Couples & Marriage
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COUPLES & MARRIAGE ARTICLES & PODCASTS

Staying Married for the Kids
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D., as part of the Stay Happily Married Series, Dr. Lepage discusses whether it’s better to stay in a troubled marriage, for the sake of your children, rather than separate from your spouse? She also explains how perceptive children are about the happiness of their parents and how to decide if there is room for actually fixing the marriage and not just putting up with your spouse until the kids are gone.

Your Love Language
Written by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Imbraguglio addresses the five love languages people use to express their feelings to one another. Learn about what love language you use and how to communicate to your partner that you understand how they like to be loved.

Going Back to School Without Putting Your Marriage in Detention
Recorded by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D., as part of the Stay Happily Married Series, Dr. Imbraguglio discusses what aspects of a relationship are most likely to suffer when one spouse returns to school and what steps each partner can take to ensure that the needs of both the couple and the family are met during the process.

Treating Your Spouse Like a Child
Recorded by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D., as part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses control and maturity issues that can lead to this problem and discuss what both spouses can do today to start fixing this unhealthy pattern.

Sleeping with Your Spouse
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D., as part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage shares strategies for problems couples face when sleeping in the same bed and the importance of creating a pleasant and relaxing bedtime experience with your spouse.

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
Recorded by Colleen Hamilton, Psy.D., as part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Hamilton shares strategies for putting an end to destructive fighting and turning conflict into a process that is both constructive and beneficial to the marriage, as well as discussing how much fighting is too much, and whether fighting in front of the kids is always a bad idea

Getting Your Husband to Do What You Want
Everyone has incidents where a spouse (either husband or wife) is resistant to cooperation or compromise. Recorded by Dr. Tina Lepage as part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage discuss common issues where husbands and wives have disagreements and how to assess and resolve these issues.

Is Pornography Destroying Your Marriage?
Recorded by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. as part of the Staff Happily Married series, Dr. Imbraguglio discusses the patterns and effects of pornography use in a marriage and the impact it has on both spouses, as well as how a couple can reconcile their feelings and behavior with one another.

Sexual Incompatibility
Recorded by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. as part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses how you can bring up issues of sexual incompatibility with your spouse without creating a sense of pressure or rejection from either partner.

Helping Your Spouse and Yourself Fight Depression
Recorded by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. As part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Imbraguglio discusses how easy it can be to let depression go unnoticed and the toll that depression can have on children, the other spouse, and the entire marriage, and how to talk to one another towards ending the depression.

Relationship Success: 3 Quick Tips to Improve Your Relationship
Written by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. Learn three minor things you can do to improve your relationship in a major way.

Husbands Taking Initiative
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. As part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage talks about how wives can express their needs in this area most effectively, and how husbands wanting to take more initiative can do so successfully.

Stay Happily Married… With Children, Part I
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. As part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage discusses the stresses and joys parenting brings to a relationship, and how to keep the couples’ connection and intimacy while fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of parenting.

Stay Happily Married… With Children, Part II
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. As part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage looks at how differences in parenting styles can affect the couple, and suggests effective strategies for navigating these differences.

Fighting Fairly
Recorded by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. as part of the Stay Happily Married series. Dr. Kuzsyzyn-Jones discusses the effects of using intimate knowledge in fights with your spouse and offers tips for fighting constructively, without personal attacks.

ARTICLES & PODCASTS RELATED TO CHILDREN/TEENS & PARENTING

Sexuality:  Successful Communication Between Parents and Their Children
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Lepage discusses strategies to take the awkwardness out of talking to your children about sex at every age.

Educational Testing for Your Child
Understanding the symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disorders can help you determine if your child needs psychoeducational testing. This article helps you understand these disorders, the treatment for, and outcomes of testing.

Behavioral Problems of Something More: A Look at Child and Adolescent Depression
Written by Colleen Hamilton, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Hamilton addresses symptoms of childhood depression and how to differentiate acting out due to depression from disruptive behavior.

