There is a particular kind of anxiety that shows up when nothing is technically wrong with your life. You have a job. You pay your bills. You have people who love you. Maybe things are even pretty good.

And then somebody announces a promotion. Someone buys a house. Someone gets married. Someone els...

Most of us want to be chosen. We want the relationship. We want the friendship. We want the job. We want the invitation. We want someone to look at us and say, “You. You’re the one I want.”

And there is nothing wrong with that. Being chosen feels good. The problem begins when we start confusing bei...

We spend a lot of time talking about red flags. Honestly, I think the internet has gotten so good at identifying red flags that we could probably diagnose an entire relationship based on the way somebody holds their fork. But there’s a problem with becoming really good at identifying everything you ...

Most of us have imagined the conversation.

The one where the person who hurt us finally admits what they did. They look us in the eye, acknowledge the pain they caused, and offer a sincere apology. In our minds, that moment becomes the turning point. We tell ourselves that once it happens, we can f...

One of the most common relationship questions I have encountered throughout my career is surprisingly simple: Why do they always seem to come back when I am finally doing better?

The details may change from person to person, but the pattern is remarkably consistent. Someone spends months grieving t...

One of the saddest statements I hear in counseling is not, “We got divorced.” It is not even, “They betrayed me.”

It is this, “I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

When people say those words, they are usually not describing something that happened overnight. They are describing a slow disappearan...

One of the most frustrating experiences in any relationship is finding yourself having the same conversation over and over again while nothing actually changes.

You explain your needs. You communicate your limits. You clarify your expectations. You carefully choose your words and do your best to re...

Have you ever found yourself asking, "Why do they keep doing this?"

Maybe it's the family member who continues offering unsolicited opinions about your life. Maybe it's the friend who only reaches out when they need something. Maybe it's the coworker who somehow keeps handing their responsibilities...

Have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling emotionally exhausted and wondered what just happened? You started the day feeling fine. Your coffee was hot. Your to-do list was manageable. Nothing major was wrong.

Then you talked to someone. Maybe it was a family member. A coworker. A friend...

Have you ever been perfectly fine and then one conversation completely threw off your entire nervous system? You were doing okay. You had your coffee. You were minding your business. And then you talked to someone who was anxious, reactive, passive-aggressive, or emotionally chaotic…and suddenly now...

Have you ever had a moment where nothing actually happened, but your body reacted like something was wrong? Your heart starts racing. Your thoughts begin filling in the blanks. And suddenly you’re wondering, “Why do I feel like I’m in trouble right now?”

If that sounds familiar, you’re not overreac...

If you are the person everyone relies on, you may know this feeling well. You help. You organize. You step in when things fall apart. And yet somewhere along the way, being helpful turned into being exhausted.

A listener recently wrote to me asking, “How do I stop people-pleasing without feeling li...