Have you every listened to an experienced teacher speak passionately about their proper role as an educator? “Our goal is not to tell our kids what to think — it’s to teach them how to think.” Most parents would probably agree with that sentiment, especially at...
The Subtle Complexity — And Joy! — Of Deep Conversations
When you go to the grocery store and exchange a pleasantry or two as you check out — have a nice day! — you probably don’t go home and tell your family what a great conversation you had at the market. Great conversations don’t occur just because you’re talking. And...
Conversation: The Foundation For A Thriving Relationship
For many people, having a healthy attitude about life means that you regularly take stock of your goals and whether or not you’re making progress in achieving them. In your personal life that might involve having a regular exercise routine. You commit to a few days at...
Questions To Light Up Your Relationship
Getting to know another person can be tricky business. That’s especially true with young people who are just beginning to date. However, as many a person in a long-term relationship will attest, it can also be a challenge even in a mature relationship. One of the keys...
First-Date Questions You Won’t Regret
Meeting someone for a first date can be simultaneously thrilling and nerve-wracking. Even if you're acquainted with someone through work or a club, or maybe you’ve made a connection through a dating service, meeting in person for coffee or a drink with the explicit...
Do You Know How To Ask The Right Questions?
It’s a well-known “secret” that there are wonderful benefits to knowing how to ask the right questions. Professional salespeople often undergo sales training that focuses on determining a prospect’s challenges and needs in order to craft an effective sales pitch. The...
Great Conversations Begin With Questions
Individual Counseling Insights From Westlake Village-Based Patricia McTague-Loft When most people enter a conversation, they typically talk about something that’s appropriate to the nature of the relationship. You make small talk with strangers or acquaintances, catch...
What’s Better Than A Bouquet Of Roses?
Virtually everyone in a long-term romantic relationship would admit that keeping the flame alive and deepening the relationship takes a little work. Not in the dreary sense of a job you really don’t feel like doing, but in the delightful sense of dedicating yourself...
The Science Behind The Art Of Conversation
Individual Counseling Insights From Westlake Village-Based Patricia McTague-Loft People initiate all kinds of conversations, usually with the expectation (even if unconsciously) that the conversation will be non-confrontational if not outright pleasant. The...
It’s Okay To Talk A Little Longer
Individual Counseling Insights From Westlake Village-Based Patricia McTague-Loft Do you want to get a lively conversation going at a cocktail party? Ask some older people, preferably a Baby Boomer, what they think about the attention span of younger adults. For some...