Browse published articles attributed to Tina Tessina, with full-archive search.
Dear Dr. Romance: I am writing to you for your professional opinion regarding my 15 year old son. His behavior overall is good but when he gets angry he throws things swears a lot and just a few minutes ago destroyed my vacuum cleaner in one blow to the floor.
Dr. Romance writes: Myths and Expectations about Fighting:
Dear Dr. Romance: I read your article about "Age Differences in Dating" and thought you might be interested in a case history. I was married to a younger man for twenty years.He was 21 and I was 40 when we met.
If your marriage ends in divorce, you lose more than the marriage itself. Even if your marriage had problems, or you were the one who wanted out, you still will have grief over the dreams and hopes which have died with the relationship. The overwhelming feeling of loss can be confusing and difficult to understand. The following tips will help you move through these feelings and begin to focus on the future. 1. Get Support.r
I was speaking with a client today about his burn-out in his career. This is a man who's been very successful, earned a lot of money, and worked hard for a big, national corporation. I told him he was burned-out, and on strike, because he had put himself in a box about work. The box consisted of four walls: Wall #1: I have to make $$$$ amount of money Wall #2: I have to work for a certain kind of company Wall #3: I'm scared about letting myself be creative (the unknown) Wall #4: I hate all of it.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Fighting a lot? Dr. Romance recommends:
Dear Dr. Romance: Last year, my boyfriend he broke up with me 3 days before my birthday. On the actual day, he didn't even so much as text or call to wish me a happy birthday - or even send me a card. I was devastated, esp because I really made a big deal of his birthday last year - bought him a very expensive cake, made him dinner, got him a thoughtful gift and card, etc.
A practical article connected into the broader SelfGrowth topic graph.
Want to give yourself a holiday gift that will last the rest of your life? Try giving yourself the gift of happiness. Research shows that happiness and satisfaction depend more on the inner person than on exte al circumstances. The secret to living a happy life is to get in charge of your life and what you are doing. Then you can build the life you want. As children, we are strongly influenced by the opinions of others, and what you learn in early childhood can run your life until you understand it and take control of your own ideas and decisions.
When you use smart decisions and self-awareness to shape your life, it will reflect your deepest aspirations and your fondest dreams. 1. Make your life your own. Decide to re-decide. Re-examine your goals and dreams. Don't just assume that what you wanted yesterday is still right for you. Have your goals and dreams changed? Give yourself the freedom to decide today what you want your life to be about.
Dear Dr. Romance: I fell for a man that I work with. He was married, and I was in a lesbian relationship. When I first saw this man, who I will refer to as John, I thought he was the most handsome man I had ever met in my life. I had dated men off and on, but my two long-term relationships were both with women.
Dear Dr. Romance: I think I am missing myself Dear Dr. Romance:
What can divorced dads do to help raise healthy, successful boys when they don't see their sons as often as they want? Here are some tips for non-custodial fathers who want to make certain they raise successful men. 1. Stay connected with your boy. Find a way to get over the differences with your ex, and make time with your son a priority. 2. Don't just be a good-time dad. Help with homework, spend time just hanging out so you can listen to him. 3. Show him what responsibility means. Take him to your work with you and get him to help you with projects.
As life develops, many of us have an urge to focus on the deeper issues—our dreams and goals, and our emotional and spiritual development. When this happens, life gradually becomes more about meaning and satisfaction and less about obligations and accomplishments. As you mature, you can focus on living the life you always wanted to live, tempered by the wisdom you have gained through your experiences.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dear Dr. Romance: I am going through a break-up this week and pretty broken hearted. My boyfriend and I currently dated for the last year and nine months and it ended this week. He is my age, mid thirties but when he was in his early to mid twenties he had an affair with a much much older woman who was and still is his boss. She is 20 years older, married with 3 children. The affair went on for 5 years and then for 5 years there after, they would still have a sexual encounter here and there, the last time this occurred was a year before we began dating.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dr. Romance gets a lot of letters about older women dating younger men, which appears to be shocking to some people, but I don't find it so unusual.
Dear Dr. Romance: I'll admit, I just don't understand men. Do they want us to be perfect all the time? I mean, I think I'm a pretty okay person. I honestly like myself for who I am. It took me a long time to get to this point. I'm not a model, but reasonably attractive for a woman in her 40s. I'm fit, educated and successful in my teaching career. While being single mom of a teenager, I'm launching my art career, and trying to break into teaching at the university level. I love art, music, books, the outdoors. And I volunteer, and have friends.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dr. Romance writes:
Dear Dr. Romance: I am writing to you for some advice... I hope you can help.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dr. Romance reflects: One of the things I'm very grateful for in my life is the opportunities I have had to travel and see the world. When I see a world in turmoil: earthquakes, war, terrorism, famine, political upheaval, inflation, human rights violations: I think not of the governments, but of the people, who are just trying to get through their day.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dr. Romance writes: The founding fathers of our country saw the “pursuit of happiness” as an inalienable right – so important they embedded it in the DNA of the United States of America, by writing it into the Preamble to the Constitution. It was a profoundly new idea at the time. With it, they set wheels in motion that have been turning ever since.
Dear Dr. Romance: My husband complains that life is a habitrail that he has to get on everyday and he is not being reloaded. I have tried everything I know how to make things better for him. I don't know how to reply anymore, and honestly I am not sure there is anything I can do.
Dr. Romance writes: This is often called the Season of Peace, as in "Peace on Earth; Good Will to Men" Yet there is so much unrest in the world today: the world is still involved in wars, terrorism seems to be endemic worldwide, and domestic violence and hatred still dominate the news. Today's world needs more people living peace.
Recently, I went through very unpleasant and difficult dental work, and the outpouring of kindness I receivedfrom my husband, who held onto my ankle all through the two and a half hours (and had nightmares that night about it) to my dear friends, who offered me support and encouragement to heal and take care of myselfmade me feel blessed, despite the pain. I don't think there's a greater happiness in life than knowing the people who love you are there for you.
We are all in a time of high stress, and national disasters often bring up fear. If these fears are not dealt with, they can lead to acting out behavior, such as drinking too much or creating relationship, work or money problems as a distraction. To avoid these kinds of problems, follow these simple steps for resolving your fear and anxiety.
Dear Dr. Romance, I am a PhD student in Computer Science and Mathematics in Europe. I am interested in your blog which helps to a lot of people to find the best solution in their lives. I have also some problems in my private life. I would be very grateful if you could give me some advice.
Dear Dr. Romance:
Dr. Romance writes:
A practical article connected into the broader SelfGrowth topic graph.
Dear Dr. Romance: My husband left to be with a much younger women. The problem became obvious in our marriage 3 years ago. I thought It would be something we would surpass.
Anger is the emotional energy within each of us that rises up when something needs to change. If you act on the need to create change, your anger can be channeled effectively; but it’s not redirected to something effective, your frustration will build, sometimes to hurricane force.
Dear Dr. Romance: I am a native American woman who has been abused and betrayed by my husband. He was my coresearcher and advisor for several years. We were married according to tribal custom, which he later denied happened and disowned me in the courts where he was believed over me.
Dear Dr. Romance: I hope you can help me. My boyfriend passed away two years back... We were pretty much engaged, living together and everything. I thought i was over the whole thing, but now I know I'm not. A month back, or so.. i was seeing a man, and today i found out he had passed away. He reminded me so much of my late, they shared the same name, just second name being different. In the grieving process, I'm feeling the loss of both. And my late especially.