PORTFOLIOS, PROPERTY VALUES AND POCKETBOOKS AREN´T ONLY CASUALTIES IN TODAY´S ECONOMY: SO IS DIVORCE
Jenine Baines
May 22, 2009
Many Southern Californians are all too familiar with the grim ´side effects´ of The Great Recession. Our portfolios have plummeted in value; we´ve seen the home we always believed was our most infallible investment drop 20% or more in a matter of months; and we don´t have as much money in our pocket because we´ve either lost our job, taken a pay cut to save that job or are worried about keeping it.
But, according to licensed psychotherapist Steven Unruh of Spring Bay Counseling in Pasadena and Newport Beach, the economy is claiming yet another victim that just might surprise you: divorce.
"Many couples can no longer afford to divorce," explains Unruh, who will present a free seminar on "Can I Fall In Love Again? How to Thrive in Your Marriage in Difficult Times" at Montrose Church on Saturday, June 6. "They might have had two incomes but are now trying to live on one. Or they´ve lost their savings. So, now, rather than take an additional financial hit by going through a divorce, people are reconsidering their options and seeking counseling."
Such a scenario has the potential to be good news for many marriages. But happy endings are by no means guaranteed, Unruh stresses, and certainly not without hard work. Prior to the economic collapse, many couples were simply ´riding out´ their marriages, waiting perhaps until their children were older to end their relationship.
"They certainly didn´t work on the issues that were eroding their marriages," says Unruh, who appears on The Fish 95.9 as the "Friendly Family Therapist" with host Bobby Shaw on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. "So, now, I´m seeing couples in their 40s and 50s who are more resentful and dysfunctional than most of the couples that came to my office over the past 25 years."
Unruh´s seminar will provide those who attend with the tools they´ll need to examine the expectations of their spouse – whether they´re not high enough or are too unrealistic. Issues addressed will include assessing the problem(s) in a marriage, how to implement change that will repair and strengthen a relationship, the positive impact mentors can have on this process, the spiritual component in healing a troubled relationship and the importance of affirming one another in a marriage.
"The main thrust is that issues over time build up resentment, and we lose hope – wondering if we can ever feel the way we used to feel towards our partner," says Unruh. "Every marriage needs objective help in sorting out the projections, fears and expectations that each of us have…on ourselves as well as on our spouses. Understanding these dynamics and coming together with more healthy and realistic expectations of one another is exactly what creates greater intimacy."
For reservations to the free seminar, "Can I Fall In Love Again? How to Thrive in Your Marriage in Difficult Times," call Montrose Church at 818.249.8309 or email sharie.robbins@montrosechurch.org by June 4.
Montrose Church is located at 2409 Florencita Drive in Montrose, California.
ABOUT STEVEN UNRUH
Steven Unruh is the Director of Spring Bay Counseling, a professional counseling center committed to helping people achieve and maintain healthy relationships. As a Marriage and Family expert, Unruh sees the goal of counseling as "aligning the feelings and expectations within a relationship with reality."
A licensed psychotherapist for 27 years, Unruh also leads seminars on such topics as Intimacy within marriage, Finding your purpose, Striving for integrity, and How to parent in today's world.
Unruh, who received his psychology degree from Fuller School of Psychology and his divinity degree from Fuller School of Theology, Pasadena, California, also appears twice weekly on The Fish, 95.9 as the "Friendly Family Therapist."
ABOUT SPRING BAY COUNSELING
The mission of Spring Bay Counseling is to provide professional counseling through insight, education and emotional support, in order to empower individuals to live out the goals of their dreams. In addition to individual, marital, and family counseling, services provided at Spring Bay include men and women´s support groups, teen groups, psychological testing, and seminars in marriage, parenting, and stress management.
Spring Bay Counseling, which has offices in Pasadena and Newport Beach, makes its services available to various community service providers in the area who provide counseling for their clientele including women´s shelters, rehabilitation programs, and group homes
For more information, visit www.springbaycounseling.com or call 626-568-3223.
But, according to licensed psychotherapist Steven Unruh of Spring Bay Counseling in Pasadena and Newport Beach, the economy is claiming yet another victim that just might surprise you: divorce.
"Many couples can no longer afford to divorce," explains Unruh, who will present a free seminar on "Can I Fall In Love Again? How to Thrive in Your Marriage in Difficult Times" at Montrose Church on Saturday, June 6. "They might have had two incomes but are now trying to live on one. Or they´ve lost their savings. So, now, rather than take an additional financial hit by going through a divorce, people are reconsidering their options and seeking counseling."
Such a scenario has the potential to be good news for many marriages. But happy endings are by no means guaranteed, Unruh stresses, and certainly not without hard work. Prior to the economic collapse, many couples were simply ´riding out´ their marriages, waiting perhaps until their children were older to end their relationship.
"They certainly didn´t work on the issues that were eroding their marriages," says Unruh, who appears on The Fish 95.9 as the "Friendly Family Therapist" with host Bobby Shaw on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. "So, now, I´m seeing couples in their 40s and 50s who are more resentful and dysfunctional than most of the couples that came to my office over the past 25 years."
Unruh´s seminar will provide those who attend with the tools they´ll need to examine the expectations of their spouse – whether they´re not high enough or are too unrealistic. Issues addressed will include assessing the problem(s) in a marriage, how to implement change that will repair and strengthen a relationship, the positive impact mentors can have on this process, the spiritual component in healing a troubled relationship and the importance of affirming one another in a marriage.
"The main thrust is that issues over time build up resentment, and we lose hope – wondering if we can ever feel the way we used to feel towards our partner," says Unruh. "Every marriage needs objective help in sorting out the projections, fears and expectations that each of us have…on ourselves as well as on our spouses. Understanding these dynamics and coming together with more healthy and realistic expectations of one another is exactly what creates greater intimacy."
For reservations to the free seminar, "Can I Fall In Love Again? How to Thrive in Your Marriage in Difficult Times," call Montrose Church at 818.249.8309 or email sharie.robbins@montrosechurch.org by June 4.
Montrose Church is located at 2409 Florencita Drive in Montrose, California.
ABOUT STEVEN UNRUH
Steven Unruh is the Director of Spring Bay Counseling, a professional counseling center committed to helping people achieve and maintain healthy relationships. As a Marriage and Family expert, Unruh sees the goal of counseling as "aligning the feelings and expectations within a relationship with reality."
A licensed psychotherapist for 27 years, Unruh also leads seminars on such topics as Intimacy within marriage, Finding your purpose, Striving for integrity, and How to parent in today's world.
Unruh, who received his psychology degree from Fuller School of Psychology and his divinity degree from Fuller School of Theology, Pasadena, California, also appears twice weekly on The Fish, 95.9 as the "Friendly Family Therapist."
ABOUT SPRING BAY COUNSELING
The mission of Spring Bay Counseling is to provide professional counseling through insight, education and emotional support, in order to empower individuals to live out the goals of their dreams. In addition to individual, marital, and family counseling, services provided at Spring Bay include men and women´s support groups, teen groups, psychological testing, and seminars in marriage, parenting, and stress management.
Spring Bay Counseling, which has offices in Pasadena and Newport Beach, makes its services available to various community service providers in the area who provide counseling for their clientele including women´s shelters, rehabilitation programs, and group homes
For more information, visit www.springbaycounseling.com or call 626-568-3223.
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