Lauren’s Listening

What is on your mind today? Do you have a question or challenge that you would like a psychotherapeutic perspective on? Lauren’s Listening is a free advice forum where you will receive caring, thoughtful responses to your questions from a professional psychotherapist/counsellor. If your submission has been selected to be published, it will be posted on the Lauren’s Listening blog.





Please frequently visit the blog section of this website or follow Younique Therapy on social media to see if your question has been answered.


How to navigate an estranged relationship with a sibling.

Estranged siblings

Dear Lauren.
I haven’t spoken to my brother in five years. I knew his then fiancée in high school and she was not a kind person. One day, he was having second thoughts about his relationship and asked me for his opinion about my thoughts on his fiancée.  I answered honestly and they broke up for it. Afterwards, he completely cut me of his life and went out of his way to avoid me even at family gatherings. He even got married (to another woman) and didn’t invite me.
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How to approach your partner when they request to have space after a conflict.

Procrastination

Dear Lauren.
Hi there, I’m in a situation where my anxiety and depression has pushed my girlfriend away, at the moment she needs some space to work through her emotions. The major issue was she felt I didn’t want to be a part of her life due to procrastinating on meeting her family and friends which caused her to cancel plans with them multiple times. I reflected a lot and I’m now ready to meet the people in her life but I don’t think she will be able to believe me, we haven’t talked in about a month and I want to know a way to approach her and have a conversation ? She doesn’t do very well with pressure so I’d like to connect in a friendly way where she feels comfortable with me.
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Help I can’t stop procrastinating – 4 strategies to help with putting things off

Procrastination

Dear Lauren.
I need your help. I can’t stop myself from procrastinating. I have so many important things to do for work and even just basic chores and I can not bring myself to do it. I have fallen so behind and it scares me because I have no control over it. I find that there is always something to distract me. When I am home, I waste all my time on social media or I immediately take a nap because I suddenly feel tired. I’m just struggling to get anything done. I don’t know why I keep doing this.
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How can I say no and get control over my life again – 5 methods to successfully create healthy boundaries

Cannot say no

Dear Lauren.
I have a friend that has been majorly fighting with her long term boyfriend all the time. She really does not have any other friends besides me so I know that there is no one else for her to go talk to. As a friend I am always happy to be there for her but lately I have been feeling that her life is taking over my life. She has been calling me in the middle of the night, and she expects me to drop my plans on a dime
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