my hope for you is that you are finding some inspiration and optimism for the New Year. There were highs, lows and transitions for many. LoveAndlLifeToolbox.com was about experimentation and change in 2023. The site has gone through a number of shifts in the over 10 years of its existence. I continue to be…

Source

]]> Happy New Year! The Best of Emotional Health and Relationships 2022 https://intimatetickles.com/happy-new-year-the-best-of-emotional-health-and-relationships-2022 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 00:04:01 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/happy-new-year-the-best-of-emotional-health-and-relationships-2022 As we say farewell to 2022 and glide into 2023, my hope is that no matter what is going on around you and in the world, you remember that you and your relationships are your best resources for resilience, joy, peace and calm in this life. Whether you have been following me and this site from the beginning (2014) or have recently discovered “The Toolbox,” I am grateful for your interest and hope…

Source

]]> Goodbye 2020: Best of LoveAndLifeToolbox.com to Get You Through the Pandemic https://intimatetickles.com/goodbye-2020-best-of-loveandlifetoolbox-com-to-get-you-through-the-pandemic-2 Fri, 04 Nov 2022 09:47:28 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/goodbye-2020-best-of-loveandlifetoolbox-com-to-get-you-through-the-pandemic-2 With the collective challenges of 2020, my annual “Best of Emotional and Relationship Health” featured post to ring in the New Year is a little different. Typically I share my most popular content of the past year only but this time I have cast the net widely over the vast library of LoveAndLifeToolbox.com to find what I believe to be the most relevant and helpful emotional health and…

Source

]]> Goodbye 2020: Best of LoveAndLifeToolbox.com to Get You Through the Pandemic https://intimatetickles.com/goodbye-2020-best-of-loveandlifetoolbox-com-to-get-you-through-the-pandemic Tue, 29 Dec 2020 13:17:17 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/goodbye-2020-best-of-loveandlifetoolbox-com-to-get-you-through-the-pandemic With the collective challenges of 2020, my annual “Best of Emotional and Relationship Health” featured post to ring in the New Year is a little different. Typically I share my most popular content of the past year only but this time I have cast the net widely over the vast library of LoveAndLifeToolbox.com to find what I believe to be the most relevant and helpful emotional health and…

Source

]]> How Will You Be Different? https://intimatetickles.com/how-will-you-be-different Mon, 13 Apr 2020 11:17:42 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/how-will-you-be-different As the weeks cascade into months of avoidance of our human kind to save lives, new norms are settling in. How strange to think that not so long ago seeing people with their faces covered by masks in the grocery store would be markedly odd yet now it’s expected and nobody gives pause. Teachers, kids and parents thrashed their way through figuring out online schooling. Those who were able to…

Source

]]> #TheToolbox Best of Emotional Health and Relationships 2019 https://intimatetickles.com/thetoolbox-best-of-emotional-health-and-relationships-2019 Fri, 03 Jan 2020 15:16:14 +0000 https://intimatetickles.com/thetoolbox-best-of-emotional-health-and-relationships-2019 As we sail into 2020, it’s not to late to reflect a bit on what has passed. As I do every year, here are the “best of” in emotional health and relationships, the most viewed content in LoveAndLifeToolbox.com for the prior year. Friendship, Relationship Happiness Predictor, Relationship with a Busy Partner How to Be a Better Friend by Lisa Brookes Kift, MFT The Single Biggest…

Source

]]>