According to Gottman, children raised by emotion-coaching parents tend to exhibit higher levels of emotional intelligence, resilience, and social competence. These children are better equipped to manage stress, navigate social conflicts, and maintain healthier relationships.

Emotion coaching allows children to recognize and label their emotions without shame, giving them tools to process challenging experiences (Gottman & DeClaire, 1997).

For instance, during a tantrum, an emotion-coaching parent might say, “I see that you’re upset because you can’t have the toy right now. It’s okay to feel frustrated.”

This approach acknowledges the child's feelings while simultaneously guiding them toward understanding and regulating their emotional response. Over time, these children learn to calm themselves down, articulate their emotions, and work through challenges with greater self-awareness.

Family dynamics are the invisible threads that weave together the emotional fabric of a child's life.

These dynamics—how a family communicates, resolves conflict, and nurtures emotional bonds—play a crucial role in shaping a child's emotional development.

Let's explore how these patterns influence a child's emotional resilience, identity formation, and behavioral patterns, drawing from social science research to offer practical, actionable insights.

“Make your bed before you take over the world" is deceptively simple advice with roots in both ancient wisdom and modern psychology.

It’s not just about tucking in some sheets and fluffing pillows. It’s about the human need for control, structure, and the kind of discipline that eventually leads to bigger accomplishments.

As a seasoned family therapist, I’ve come to see this idea as a brilliant metaphor for life—and believe me, I’ve heard enough chaos and emotional bedlam over the years to know a good metaphor when I see one.

A new study published in Personal Relationships explores how perceptions of a romantic partner’s drinking habits are related to relationship satisfaction and mental health among young adults.

The study finds that when young men perceive their partner as having problematic drinking behavior, they are more likely to report increased symptoms of depression.

The findings also suggest that men’s mental health and relationship satisfaction are more impacted by the quantity and nature of drinking within the relationship than women’s.

A recent study published in The Journal of Sex Research sheds light on an important communication pattern known as demand-withdrawal, and how it impacts couples during discussions about sexual conflicts.

The research found that couples who often fall into this dynamic tend to experience lower levels of both relationship and sexual satisfaction. Over time, they also report higher sexual distress and a general decline in how happy they feel in their relationship.

The research team wanted to dig into how couples handle sexual conflicts specifically, which hasn’t been studied as much as other relationship challenges.

Talking about sex can be tricky—these conversations often bring up feelings like shame, fear, or anger, making it harder to openly discuss problems. When communication around sexual issues falters, it can harm intimacy and overall well-being, leaving both partners feeling disconnected.

What is Narcissistic Abuse? Understanding Emotional and Psychological Manipulation

Narcissistic abuse occurs when an individual with narcissistic traits—such as an inflated sense of self-importance, lack of empathy, and a constant need for admiration—engages in patterns of emotional manipulation to control their partner.

Narcissistic partners use various tactics, including gaslighting, projection, and love-bombing, to gain dominance in relationships, leading their victims to feel confused, emotionally unstable, and often powerless.

Breakups are rarely simple, and as countless stories on Reddit’s r/BreakUps show, the end of a relationship is often fraught with confusion, pain, and a sense of regret.

But what if some of these relationships could have been saved? Could couples therapy have provided the tools needed to navigate conflict, heal emotional wounds, and avoid the final heartbreak?

In this blog post, we’ll explore common relationship issues shared on r/BreakUps and discuss how therapy might have helped these couples find resolution before reaching the breaking point.

Infidelity is one of the most devastating events that can happen in a relationship. While many people assume cheating marks the end of a relationship, others find ways to survive—and sometimes even strengthen—their bond after the betrayal.

Over on Reddit’s r/infidelity, users share stories of both heartbreak and recovery, offering insights into why some relationships endure infidelity while others do not.

This blog will explore what Reddit users have taught us about infidelity and the key factors that therapists believe determine whether a relationship can survive.

By combining real-life examples with therapeutic insights, we’ll dive deep into what it takes to rebuild trust and move forward after betrayal.

In Reddit’s r/relationship_advice, thousands of people post daily about their relationship challenges. These stories range from small disagreements to major conflicts that leave people questioning the future of their partnerships.

While the community is quick to offer support and advice, sometimes even the best Reddit suggestions fall short of offering a solution tailored to the unique emotional dynamics of a couple. This is where couples therapy comes in.

Therapy offers a personalized, evidence-based approach to addressing conflict, helping couples understand the root causes of their problems and work toward lasting solutions.

In the ever-popular r/relationship_advice subreddit, users from all walks of life post about their relationship challenges, hoping for validation or guidance.

Many times, these posts highlight what we, as therapists, often refer to as "red flags"—warning signs that something isn’t quite right.

Yet, for the people living through these experiences, these red flags are often missed or downplayed.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most common red flags seen on r/relationship_advice, discuss what they reveal about unhealthy relationship dynamics, and, most importantly, explain how therapy can intervene before it’s too late.

If you’ve ever caught yourself staring at your phone, wondering why it’s taking your partner more than 30 seconds to respond, you might be familiar with anxious attachment. The good news? You’re not alone.

Enter Reddit’s r/AnxiousAttachment, where relationship anxiety meets the comfort of knowing that plenty of others are unraveling at exactly the same time.

For anyone who’s ever spiraled into overthinking because of a "seen" message that never led to a reply, or had their entire day thrown off by a partner’s neutral response (seriously, what does “sure” even mean?), this subreddit is a kind of therapy, mixed with humor and a hefty dose of "we're all in this together."

If you’ve ever found yourself emotionally distancing from someone at the first sign of intimacy, or if you’ve perfected the art of ghosting as a method of self-preservation, you might just find a home in the world of the Avoidant Attachment subreddit.

Yes, that’s right—there’s a thriving community of people who get that look of panic in their eyes at the word “vulnerable” and would rather jump out of a moving car than have “the talk.”

The Avoidant Attachment subreddit (r/AvoidantAttachment) is a safe haven for those who dance the delicate tango of keeping relationships at arm’s length while simultaneously pondering why they feel so alone.