11 Relationship Red Flags/ Warning Signs of Trouble Ahead

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

• 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.

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The Best Low-Investment Date Ideas, Recommended by Dating Experts | Cheap and Fun Dates for Non-Committal Singles

Handsome young man and pretty blonde woman couple in park

Low investment dates have become the new norm. Meaning,  any serious investment in another person – be it money or effort – is minimal. This is most likely a circumstance of dating app culture, along with the collective need for instant gratification (think Veruca Salt-like behavior from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”).

It’s unfortunate, but a first date is no longer a first date. It’s become an effort to earn the first date. If someone cannot handle a low investment commitment of something like a cup of coffee, they’re not ready – or, in the minds of singles, deserving – of a higher investment date like dinner and drinks.

RELATED: An Idiot-Proof Guide to Pulling Off an Epic First Date

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, this newer method is proving relatively successful. For instance, Bloomberg recently credited millennials for plummeting divorce rates. And for what it’s worth, 29 percent of heterosexual and 65 percent of gay couples have met online. Even crazier? Tinder matches have officially outnumbered people on the planet. It’s truly mind-boggling, but that’s just the world we live in now.

But this is not the only reason we’ve decided to elect a more casual approach. In addition to the culture created by dating apps, millennials have graduated with more debt into the worst recession in 80 years. Simply put, they cannot afford to whip out their wallets on dates like previous generations have.

To help navigate this new (and cheaper) standard of digital dating, we reached out to several dating professionals — matchmakers, psychotherapists, dating coaches and sex-positive podcast hosts — to recommend some fun, low investment date ideas to make future planning a cinch.

Kevon Owen is a featured contributing author in this article. To read the entire article please click this link. If you would like to consult with Kevon Owen about your situation please call him at 405-740-1249 or you can visit his website at this address, https://www.kevonowen.com.

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8 Ways To Stay Faithful To Someone You Love In The Hook-Up Culture

relationship counseling oklahoma city ok

Despite what most people seem to think, falling in love does not guarantee loyalty — from either party.
Falling in love doesn’t even guarantee staying in love, so even if the apple of your eye is the only apple you see, it doesn’t guarantee that you won’t want to have an orange some time down the line.
Love is a living, breathing thing that requires constant attention and nurturing.
With that said, it’s easily understandable that there will come a time when your loyalty is tested.
There will be a time when you will have to make a decision to either remain faithful or have a bite of the forbidden fruit.
The only real advice is to do whatever it is that you want to do. Only be sure that you know what it is that you want to do. Most people want to stay loyal, but have difficulty continuously find a reason to do so. Here are eight ways to help you make the right decision:
Kevon Owen is a featured contributing author in this article which can be viewed in its entirety at this link.
If you are seeking help with a relationship of any kind or need relationship guidance in Oklahoma County through a situation you can contact Kevon Owen at 405-740-1249 or you can visit his website at https://www.kevonowen.com.


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27 Genius Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem Every Day

Some days, you feel like you could totally take on the world. And others, well, not so much. It’s a fact of life that everyone has those moments when their self-esteem tank is a little depleted. But there are plenty of different ways you can bring your confidence back up again. And it won’t take weeks or months, either—you can do it today.

The next time you could use a confidence boost, try these 23 methods that’ll make you instantly feel great about yourself again. From how you move your body to what you’re wearing, we’ve rounded up the easiest ways to give yourself a major self-esteem boost in seconds!

Make a list of your goals and how you’re reaching them

Even if it feels like you’re a long way off from becoming the person you want to be, writing down the goals you hope to accomplish and how you’ve taken steps toward achieving them can give you a serious self-esteem boost in the short-term.

“Set a goal and see how you’re getting closer to meeting it,” suggests Oklahoma-based clinical psychotherapist Kevon Owen, LPC. If you’re hoping to go back to school to finish your degree, for example, make a note of how you called to attend an information session; if you want to lose weight, write down the date when you signed up for the gym. “Whatever it is, look at how well you’re doing or how you’re progressing and watch how it impacts that self-esteem,” he says.

