Coaching Information



LifeHealthInsurance.ca

Controlling Behavior, Loving Behavior


When Zack and Tiffany started counseling with me, they were on the verge of divorce after 16 years of marriage. Neither really wanted to end the marriage, yet both were miserable. Both of them believed that their misery was because of the other person, and both could clearly articulate what the other person was doing wrong.

"Tiffany is just so distant and unaffectionate most of the time, and when we are together she is so critical of me. I can't seem to do anything right in her eyes. I try really hard to please her, but no matter what I do, it's not good enough."

"I just can't seem to connect with Zack. He's a really nice guy but I just can't feel anything with him. I feel irritated with him a lot and I don't really know why. He just annoys me. I feel like he's always wanting something from me and I just don't like being around him. And he's so darn nice! What's wrong with me that I don't like someone being so nice?"

I could see immediately that the underlying problem in this relationship was that both Zack and Tiffany were stuck in various forms of controlling behavior, yet neither of them were consciously trying to control.

Zack was a caretaker. He tried to control by being a "nice guy" and doing everything he thought Tiffany wanted, including making dinner every night, doing the laundry, and doing most of the child-care, even though both of them worked. He secretly believed that if he was nice enough, he could have control over Tiffany loving him and being turned on to him. What he didn't realize is that his niceness was really a "pull" on Tiffany, which is one reason she kept her distance. Underneath, Zack had a big fear of rejection and was trying to have control over Tiffany not rejecting him.

Tiffany was trying to control Zack primarily with her criticism. She was critical any time she felt Zack wanting something from her to make him feel safe and loved. She had a secret hope that if she criticized him enough, he would stop pulling on her for affection, sex and attention. Unconsciously, Tiffany had a huge fear of enfulfment, and was trying to protect herself from being engulfed and controlled by Zack. In addition, Tiffany could not experience who Zack was because he was putting himself aside to please her. She could not connect with him until he was authentically himself.

Everything Zack did to protect against rejection tapped into Tiffany's fear of engulfment, while everything Tiffany did to protect against engulfment tapped into Zack's fear of rejection. The more Zack pulled with niceness, the more Tiffany moved away, and the more Tiffany moved away, the more Zack pulled. What was the way out of this protective circle?

Both Zack and Tiffany needed to learn how to take loving care of themselves, rather than attempt to control the other. Zack needed to learn how to not take Tiffany's behavior as a personal rejection. He needed to see that her withdrawal was coming from her fear of engulfment that he was tapping into, but he was not the cause of her fear. She had this fear way before meeting him. Zack also needed to start to be loving to himself rather than "nice" to Tiffany. He needed to learn to take responsibility for his own feelings of well-being instead of being dependent upon Tiffany for them. In learning to take care of himself, he would naturally stop pulling on Tiffany for his sense of worth and security.

Tiffany needed to learn to speak her truth without blaming or judging. Instead of withdrawing and criticizing, she needed to stand up for herself and set loving limits with Zack in order to move beyond her fear of engulfment. She needed to learn to say things like, "Zack, I appreciate the dinner you made, but I feel like you made it with an expectation that I should now love you, rather than because you felt like making dinner. I'd rather that you not make dinner unless you are doing it because you really want to and without an expectation attached. I feel pulled on and it doesn't feel good."

Zack and Tiffany decided that it was worth learning how to be loving to themselves and then see what happened with their marriage. Fortunately, because both of them were devoted to learning to take full, 100% responsibility for their own feelings and needs, they were able to move out of their protective, controlling circle and into a loving circle. As they learned to take responsibility for themselves, their love for each other gradually returned.

About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.


