Welcome! We’re James and Kara — or “JnK,” as most folks know us. We created this site to share our relationship journey, reflect on what we’ve learned about partnership along the way, and offer tools and ideas that couples and families can use (and adapt) to enrich their own journey.
We believe that if a person values something, whether a car or a home or a relationship, he or she should be willing to take good care of it — to maintain it. Of course we should be careful comparing a relationship to owning a home or a car, but like a home or a car, a relationship can be a source of stability, protection, warmth, creativity, and even mobility (at least in the sense of personal development or success). Without care, however, things fall apart.
From the beginning of our journey, we’ve asked ourselves two questions. What can we do to care for our relationship? And, if we care well for it, how far can it take us — as a couple and as individuals? What we’ve found is that a relationship, unlike a car or a house, isn’t something that we have as much as it’s something that we do. In other words, relationship is a practice.
We’ve come a long way since first asking ourselves those two questions. Our commitment to understanding relationships — and, in turn, better understanding each other — has been deeply rewarding. We attended college together, each earning degrees in Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies. Eventually, we each completed graduate degrees–James, a PhD in Educational Measurement, and Kara, a PhD in Transpersonal Counseling. Our academic journey has enriched our perspective and equipped us with valuable tools to thoughtfully engage with the challenges many couples face today.
About This Site
This site chronicles a random collection of highlights from our own relationship practice — moments that illustrate how far we’ve come and what we’ve done over the years to care for our partnership. Now, after two decades of practicing relationship, we find ourselves asking new questions: How can we care for our family relationships? And if we build healthy, intentional bonding connections, how far can that take us — not just as a couple, but as a family?
We created jnkdavis.com as a space for exploration — a place to wander, reflect, and discover. While the site is organized into categories, our goal was never strict structure, but rather an experience of curiosity, surprise, and connection. We hope you find something here that inspires you to go further in your own journey — and supports your practice of togetherness.
Enjoy!