Saturday, November 23, 2019

11 Relationship Red Flags/ Warning Signs of Trouble Ahead

https://www.kevonowen.com
young couple having relationship troubles

Hold on a second, you think. I feel like this guy is acting inappropriately. But is it all in my head? I’m sure it is. He’s so wonderful and charming, this must just be me overthinking things!
If you’re worried that your new partner is acting strangely, improperly or aggressively, it’s important to not ignore these feelings. Our intuition for toxic partners tends to be spot on, and it’s critical to get out of an unhealthy relationship early.
People are often in denial when they think they’re seeing red flags in a relationship. “Many of my clients and people that I come in contact with actually see the early warning signs but tend to ignore them because of the narrative in their own head,” said Joe Martino, LPC, a relationship therapist based in Grand Rapids, Mich., and author of The Emotionally Secure Couple.
Make sure you’re aware of the early warning signs of a toxic partner by being on the lookout for these 11 red flags in a relationship.
If you are in a relationship and have reason to believe you may need to speak with someone about your situation please read the linked article. Kevon Owen Christian Counseling Clinical Psychotherapist is a featured contributing author in this article. To speak with Kevon about your individual therapy needs you can call him at 405-740-1249 or you can visit his website at https://www.kevonowen.com.



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Friday, November 15, 2019

8 tips for getting good at small talk/ Ask questions, avoid sensitive topics, and more

psychology okc

• Small talk can exacerbate social anxiety or simply make us feel uncomfortable; however, doing it well can aid success in our personal and professional lives.
• Get good at small talk by first asking questions; have a few generic questions handy to ask new friends or colleagues and tune in to their responses.
• Also consider joining a group that you’re interested in, like a fitness group, sports club, or something else that brings like-minded people together; this will make conversation easy and enjoyable.
• Avoiding sensitive topics can also help you get good at small talk; additionally, picking the right person to chat with can make all the difference.
• Additionally, remember that practice makes perfect and come prepared by staying up to date on recent events or popular topics of conversation.
• Finally, stop making it about you; a key to small talk success is focusing on the individual you’re engaging with, as everyone’s favorite subject to talk about is themselves!
Small talk is informal conversation about unimportant or easygoing topics. So, why is it so hard? Well, many of us suffer from social anxiety, which stems from the fear of being negatively judged by others. And even more of us simply feel uncomfortable when forced to converse with strangers or people we just don’t feel like talking to! That being said, small talk is sometimes necessary and getting good at it can prove valuable to our personal and professional lives. If you struggle with small talk, here are 8 professional tips that will help you to improve:
1. Ask questions.
First, ask questions about the individual you’re engaging with. It’s a good idea to always have a few questions handy. “The very best way to make fast friends out of new colleagues, acquaintances, or guests at a party is to ask questions and listen and share your own response to the same question,” explains Dana Kaland, Executive Coach and Consultant. “Have a few open-ended questions in the tool kit at all times so when you feel some social anxiety coming on you can draw from them. Surprisingly, some of the most basic questions are the best: Where do you live? What do you do? How long have you worked here? What are your weekend plans? How do you know the bride or the groom?”
Kevon Owen is a featured contributing author in this article. To read the entire article please click this link. If you would like to speak with Kevon about any relationship or individual counseling or if you need psychology or psychiatric services please call Kevon at 405-740-1249 or you can contact him online at https://www.kevonowen.com.


The post 8 tips for getting good at small talk/ Ask questions, avoid sensitive topics, and more appeared first on Kevon Owen, Christian Counseling Clinical Psychotherapist.