Blog
Articles on relationships, family and wellbeing.
How does parental conflict affect children long term?
It is normal for couples to argue, but it how they argue that affects children externally and internally. Children internalise how their parents navigate through conflict and take these patterns into their adult relationships. Research has shown Interparental conflict disturbances in child sleep pat...
Narcissism/Gaslighting in Relationships
Narcissists have no self-reflection or empathy. What this means is they don’t reflect on how their behaviour affects others because there is no empathy. Narcissist’s know what empathy looks like and therefore they can imitate empathy, however, it is not consistant nor genuine. They appear to show em...
The effects of Conflict on pregnancies & children
Ongoing research has been done on exposure to prenatal stress, development and long-term functioning of offspring directly and indirectly. When the mother-to-be is either living in a toxic relationship or she herself is abusive, there are long term effects on the unborn child and children. They are...
Reactive Abuse in Relationships
Reactive abuse occurs in long term abusive relationships. The victim reaches breaking point inside and lashes out with pushing, hair pulling, raging, or punching. This is after a sustained period of gaslighting, emotional, psychological, coercive, or sexually or physical abuse. This is not violence...
Fear In Relationships
Fear can play an active part in any relationship, causing conflict, disrespect, contempt, jealousy, control, causing each other to walk away. Aggression can disguise the fear of not being enough to your partner. The fear you can’t provide for your family. It can be the fear of change. The fear of ha...
What makes a healthy relationship?
To start with slow to anger, slow to speak and quick to forgive. What this looks like is, instead of getting angry because something hasn’t gone your way, you’ve had a bad day at work, the kids are fighting, the house is a mess because the kids haven’t followed through with instructions from you, et...
What makes a man feel devalued in a relationship?
Criticism. Disrespect. Shaming. Not feeling heard. Not feeling valued. Being made to feel he doesn’t matter. Being undermined in the relationship. Not asking for his opinion. Seeking another man’s attention. Pushing him away instead of seeking his affection. Not feeling desired. Feeling nagged. Men...
Trauma Bonds
What is trauma bonding? Trauma bonding takes place in abusive relationships. Abuse isn’t always physical and quite often there is no physical abuse which is why a person may not recognise their relationship as abusive or toxic. A trauma bond isn’t only in romantic relationships. A trauma bond can ta...
Relationships & Communication
Have you considered the way you speak to each other? Do you speak to strangers or work colleagues the same way? Have you noticed your partner pulling away emotionally and physically? Have you considered it could be the way you speak to your partner? Has your partner communicated they don’t like the...
Blended Families
Blending families can come with a lot of challenges and fears. The fears exist before the 2 families decide to live in one home. Will my partner love my children? Will I be able to stay calm if my partner corrects my child? Will I be able to communicate with my partner without getting frustrated […]
Relationship Abuse
Often a person will not recognise abuse in their relationship. Misconceptions about abuse. It is only physical. “It’s not abuse because he/she doesn’t hit me.” “He/she isn’t abusive because he/she doesn’t leave bruising.” “He/she only yells at me.” “If I do as I’m told it will get better.” “It was m...
Parent/Grandparent Alienation
What is parent/grandparent alienation and who does it affect? Parent/grandparent alienation can happen while both partners are still together or once separated. Parent alienation is when one parent turns the children against the other parent with the goal of isolating the children and parent from ea...