The question might be asked, "Why marry?". As Kierkegaard said about marriage, "If you do it you'll regret it — if you don't do it you'll regret it.” But the British Office of National Statistics in 2007 reported that married couples live longer, that younger married men have half the mortality rate of unmarried men, that married people commonly enjoy better health, that children living with married parents are healthier, and that those children stay in education longer. Marriage is also reportedly associated with better psychological adjustment, reduced violence, increased wealth and reduced welfare dependency. There are clearly many community benefits to marriage which help justify society’s efforts to support the institution. However, a distinction needs to be made between happy and unhappy marriages. Research shows that those who are unhappily married are more prone to illness than others, and that unhappy marital partners live on average four years less than happy ones. Therefore whether or not to marry might not be the key question, but how might one go about having a happy, long-term union.

"Burnout" is a term which relates to symptomatic distress we may experience after being in stressful circumstances associated with persistent demands placed on us. Burnout occurs when the demands on us outstrip our resources including strategies for coping. For example, we may become "burnt out" after a period of excessive work demands, especially when there has been limited time for oneself. We may feel overwhelmed and wish for more time or more support. We may experience ourselves and others as falling short of expectations. This can be combined with a range of symptoms associated with increased stress described below.

All of us will face periods of transition in our lives which involve particular challenges. Some psychological adjustments relate not so much to external events, but to more internal challenges, perhaps associated with life stages and the aging process. Early last century Carl Jung spoke of psychological challenges which occur in our lives around mid-life, around 40 years of age give or take two or three years or after around 13 years of marriage.  It is commonly a period of both upheaval and potential growth.

What comes to mind when we hear the term "generation gap"? Parents and children of any age are likely to experience at least some degree of frustration and conflict in their everyday interactions because we are not always going to want the same thing. It is normal and healthy for parents and children to have different wants or interests. There are likely to be extra tensions in the household where those children are of teenage years. It might be then considered to be in their "job description" to test the limits and push the boundaries as it were. It is during these years, often in the relative safety of the home, that teenagers will be testing out their range of ways of having an impact on others and their world in general, and seeking to establish an identity separate from their parents.

Many people find it very difficult to make a decision to see a psychologist. Often when they do so, this has already started a process of turning a bigger problem into a lesser one. Because commonly when people see a psychologist for the first time, they have two problems, or layers of problems. The first problem is what they are seeking help for, perhaps a panic or anxiety reaction, a depressive condition, an anger or behavioural problem, or perhaps a relationship issue or a life adjustment problem. But in addition to that, people commonly have a second problem which relates to their reaction to the first - commonly in the form of non-acceptance or shame. And it is this non-acceptance of the first problem which is the bigger stumbling block, or at least a significant barrier to progress. Reactions to the original problem can also include feeling very anxious about having panic reactions, feeling helpless about one's relationship problem, or even being depressed about being depressed.

This is a particularly interesting time in the development of the psychology field. People are only just beginning to understand the potential power of positive or optimistic thinking. Dr Martin Seligman has done some wonderful work over many years which demonstrates that people can develop more optimistic ways of thinking which helps them to win football competitions, win presidential elections, better survive potentially fatal illnesses and generally feel happier. He has extended his work on learned optimism to highlight ways in which people can have more happy and fulfilling lives by drawing on their signature character strengths. His recent book, Authentic Happiness, outlines ways in which people can reliably seek to experience a greater sense of gratification, as opposed to mere pleasure, in their everyday lives. His website can also be accessed on www.authentichappiness.org.