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verbal abuse patterns to watch out for

5 Verbal Abuse Patterns You Should Never Ignore In A Partner

Abuse/Neglect /

Verbal abuse is more than just harsh words hurled in the heat of an argument. It’s a calculated effort to demean, frighten, and control another person. Over time, it eats away at a person’s self-esteem and emotional well-being, often with the potential to escalate into physical abuse, domestic violence, or child abuse. If you find yourself on the receiving end of verbal abuse, know you’re not to blame. Awareness of verbal abuse patterns is the […]

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money conversations for couples, happy lesbian couple

13 Money Conversations Couples Should Have Before Marriage

Relationship /

Before marriage, couples should talk about debts, assets and credit scores; past money mistakes; short- and long-term goals; saving and spending; how each of you grew up with money; whether to merge finances; emergency savings; investing; paying off debt; wills and estate planning; future costs like childcare; who handles which money tasks; and how you’ll handle financial setbacks. The point isn’t to agree on everything, but to understand each other and make a plan together.

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signs of emotional cheating

Signs of Emotional Cheating and How to Respond

Affairs/Infidelity, Relationship /

Emotional cheating is a close emotional bond with someone outside your relationship that takes the place your partner should have. It usually counts as emotional cheating when you hide or downplay the connection, confide in that person about things you don’t share with your partner (especially problems in your relationship), think about them constantly, look forward to them more than to your partner, or cross boundaries you and your partner have agreed on. No physical

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signs of parental burnout and how to cope, parents stressed with children

6 Signs of Parental Burnout and Effective Strategies to Cope

Parenting /

The main signs of parental burnout are feeling detached from your children, exhausted from the moment you wake up, cynical or resentful about parenting, convinced you’re failing as a parent, and physically run down, along with changes in how you behave, like withdrawing or snapping more often. Unlike ordinary stress, burnout doesn’t lift when a hard day ends. If that sounds familiar, support for the whole household, including family therapy in San Diego, can help.

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are co narcsissist

Are You a Co-Narcissist? 5 Signs to Watch For

Narcissist /

You may be a co-narcissist if you constantly organize your life around a self-centered partner or parent: you people-please, hide your own opinions and feelings, take responsibility for everything that goes wrong, combine high empathy with low self-esteem, and depend on their approval to feel okay about yourself. Co-narcissism is a learned way of coping, often rooted in growing up with a narcissistic parent, and it can be unlearned. If the pattern feels familiar, codependency

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love mapping

Love Mapping Is the Secret to Saving Your Marriage – As Seen In – Pure Wow

As Seen In /

Love maps, according to psychologist and relationship expert Dr. John M. Gottman, are outlines of everything you know about your partner: hobbies, dreams, frustrations, and everything there is to know about them. Gottman says that couples with detailed love maps are most likely to enjoy marital closeness and satisfaction. In an article by Pure Wow, The Relationship Place Founder, Dr. Dana McNeil, also a Gottman-trained Relationship Therapist, shared her expert insights on it. She laid

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dating someone with depression

Dating Someone With Depression: 6 Things to Know

Depression /

When you’re dating someone with depression, it helps to know that depression is a medical condition, not a choice or a verdict on your relationship. Their low moods, withdrawal or lack of interest usually reflect the illness rather than their feelings for you. You can help by listening without trying to fix things, encouraging professional treatment, staying patient through good and bad days, and taking care of your own well-being too. Love is a real

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conflict resolution strategies in marriage

7 Gottman-Based Ways to Resolve Conflicts in Marriage

Relationship /

Couples resolve conflict in a healthy way by raising issues gently instead of with blame, staying open to each other’s influence, making and accepting repair attempts when things get heated, taking breaks when either of you is overwhelmed, and looking for compromise rather than a winner. Dr. John Gottman’s research found that the happiest couples still argue; they just argue in ways that protect the friendship underneath. Gottman Method couples therapy teaches these skills directly.

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what is eggshell parenting

What Is Eggshell Parenting? – As Seen In – Charlie Health

As Seen In /

Eggshell parenting is a term that recently went viral on TikTok. The term might be new to some, but this parenting style has been observed in parents’ and caregivers’ behaviors for ages. What is it exactly? Our founder, Dr. Dana McNeil PsyD, LMFT describes it as a style of responses from a parent or caregiver that are inconsistent and unpredictable. In an article by Charlie Health, Dr. McNeil shares her expert views about eggshell parenting

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Eggshell Parenting2 E1692845771954

What Is Eggshell Parenting? Signs, Effects and How to Heal

Parenting /

Eggshell parenting is a pattern in which a parent’s moods and reactions are so unpredictable that children learn to “walk on eggshells” to avoid setting them off. The parent may be warm one moment and explosive or cold the next, often over ordinary childhood behavior, and may imply that the child is responsible for how the parent feels. Over time, children in these homes become hyper-alert to other people’s moods at the expense of their

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