Back to School Strategies for Better Success
Written by Dr. Tina Lepage, this article discusses tips to help your child transition back into school, complete homework, and succeed in relationships with others.

Social Skills & Making Friends: How Parents Can Help
Written by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. Friendships and social life are of primary importance to children and teens. In this article Dr. Imbraguglio suggests tips for helping your child develop the social skills and competence necessary to build and enhance friendships.

Stay Happily Married… With Children, Part I
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. As part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage discusses the stresses and joys parenting brings to a relationship, and how to keep the couples’ connection and intimacy while fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of parenting.

Stay Happily Married… With Children, Part II
Recorded by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. As part of the Stay Happily Married series, Dr. Lepage looks at how differences in parenting styles can affect the couple, and suggests effective strategies for navigating these differences.

Promoting Positive Parenting: An Annotated Bibliography
From the Family Matters section of the journal Pediatric Nursing, a list of books that encourage positive parenting.

STAND UP: Stress & Depression
Written by Alex Wise-Rankovic, M.S. This presentation designed for teenagers covers what stress is and what triggers it, the symptoms of depression and what to do about them, information on teen suicide and helping those at risk, how to feel happy and build resilience in oneself, and resources for further help.

Resilience for Teens: Got Bounce?
Written by American Psychological Association, this handout designed for teenagers describes the role of resilience in dealing with everyday problems, and provides 10 ways teens can build resilience in themselves.

Internet Predators
Written by Alex Wise-Rankovic, M.S. This article addresses the negative aspect of the Internet, that is, at least 20% of children using the Internet will be solicited for sex by an adult on line. Targeted at helping parents to shield their teen from sexual solicitation on line, Ms. Rankovic discusses ways parents can get involved. Teens will also find this information helpful themselves in learning how to more safely use the Internet and avoid adult predators.

Get an A+ In “Back to School” Preparation
Written by Lepage Associates’ staff psychologist, to provide numerous helpful hints to make the beginning of the school year go smoothly.

Ask the Expert Series
Written by Dr. Lepage and other Lepage Associates staff psychologists. A new series of brief answers written for a local newsletter for single parents who present the questions, these articles provide useful information on a variety of parenting topics, regardless of whether you are a single parent.

Children and Body Image
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. Dr. Lepage answers questions from Carolina Parent magazine regarding concerns about the potential for negative body image issues among children and adolescents.

Limits, Consequences, and Follow Through for Teen Substance Use
Written jointly by Tina Lepage, Psy.D., Linda Hammock, LPC/CAC, and Lynne Johnston, LCSW, as part of a series on teens and substance abuse written for a local newspaper. Dr. Lepage, Ms. Hammock and Ms. Johnston discuss how parents can handle the inevitability of their teen being offered drugs and/or alcohol at some point.

Early Intervention in Teen Substance Use: Noticing Red Flags, Clarifying the Problem, and Preventing Further Use
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. In this article Dr. Lepage discusses early intervention as a prevention method. People too quickly think that they have missed the opportunity for “prevention” once a teen uses. Yet, there is still the opportunity to prevent continued use, to make this something that happened one time or a few times versus something that turns into an on-going substance use and abuse problem.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder & Conduct Disorder: Treatment, Prevention and What Parents Can Do
Written by intern Alex Childress. Alex helps parents differentiate between normal child and teen acting out versus ODD and CD, and discusses what parents can do to help, to include empirically-validated treatment options to stop ODD and CD now and keep the behaviors from escalating and progressing into adulthood.

SEPARATION & DIVORCE ARTICLES & PODCASTS

The Role of Our Psychologists in Separation & Divorce: Ways We Can Help
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. The issues in separation and divorce are complex, and men and women separating and divorcing have been seeking the help of psychologists for some time. Dr. Lepage outlines the variety of ways in which psychologists that specialize in relationships, families and children can help to make this process less stressful for everyone involved.

