Family estrangement, particularly from an adult child, can leave parents feeling helpless and heartbroken.

The question of whether to keep reaching out is complex and multifaceted, involving a deep understanding of the emotional dynamics at play and the long-term impact on both parties.

Let's respect the intricacies of this issue, exploring expert advice and research findings to guide parents through this challenging situation.

Men who don’t explicitly learn how to calm themselves down will typically respond to criticism with the other three horsemen; stonewalling, defensiveness, and contempt.

It takes a little psycho-education to understand that a man’s nervous system can work against him with intimate others.

Stonewalling is an often involuntary physiological defensive response to a sense of feeling overwhelmed. It is grounded in a fear of conflict and a desire to mitigate anger and escalation.

Because most stonewallers (85%) are men, it is challenging for their partners to accept that stonewalling is their body’s automatic go-to method of self-soothing.

It’s an evolutionary adaptation that simply doesn’t work in intimate relationships. In many cases, it’s a misbegotten attempt to “calm things down.”

Stonewalling typically starts out with a male partner becoming physiologically overwhelmed and failing to advise their spouse of that fact…

Navigating relationships can often feel like dancing through a minefield, especially when one partner exhibits symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

I've witnessed firsthand in therapy sessions the intense emotional rollercoaster that partners experience.

One of the most challenging aspects of BPD is the relationship between obsession and the disorder.

Every marriage has an inherent tension between the need for independence and the desire for intimacy.

Couples therapists call this delicate balance "differentiation."

Differentiation in marriage is all about personal growth while maintaining a close relationship.

As Ellyn Bader puts it, differentiation is "the active, ongoing process of defining self, expressing and activating self, revealing self, clarifying boundaries, and managing the anxiety that comes from risking either more intimacy or potential separation."

We tell women they should expect to feel grief and sadness when their children have fled the nest.

We even have a label for this cultural expectation, Empty Nest Syndrome.

But is it, like the unmitigated joy of childbirth, a cultural lie we insist on telling ourselves?

Everybody can nag, and there are several different flavors of nagging.

Research tells us that the dynamic of nagging emerges from differences in social status, gender roles, and power differences.

Let’s discuss a few of them… is research saying that some men are being nagged to death?

What is Cinema Therapy?

Cinema therapy is the clinical use of movies as a top-line mental health intervention.

Cinema therapy offers a catalytic, multi-sensory impact on thoughts, feelings, and values.

Watching movies can activate areas of the brain involved in emotional processing, empathetic responses, and problem-solving…

Power struggles in relationships are typically shaped by gendered behavior.

Research tells us that over 80% of conflictual marital discussions are initiated by wives, while husbands typically dodge and deflect these overtures.

A couples therapist needs to normalize this dynamic; we’re not talking about dysfunctional marriages here. We’re talking about happy marriages as well…

In his book, The Science of Trust, Dr. John Gottman explains that 91% of our time spent together as a couple is spent as a foursome…because when you’re not emotionally available with your real partner, you may be in deep communion with the partner in your head.

That’s why this post talks to you about one of the most powerful interventions in science-based couples therapy…the Gottman Repair Checklist.

We all know how hard it can be to refuse requests—more than three-quarters of people accept social invitations they'd rather avoid just to keep the peace.

But what if there was a way to say "No" comfortably? Good news: there is!

Ever hesitated to ask for a favor, fearing rejection or revealing your own insecurities? You're not alone. But here's the kicker: you're actually 50% more persuasive than you think!

Why? Psychological research shows we often underestimate our persuasive powers. People comply with our requests far more often than we imagine.