Enabling is when your actions, often rooted in love or concern, unintentionally allow someone’s unhealthy behaviors to continue — especially in the context of addiction, mental illness or codependency. It’s natural to want to protect the people we care about. But when protection turns into rescuing, covering up consequences or avoiding conflict, it can keep […]
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Manipulation tactics are strategies people use to influence or control others through deception, guilt or emotional coercion — often without the other person realizing it’s happening. Whether in relationships, workplaces or families, manipulative behaviors can be subtle and confusing. You might walk away from a conversation feeling responsible for something that wasn’t your fault or
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Manipulation tactics are strategies people use to influence or control others through deception, guilt or emotional coercion — often without the other person realizing it’s happening. Whether in relationships, workplaces or families, manipulative behaviors can be subtle and confusing. You might walk away from a conversation feeling responsible for something that wasn’t your fault or
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The gray rock method is a strategy for disengaging emotionally from an abusive or manipulative person by becoming unresponsive, boring and emotionally neutral — like a gray rock. Nearly half of U.S. adults have experienced some type of psychological manipulation or emotional abuse in a relationship. When you’re dealing with someone who thrives on control,
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Weaponized incompetence is doing tasks poorly to avoid responsibility: Often used to shift burdens in relationships Can be conscious or unconscious Address through boundaries and accountability Do you find yourself constantly picking up the slack for someone who says they “just can’t do it right”? Maybe it’s your partner who never quite manages to do
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Trauma bonding is a strong emotional tie to an abuser: Fueled by cycles of abuse and reward Creates confusion, guilt, or dependency Healing starts with awareness and support Have you ever wanted to end a relationship that you knew wasn’t good for you, but you kept going back? Or maybe you had a parent or
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In the middle of a mental health crisis, it can be difficult to talk about your thoughts and feelings and even harder to reach out to others for help. While more than 1 in 5 adults in the United States lives with a mental illness, only about half of these individuals seek treatment, partially out
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This therapy teaches skills to manage and resolve disputes: Focuses on communication and emotional regulation Helps couples, families, and individuals Often used alongside other therapeutic approaches If you struggle with conflict management and resolving disputes in your relationships, you’re not alone. Research cited by the National Library of Medicine shows that the stresses of daily
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A whole conversation can happen without anyone saying a word. A quick glance, a change in expression, a gesture or two and both parties know exactly what comes next. What we say is only one layer of communicating, but nonverbal cues add depth and significance to our back and forth. In fact, research suggests that
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Love and the way we experience it can be an integral part of our daily life, but love doesn’t always look the same. Love languages explore how we express and receive love healthily. Since Gary Chapman, a relationship counselor, first introduced the concept in his 1992 book The Five Love Languages , more people have
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