The Unique Benefits of the Child Specialist in Separation & Divorce
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. The issues in divorce can be many for people with children. The role of the child specialist is to help the parents with the vast array of child-centered issues, and to help the children to be heard in a healthy way. Dr. Lepage outlines the variety of ways in which child psychologists that specialize in divorce and children can help to make this process less stressful for everyone involved.

The Collaborative Divorce Model: Lessening Conflict & Changing the Adversarial Face of Divorce
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. This article describes the collaborative divorce model as an alternative to the more adversarial traditional approach to divorce. You can also find additional information on our website on our Collaborative Divorce page.

Tiered Approach to Parenting Plan Consults and Custody Evaluations
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. Dr. Lepage completed both her clinical master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation in the area of developing parenting plans, determining the highest quality protocol for assessing child and family needs and then addressing those needs in potential parenting arrangements. At Lepage Associates she went on to develop a unique, tiered approach to parenting plan consults and to custody evaluations which meets the information and cost needs of every family. This brief, one-page article outlines what is included in each tier, and also includes the costs.

The ABCs and 1,2,3s of Helping Children Through the Divorce Process
Written by Tina Lepage, Psy.D. Dr. Lepage has extensive experience working with individuals, couples, parents, and children going through divorce. In this article she addresses the practical concerns of telling the children of the decision to divorce, transitioning a family into two households, and co-parenting effectively through developing a positive shared parenting relationship.

Dealing with Divorce: 10 Tips To Protect Your Kids
Written by Lepage Associates’ staff psychologist, based on doctoral dissertation on the effects of marital conflict and divorce on children and adolescents. Specifically, researcher determined the protective factors within the family and within the parent-child relationship that serve to reduce the stressfulness of marital conflict and divorce.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE ARTICLES

Holidays: Family Edition - Dealing with Stress and Simplifying the Mess
This article addresses common stressors related to family during the holiday season. Read about strategies to deal with time management, money, and concerns about children.

Holidays: Health Edition – Dealing with Stress and Simplifying the Mess
This article addresses common stressors related to remaining healthy during the holidays. Read tips for weight management and alcohol consumption.

Men's Health Awareness
This article alerts men to possible health concerns and provides knowledge pertaining to visible symptoms, information about testing, treatment options, as well as prevention for future health risks.  

Relieving Stress Headaches
It is quite common for people to experience physical symptoms when they are feeling stressed or anxious. Among other symptoms, headaches are some of the most commonly occurring physical side effects of stress. The most common type of headache is the tension headache. Learn strategies to help relieve your stress induced headaches.

So You Want a Healthier Lifestyle: Are You Ready to Make a Change?
Written by Rhonda Karg, Ph.D. Dr. Karg is an expert in motivational interviewing for health behaviors and preventable illnesses (exercise, healthy eating, medication compliance, alcohol moderation, quitting smoking; obesity, diabetes, asthma, etc.). In this article she distinguishes between desire to change and motivation to change, and provides a brief rating scale for you to determine your current readiness for change and need for assistance.

Tips for Healthy Sleep & Dealing with Insomnia
This article walks you through the steps of progressive relaxation in order to help you get a restful night sleep.

Laughing for Your Health
Written by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. In this article Dr. Imbraguglio reminds us why laughing is beneficial to our physical and emotional health, and includes tips for adding more laughter to your life.

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY ARTICLES

How to Tactfully & Effectively Refer Clients to Therapy
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones describes ways to encourage your client to attend therapy. She gives tips for wording as well as resources to have available for clients.

Domestic Violence Risk Assessment
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones describes the characteristics of abusers and how risk of reoffense is evaluated.

Psychological Evaluations and Divorce: Psychologist's Language/Naming of Reports
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones provides examples of concerns and requests for psychological evaluations seen in high conflict divorce proceedings. Read here to decide what evaluation is best for your client.

