I was interviewed last month for a feature Article on DatingAdvice.com .  I thought you might be interested in reading more about my work and [...]

At JulieOrlov.com and ThePathwaytoLove.com, privacy and security are essential to the services we provide.  As you have likely heard, there have been significant recent developments [...]

Last week we highlighted our discussion on disappointing the one you love. Today I’d like to switch roles and talk about being disappointed by the one you love. Think about the last time you were disappointed by a loved-one. What did you want or need? How did your significant other let you down? How was that message delivered? And most importantly, how did you deal with it?

Disappointments are a part of life. And they most certainly are a part of relationships. It is impossible to be in a relationship with another human being and not experience disappointments in one form or another. Sometimes you can be disappointed in your loved one’s choices or actions because they don’t match up with your values or expectations. Other times you can be disappointed when your loved one is unable or unwilling to meet your needs or requests. Both are challenging but today I want to focus on disappointment number two.

Trust is like a majestic redwood forest. It takes years and the right conditions to create it, but once it’s established it provides beauty, strength, and awe. Betrayal is like fire. It can rip through a grove of redwoods in minutes. The hundreds or thousands of years that it took for these magnificent trees to grow into their potential can be wiped out in seconds. It works the same way in relationships. One mistake, one lapse of judgment, can damage or destroy a relationship that took years to develop into its current state. To illustrate my point, let me tell you the story of Amy and Jack.

Conflict has a bad reputation. Conflict itself is not the problem. All conflict means is that two or more people have opposing needs, values, or opinions. That’s it. It doesn’t mean that your needs, values, or opinions are wrong. It doesn’t mean that your significant other's needs, values, or opinions are wrong. They are just different and in opposition of yours. Conflict becomes toxic to relationships when two people approach conflict in one or more of the following ways.