03 Apr Are You Being Subtly Abused?
Subtle abusers can be loving, funny, warm and engaging when they want to be, which makes you all the more unsuspecting...
Author: avery
16 Feb 12 Subtle Signs You’re Being Psychologically Abused by Your Partner
By Nicole Yi According to psychotherapist Avery Neal, over 50 percent of Americans, both men and women, have been in a psychologically abusive relationship — and that statistic only includes those who report it. Psychological abuse is often carried out through manipulation and control tactics. Though...
28 Jan Trusting Others… and Yourself… After an Abusive Relationship
If you’ve been in any type of abusive relationship and successfully gotten out, at some point in your recovery, you are likely to experience feelings of reticence, caution, cynicism and even paranoia about others. This is particularly the case in regard to romantic partners. Once you’ve been burned, it’s not so easy to risk getting close to fire again, right?
27 Jan Early Warning Signs of an Abusive Relationship
When it comes to abuse, the most important thing we can do to help ourselves and our children is to educate ourselves on the early warning signs of abuse. We need to know what to look for beyond name-calling, lying, and hitting. We also need to know how to spot an aggressive and controlling relationship, because while there are no physical scars, psychologically abusive relationships can slowly strip away a person’s self- esteem, self-worth, and quality of life.
27 Jan What A Healthy Relationship Looks Like
What is reasonable to expect out of a relationship? Love and support? Understanding and encouragement? A sense of safety and belonging? Knowing that your partner really sees you? Knowing that your partner truly values you? Knowing that your feelings and needs matter to your partner? Trusting your partner even when you are not with him or her? Both of you seeking resolution, taking responsibility and attempting to restore closeness after conflict? If these things seem way over the top because you’re used to surviving with far less, they are not.
18 Jan 7 Unexpected Habits That Affect Your Serotonin Levels
By Carina Wolff Serotonin has long been credited as our mood regulator. It plays a role in how we feel, and low levels of the neurotransmitter may cause issues with happiness. We've been warned that taking drugs can mess with our serotonin, but there are a number of other unexpected habits that can affect serotonin levels as well. If you're feeling anxious, depressed, or even just experiencing low energy, forgoing these habits can help replenish your serotonin levels, which can improve how you feel overall.
13 Jan 11 Life Skills You Should Have Before Getting Into A Relationship
By Carina Wolff It's exciting when you meet someone you want to date, but in order for the relationship to be successful, you want to make sure you've done the proper work on yourself first. There a number of life skills that will let you know if you're ready for a relationship because they will not only make life easier for yourself, but will help strengthen any relationship you may develop. According to experts, having these skills can help increase the chances of a relationship working out long-term. And even if you haven't perfected all of them by the time you commit to someone, it's good to start developing them before you enter a relationship.
19 Oct Mirror, Mirror: Healing Our Earliest Reflections
Our parents are our first mirrors. As we grow, we look to our primary caregivers to give us feedback and help guide us through a world unknown. What gets reflected back to us is the basis upon which we form our first self-impressions. Based on these reflections, we begin to develop a self-concept as we identify ourselves more with certain attributes, less with others.
03 May Setting Boundaries Is an Act of Self-Respect
Establishing healthy relationships means establishing healthy boundaries and clear and respectful guidelines for how we want to be treated by others. If you’ve ever been to therapy or read self-help books, you are likely to have come across the term, “setting boundaries”. In the past, I would skim over those words or nod my head in agreement with my therapist without giving this idea much thought. It wasn’t until I found myself exhausted from pouring so much of myself into everyone else, and resentful when I felt mistreated, that I realized I needed to perk up and learn what I could do to set my own boundaries.