Kevon Owen is a featured contributing author in this article. To view the entire article and slides please visit this link. To schedule an appointment or speak with Kevon please visit his website at this link. Https://www.kevonowen.com or call 405-740-1249.



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Wedding Regrets? Here’s How to Deal and Move On

Bride and groom figurines

You know what they say: “Even the best laid plans go awry.” Weddings are no exception—that’s true no matter how much time and effort you put into creating the perfect day. If your wedding didn’t go exactly as planned—or if, looking back, you wish you’d done things differently—you might be feeling regret. And, experts say, that feeling is more common that you’d think.

As Kevon Owen, M.S., LPC, points out, our culture trains us that our weddings day must be perfect, and perfectly romantic. But, “difficult family members will still be difficult; it’s who they are and a wedding day won’t change that,” he says. “Sound equipment doesn’t always work. And your guests [may not be] as sensitive to a timetable as you want them to be.” Plus, Stephanie Macadaan, LMFT and creator of the Happy Couple Plan, adds that, “regrets around a wedding often come from prioritizing the wants and needs of others and feeling pressure to create a wedding that does not feel authentic or genuine to you as a couple.”

If you’re living with wedding-related regret, however, know that you don’t have to live with it forever. Here are expert-approved ways to deal with your regret and move on so that you can live happily ever after.

Kevon Owen is a featured contributing author in this article. To read the full article please follow this link. To contact Kevon Owen please call 405-740-1249 or visit his website at https://www.kevonowen.com.



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Psychiatry And Counseling / Both Highly Effective …Even More So When Combined

Happy Woman Handshaking With Helpful Psychologist At Home

One of the best things about counseling is that you get dramatic results when you work with an expert who is totally committed to you. Psychiatry is not always about med management. Sometimes, you just need a bit of support and encouragement from your counselor. This is why an experienced psychologist like Kevon Owen combines psychology with Christian counseling. This combination works wonders and many clients of Kevon Owen are living proof of the excellent results this counselor has achieved. Below are some ways Kevon Owen can help you overcome any emotional challenges you are struggling with now.

Marriage Counseling

Marriage is a beautiful institution but it comes with many challenges. These days, most husbands and wives have full time jobs. You have obligations to your employer and you have your responsibilities as a father, mother, husband or wife. Coping with all these responsibilities takes a huge toll on your emotional well-being. However, this does not mean you should let the pressures of life impact negatively on your marriage. Talk to a competent counselor and this expert will give you valuable tips.

Child and Adolescent Counseling

Children and teenagers have their own challenges so you should not overlook the problems they face. School age children might have learning problems, anger management issues and anxiety. Teenagers and adolescent face many challenges as they make the transition from childhood to young adulthood. Some of the problems they face include depression, peer pressure, sexual problems and self-esteem issues. There is no reason to pretend your children are happy when they are facing a number of serious challenges. The right counselor will solve the problem and the children in question involved will become happy and productive individuals.

 Individual Therapy

There is no point denying this obvious fact. Life in the present era is conducive to stress. Millions of people on planet earth suffer from different forms of stress-induced depression. The causes of depression include a partner’s infidelity, problems with kids, inadequate finances and fear of losing your job. Other causes of depression are mistakes, regrets, missed opportunities, a bad working environment and drug use/abuse. If you are depressed, you might feel hopeless and even consider suicide as a way out of your problems. The good news is that depression is disease so it has a cure. With psychology, medication and Christian counseling you can and you will overcome depression.

Counseling to Prevent Divorce

Millions of couples face huge challenges in their marriage. Sometimes, the people in this relationship feel divorce is the best option but they are wrong. A divorce has serious implications for both the couple and their children. This is why a counselor who is committed to solving your problem will never recommend a divorce. Marital therapy will do the magic but you have to be committed to making your marriage work. Kevon Owen will work with you to restore your marriage and you will never contemplate divorce again.

Final Word

We live in a challenging world but we can overcome all the challenges life throws at us by taking the right steps. Get in touch with Kevon Owen and this expert will help you with the tried-and-tested combination of psychiatry and counseling. Contact phone for Kevon is 405-740-1249 or you can visit his website at https://www.kevonowen.com.



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