Playing at dating – What’s appropriate for kids and what isn’t?
Johannesburg-based relationships counsellor Michael Kallenbach says although it is important for parents to set boundaries, children playing at relationships is usually just another game of pretend. “Just as children play pretend-nurse and doctor, or patient and doctor so they will also act out playing girlfriend and boyfriend. They will obviously have seen family members or […]
Mental health in relationships: How you and your partner can cope with a crisis
What can you do if you suspect your partner may be suffering from a mental health issue? “One has to tread gently and carefully with this,” says Michael Kallenbach a couples therapist with consulting rooms in Parkhurst, Johannesburg. “Perhaps enlist another member of the family to help raise this with empathy and sensitivity. Try to […]
EOH Workshop: Managing relationships during lockdown
In July, Michael was asked to conduct a workshop for a staff group – numbering almost 1,000 – at EOH, Africa’s largest technology service provider. The workshop, conducted via Zoom, was on managing relationships during the lockdown period and beyond. EOH provides the technology, knowledge, skills and organisational ability critical to Africa’s development and growth. […]
ADAPTING TO ONLINE THERAPY, AS A THERAPIST, DURING COVID-19
The colleagues I have talked to in the past few weeks appear divided between those who are working exclusively on line and others who are mixing things a little – seeing clients face-to-face as well as via video conferencing. From the outset of the lockdown at the end of March, counsellors were considered “essential services” […]
Long-distance relationships: How to make them work and keep the flame alive
“Long distance relationships ARE sustainable,” says Michael Kallenbach, a couples therapist with consulting rooms in Parkhurst, Johannesburg. “They just require determination and commitment. With video conferencing and free wi-fi telephone calls these days, it makes it easy for both parties to stay in regular contact.” How do you keep the romance alive in long-distance relationships? Kallenbach is […]
The 7-year-itch: Myth or Fact? What are the warning signs?
According to Michael Kallenbach, a couples therapist with consulting rooms in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, “the 7-year-itch is something to be on the lookout for. It might not be seven years, but many couples start to think when they have young children to bring up whether this is what they signed up for. Naturally, relationships change when […]
Suddenly you notice the person you’ve been living with chews with their mouth open
While a certain amount of conflict is inevitable in relationships, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated matters, experts say. The Coronovirus has meant that partners across the world have less time and money and are dealing with an unprecedented amount of chaos and uncertainty. Michael Kallenbach featured in the Saturday Star, June 20 2020.
From the 12 – 19 June edition of South African Jewish Report
If we want to emerge from this trying time with our bonds intact, we need to find new ways to engage with one another under lockdown. So said Michael Kallenbach, an internationally renowned relationship therapist and marriage counsellor, who outlined the challenges facing couples for a Zoom audience at eLimmud on Sunday, 31 May. “These […]
Adjusting to Online Consulting
These are indeed unchartered waters that might make us all stronger and more successful in the work we love doing. WE’VE all had to make adjustments to our life and working patterns for the duration of the lock-down period. As a result, I’ve moved my “premises” from my Parkhurst consulting rooms (in a separate area […]
“Who’s buying the weed?”
A pyschologist-approved guide to not falling out with your flatmates during lockdown. DON’T create unnecessary arguments Which TV show are you going to watch? Are you going to go for walks together or separately? Who’s buying the weed? Michael Kallenbach, relationship counsellor, says that by talking about these kinds of things before they become problems, you […]