From the Blog
Understanding the Anxious-Avoidant Relationship Trap
There are many different types of dysfunctional relationships. In codependent types of relationships, a common pattern of behavior that can be found is the anxious-avoidant trap. Sherry Gaba explains this pattern in full detail in her book, The Marriage and...
Can Marriage Be a Lonely Place?
It seems like a strange contradiction, but it's not uncommon for people in committed relationships to be lonely. They may miss having a sense of emotional closeness with their partner, or they may just feel a vague sense of dissatisfaction, or that something isn't...
The One Thing You Absolutely Need to Find a Great Partner
I'll admit, that title sounds kind of like an ad for perfume or positivity or plastic surgery. But you don't need to go shopping for the one thing you absolutely need to find a great partner. Because–surprise!–what you really need is to know in your heart that you're...
What Happens After the Breakup
Love hurts. Sometimes it hurts a lot. However you got here–whether your partner broke up with you, or you decided to break it off–grief is a process you have to work through. Take the time to work all the way through it and you'll come out the other side stronger and...
Why Some People Attract Dysfunctional Relationships
Most of us tend to pick partners who reflect the vision we have of ourselves and our world. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Compatibility and a sense of ease in a relationship come from having similar preferences, ideas, and values about things like...
Becoming Comfortable with Yourself as a Single
In society today, as it has been for decades, there is a very different perspective on being single for males and females. Men are seen as being freewheeling and not to become tied down too quickly while women are seen as lonely, depressed or unhappy if they are not...
Choosing the Wrong Partner: 7 Reasons We Settle for Less Than We Deserve
Here are some of the reasons why people settle for relationships that just don't give them what they need We've all been in the kind of relationship where friends and family members keep asking us why we stay with "that guy" or "that woman." That partner we keep...
The Nurturing Obsession
Nurturing someone, helping them to grow and change for the better, is part of a loving relationship. People in healthy relationships often say that over time, their partner has helped them become a better person. But when nurturing turns into an obsession, it becomes...
The Dangers of Dating Apps for Codependents and Love Addicts
Treating an addition is very different from treating a simple cold. It is more like managing a chronic health condition where it will require constant tending to yourself and your emotional state to avoid a relapse. In this way, a love addict has to continually manage...
The Narcissist Dance
I've blogged about narcissists before, but just to get us all on the same page, the Mayo Clinic research group defines narcissistic personality disorder as "a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive...