The Spark Blog
Category: Couples
An Unconventional Valentine’s Gift
Although Valentine’s Day provides an opportunity for many couples to celebrate their love and commitment to one another, for others it can be a stark reminder that being in a relationship can be tough. While flowers, chocolates and fancy dinners are all lovely gestures, what if there was a gift that can truly enhance your…
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How to support your relationship in retirement
Most couples look forward to retirement, eager to spend more quality time together. Free from the constraints and pressures of work it is a chance to relax and, especially if the nest is empty, an opportunity to embrace hobbies new and old. The reality of this major life transition can, however, be very different. Couples…
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How to Help a Child Deal with Parental Separation and Divorce
As a counselling and support charity, The Spark often works with couples trying to avoid parental separation. Sometimes, however, it is best for everyone involved that a relationship comes to an end. From time to time our counsellors are involved in helping couples separate amicably by providing emotional support, alongside mediation and/or legal proceedings. Frequently…
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Try making a relationship resolution this year
Here’s a question that came to mind on Hogmanay: why do we rarely make New Year resolutions about our relationships? Typically, we opt for an act of self-improvement like eating better, exercising more, quitting smoking or spending more time reading books that will broaden our minds and less time binge-watching Amazon Prime. All are important…
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How to Be Happy – part 3
According to American pundit William Bennett, the pursuit of happiness can be thought of this way: ‘Happiness is like a cat, if you try to coax it or call it, it will avoid you; it will never come. But if you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you’ll find it rubbing…
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Songs for Sound Minds #28 – Dixie Chicks
Songs for Sound Minds are our picks of the best music that uplifts, inspires and boosts mental health. Songs written as an anthem to overcoming the storms of life. The songs that give hope in those times when we are struggling. Our latest pick could have been entitled ‘the hard way around’. The Long Way…
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How FOMO is making us miss out
FOMO – fear of missing out – is a concept that could have been created for the social media age. Essentially, it captures that internal sense that other people are having a better time right now than you are. Partnered with its sibling FoBO – fear of a better option – their impact on our…
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Songs For Sound Minds #27 – Ben E. King
Songs for Sound Minds are our picks of the best music that uplifts, inspires and boosts mental health. Songs written as an anthem to overcoming the storms of life. The songs that give hope in those times when we are struggling. Today’s entry – ‘Stand by Me’ – is a companion piece to one of…
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The world’s most dangerous words
Believe it or not, there are two words in every language that should be considered the most dangerous in the world. With just over 700,000 words in the English dictionary, there are plenty of potential suspects. In the era of Trump and global warming you would be forgiven for thinking they might be ‘launch missiles’…
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