It’s funny how things change. I remember in my undergrad how dry my Child Developmental Psychology, Brain & Behaviour, Parenting, and Family Studies classes seemed compared to the exciting world of Abnormal Behaviour and all the disorders we were learning about. I remember working with professors who were developmentalists and not really getting the fascination about it then. Of course. I was 19 years old. I had no life experience, so how could I really get a theory that is basically based on age and maturation?

Fast forward 2 degrees, 15 years and many life experiences including 9 years of marriage and two little kids and I now am so thankful for those classes. Witnessing the changes in my relationship after becoming pregnant and having kids, I was reassured by the knowledge I’d learned in my family studies classes.

What if EVERYONE understood how couples change? 

(1) I think couples would struggle a lot less if the general public knew about what’s normal development for a long term relationship. We’d have a lot less separation and divorce. There would be fewer kids caught in the crossfire of divorce.

So this is why I love putting on workshops. I love seeing eyes open when couples realize it’s not just them who are feeling what they feel and doing what they do. I love it when parents can stop worrying about or judging their children and just be present with their kids while they grow up.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS IN NEW WESTMINSTER

Right now I’m doing workshops in my counselling space in New Westminster, by donation, each month, including:

September 26: Stages in Couple Relationships.

For more information on the workshops please click here.

UPCOMING TALKS ONLINE

In a few months I’ll also be putting out live talks online so people who can’t make it to me can at least get some information and can rewind and watch later if they missed it. There are so many times I’ve wanted to get to a course but mom responsibilities got in the way. I love classes that are recorded so I can download them and watch them during nap, or whenever I get that hour of free time.

So stay tuned to nataliehansencounselling.com, sign up for my email newsletter, or like my Facebook page to hear about upcoming live talks.

Please share so we can support couples and families as they try to stay together.