Sexual Offender Risk Assessments
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses the different factors involved in sexual offender recidivism as well as actuarial assessments that are used in these evaluations.

Child Custody Evaluations
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses the different types of psychologicial tests used in child custody evaluations. She describes both traditional psychological tests as well as those developed specifically to assess parenting capacity.

The Group Dynamics & Individual Factors of Teen Violence
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones describes how group dynamics interact with factors such as family history, temperament, and individual risk factors to lead a teenager to engage in violence.

Psychological Forensic Evaluations
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article published by Lawyer’s Weekly, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses what to look for in a forensic psychological evaluation. She distinguishes between different types of evaluations and how a psychologist can be helpful in criminal legal cases.

Understanding PTSD for Attorneys
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article published by Lawyer’s Weekly, Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones defines the diagnosis of PTSD, discusses its causes, and looks at it from the angle of a functional analysis, i.e., explains how you know if it interferes with someone’s functioning.

therapy & treatment ARTICLES

Dealing with Depression
Depression is often called the “common cold” of mental health disorders, in that most people experience depression at some point in their life. Read about the symptoms, causes of, and treatment for depression, including self-help strategies.

Collateral Damage: Children of Alcoholics
Written by Colleen Hamilton, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Hamilton addresses the impact of parental alcoholism on a child’s mental health and behavior, as well as ways to help the child cope.

Seasonal Affective Disorder
Written by Nicole Imbraguglio, Psy.D. In this article, Dr. Imbraguglio discusses how the dark winter months can affect our mood and ways to bring more light into your life.

Suicide Prevention Can Help Save Lives
Written by Dr. Colleen Hamilton, this article discusses signs to recognize if someone is feeling suicidal, hot to communicate with that person, and available resources to keep the person save.

Recognizing Substance Abuse Dependency
Written by Dr. Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, this article discusses the various signs of substance abuse and dependency to help you recognize if you or someone you love needs help.

Understanding Autism
Written by Colleen Hamilton, Psy.D. In this article Dr. Hamilton describes how Autism presents, symptoms to watch for, and treatment.

How Does Bipolar Disorder Affect Your Life or the Life of Someone You Love?
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. for the North Carolina Lawyer's Assistance Program. In this article Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses the signs, symptoms, and treatment for bipolar disorder.

Wasting Away
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones uses excerpts from Marya Hornbacher's memoir to describe the symptoms, signs, and treatment of eating disorders.

Therapy at a Glance
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. In this article Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones discusses different forms of therapy to include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and family therapy.

Psychiatry and Depression
Written by Jason Machalicky, MD. In this article, Dr. Machalicky discusses causes and symptoms of depression, how to help yourself cope, and available treatments including medication and therapy.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder & Conduct Disorder: Treatment, Prevention and What Parents Can Do
Written by intern Alex Childress. Alex helps parents differentiate between normal child and teen acting out versus ODD and CD, and discusses what parents can do to help, to include empirically-validated treatment options to stop ODD and CD now and keep the behaviors from escalating and progressing into adulthood.

Self-Help ARTICLES

Helpful Hints for Common Problems
Something for everyone… This article suggests helpful tips for common problem areas such as relationships, parenting, depression, and anxiety.

Mental Health Facts and Resources
Do you know what percent of people have metal health issues each year, such as mood disorders, bi-polar, OCD, or PTSD; how many children have AD/HD; or what percent of teens use drugs? Did you know that mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. & Canada for ages 15-44, or that talk therapy has been empirically-validated to treat mental health disorders? This article discusses the prevalence of different problems and disorders, and provides other websites and agencies that provide more information about mental health.

Tips for Happy Roommates
Written by Katrina Kuzyszyn-Jones, Psy.D. Most college students and many young adults have roommates. In this article Dr. Kuzyszyn-Jones suggests ways to develop a healthy living situation with your roommate.