MORE RESOURCES:

New York Daily News

BC Coach Stirs Up the Jets’ Search
New York Times, United States - 17 hours ago
By GREG BISHOP The Jets’ coaching search entered its second week Monday, complete with familiar names and an odd twist. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press ...
Cardinals assistant head coach Russ Grimm added to Jets' list New York Daily News
New York Jets to interview Arizona Cardinals assistant coach Russ ... The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
Jets to interview Cardinals assistant Russ Grimm The Associated Press
Arizona Republic - Boston Herald
all 114 news articles


Bleacher Report

Jags’ assistant to be head coach at Yale
Bizjournals.com, NC - 5 hours ago
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be losing an assistant coach to Yale, according to the Associated Press. The AP reported Monday that defensive assistant Tom ...
Yale Hires First Black Football Coach Blackvoices
Yale to name Williams new coach New Haven Register (subscription)
Yale Football Hartford Courant
Yale Daily News - SBR Forum
all 137 news articles


Washington Post

Broncos talk to Buccaneers’ assistant about coaching vacancy
Kansas City Star, MO - 17 hours ago
AP Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris finds himself in the running for the Denver coaching job. Raheem Morris’ interviewing skills could make his promotion to ...
Broncos coaching search dontinues WRNN
Bucs' Morris latest candidate meet with Broncos The Associated Press
Rivers: Bowlen Must Hire A Defensive Coach cbs4denver.com
Pewter Report - Tampa Tribune
all 256 news articles


Boston Globe

BC still waiting on Jagodzinski
Boston Globe, United States - 1 hour ago
According to sources familiar with the situation, Jagodzinski has inquired not only about head coaching openings, but is even considering a return to the ...
Threat won't stop BC coach Albany Times Union
BC mum on coach Jagodzinski's NFL prospects The Associated Press
BC coach puts job on line for Jets New York Daily News
Boston Herald - Hartford Courant
all 343 news articles


Falcons' Smith Is NFL's Top Coach
Washington Post, United States - Jan 4, 2009
"I'm honored individually, but more so for our coaching staff and our players," Smith told the Associated Press. "I think we have tried to establish that ...
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: MIKE SMITH: THE BEST WE HAVE Atlanta Journal Constitution
Rookies top coach-of-the-year voting Kentucky.com
Atlanta's Smith wins coach of year award St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Falcoholic
all 593 news articles


CBC.ca

Cowher Says He Won’t Coach in 2009 Season
New York Times, United States - Jan 4, 2009
By AP Bill Cowher said Sunday that he did not plan to coach in the NFL next season and that he would stay with CBS Sports as a studio analyst. ...
Bill Cowher: Afraid To Coach Again? Will Never Repeat Success with ... Bleacher Report
Cowher doesn't plan on coaching in 2009 Seattle Post Intelligencer
Bill Cowher Says He Isn’t Planning a Return to Coaching in 2009 Bloomberg
The Associated Press - AHN
all 242 news articles


New York Daily News

Jets must decide what kind of coach they need
Newsday, NY - Jan 5, 2009
The Jets promised an exhaustive search for their next coach, and they've followed through on that. Their list of candidates is a long one, including both ...
Jets coaching search progress report amNewYork
Letters to the Editor New York Times
Coaching Search - Week 2 New York Post
The Associated Press - New York Daily News
all 201 news articles


The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Former Giants coach Jim Fassel candidate for Rams job
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com, NJ - 8 hours ago
by Frank Della Femina/NJ.com Reports suggest that former New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel will meet with the St. Louis Rams this Thursday to discuss ...
Rams will ask right questions as they search for new coach St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fassel among candidates for Rams' job The Associated Press
Coaches and their schemes Turf Show Times
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
all 99 news articles


New York Times

Coach factory: Ohio makes, football takes
USA Today - 18 hours ago
And I'm sure it did Coach Stoops." Stoops, 48, grew up in Youngstown in northeastern Ohio, an hour's drive south of Ashtabula, the Lake Erie community that ...
Stoops Looks to Prove He Can Win on His Own New York Times
Stoops-to-Broncos talk sore subject for coach Denver Post
Q & A with Coach Stoops GatorCountry.com
NewsOK.com - Florida Times-Union
all 28 news articles


Sooners’ Offense Is Like Something Gators’ Meyer Has Seen Before
New York Times, United States - 5 hours ago
“The job he did at Northwestern is one of the real outstanding coaching jobs that I remember during my career,” Carr said. It was the first time in Carr’s ...
Q & A with Urban Meyer GatorCountry.com
Meyer scripting lasting Florida legacy ESPN
Hiram de Fries an unheralded but vital piece of Florida Gators ... Palm Beach Post
New York Times
all 30 news articles

Coaching - Google News

home | site map
© 2006