How To Protect Yourself When Self-Isolating With A Controlling Partner
Home isn’t always a safe place.
And even if you do feel okay, maybe home it isn’t always a calm, peaceful place. Read more
Verbal Abuse: When The Joke Just Isn’t Funny
Many people assume that verbal abuse is just about swearing. And some go one step further by thinking that swearing is only abusive if it’s attached to name-calling. If they didn’t call you an #@$%ing [insert], then they haven’t been abusive. Read more
Coercive Control: 7 Reasons Why Women Don’t Leave
When Sally Challen walked free from the Old Bailey in London in 2019, many saw this as a landmark decision for how the legal system treats domestic abuse. European countries, including England and Wales, are taking the lead on redefining domestic abuse. And slowly there has been a build of awareness about a particular aspect of this, i.e. coercive control. Read more
The Honest Truth About Your Partner’s Anger Issues
What we have called anger may be abuse – David Richo
You can usually tell when someone is angry. It’s visceral. A raised voice, trembling, fidgeting, fast speech, heavy breathing, the furrowed brow, the clenched hand or maybe flared nostrils. But equally, it can be the opposite. Silence or sudden disappearance.
Often, couples come to counselling naming a problem with anger in the relationship, anticipating that better communication and anger management skills would help solve the problem of endless conflict.
The problem is, however, that abuse and anger look similar. Read more
Gaslighting 101: What Is Gaslighting And What You Need To Do
Gaslighting is a sophisticated, subtle form of emotional manipulation which is so effective that you accept whatever the gaslighter presents as the truth. Read more
5 Subtle Signs Of A Controlling Relationship That Look Like Care
When in your relationship do you feel cared for?
Sometimes we feel embarrassed about our wish to be cared for. But Rick Hanson, PhD, says that wanting to be cared for is natural and deeply rooted in evolution. Care is a symbol of love. And love, generally speaking, has been the primary driver of the development of the human brain over millions of years. Care is crucial to survival. Read more
How To Tell If Your Relationship Is Causing Your Anxiety
If the story of your relationship (maybe it feels more like a drama) is punctuated with problematic narcissistic behaviours, sadly, anxiety will likely also play a part. Read more
9 Warning Signs of Narcissism In Your Relationship
When the need for self-confirmation becomes extreme, you enter the potentially unhealthy or pathological narcissism domain. Read more
Echo’s Story – How Living With Narcissism Affects You
In my previous blog post, I wrote about the story of Narcissus and Echo to give you clues as to whether you are living with someone with a narcissistic personality. If you didn’t read it, click here to check it out.
That post was about understanding the modern-day Narcissus. Now it’s Echo’s turn, and how living with narcissism affects you. Read more
Is My Partner A Narcissist – The Dance Between Narcissus and Echo
If you’re in a relationship and notice that you have lost your voice, your spirit, feel overlooked, lonely, and that your needs are not important, this classic story might feel painfully familiar. Read more