Have you ever looked at your family and wondered: “Why do we all seem to struggle with the same things?” Maybe nobody talks about their feelings. Maybe conflict always ends in shouting—or complete silence. Maybe everyone puts everyone else first. Maybe setting boundaries is considered selfish. Maybe anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing or emotional avoidance seem to…

Leaving an emotionally abusive relationship can be a huge step. But sometimes, leaving is only the beginning. You may have physically left the relationship while still carrying the patterns you developed inside it. You still question yourself. You still apologise automatically. You still worry about disappointing people. You still find yourself monitoring other people’s moods.…

From the outside, leaving an emotionally abusive relationship can look simple. People may ask: “Why don’t they just leave?” But if you’ve experienced emotional abuse, you may know that leaving isn’t always a straightforward decision. There can be love, hope, fear, attachment, grief, self-doubt and practical concerns all happening at the same time. Sometimes, the…

Maybe you’re a people-pleaser. Maybe you overthink everything. Maybe you hate conflict. Maybe you feel responsible for everyone’s emotions. Maybe you need everything to be perfect before you can relax. You’ve probably wondered: “Why am I like this?” But what if the more useful question is: “What did I learn that made me respond this…

Have you ever walked away from a conversation and immediately started wondering whether you were the problem? Maybe you replayed everything you said. Maybe you wondered if you had misunderstood. Maybe you thought, “Perhaps I’m just being too sensitive.” When this happens repeatedly, it can become difficult to know whether you can trust your own…