Irina Zhuravleva

Can we start practicing a simple rule: if you feel something, say it? Men, in particular, often struggle with this — acting as if our...

You can sense him pulling back. It starts small: texts that once arrived quickly now take hours; plans that used to be made now evaporate...

Have you ever gone quiet with someone and found yourself obsessing over what’s running through their mind? I’m talking about the person you’re seeing —...

Okay. If you withdraw during an argument—something you might not usually do—I’ll be brief. But if you’re like me, there are moments in the middle...

When you’re dealing with someone who has an avoidant attachment style, it isn’t their words that usually throw you off — it’s the heavy quiet....

I notice recurring patterns after reading hundreds of messages from people who follow this channel. One of the most dangerous signs that someone is losing...

A major challenge for people raised in homes marked by abuse and neglect — and this will resonate for many — is that mean, dismissive...

Okay, today we have an extraordinarily special guest. For those who haven’t met her yet, Dr. Sue Johnson is a distinguished psychologist, author, speaker and...

Have you noticed that in most relationships one person tends to be the more self-reliant partner? If you’re unsure which side that is in your...

Would you be prepared to pose this question to your partner: when was the last time you felt lonely in this relationship? From what I...

One of the most corrosive aftereffects of enduring abuse is how it warps your inner life. Your emotions go offline. You feel disconnected. It becomes...

What I’m teaching men is how to show up as themselves — genuine, transparent, truthful, willing to be vulnerable — and to practice that honesty...

There is a peculiar hush that settles over you when someone you once felt deeply connected to vanishes without warning. You stop waiting for their...

Oh my god — nothing I do is ever enough. Wait, what did you just say? I said it doesn’t matter what I try; it’s...

Here are practical steps and additional information to help you recognize, respond to, and move away from emotionally abusive dynamics while protecting your well‑being. Validate...

It wasn’t physical violence. It was quiet. It manifested as hushed comments, the sudden hush when you enter a room, forced smiles, realizing you’ve been...

Have you ever paused to ask yourself whether you might be a narcissist, or at least exhibit narcissistic behaviors sometimes? If you grew up abused...

Today we’re going to explore the difference between healthy needs and unhealthy needs in intimate relationships. Underneath most arguments lie unmet wants and fears that...

Okay, picture this: many of us either already have children or hope to have them someday. Now ask yourself—would it sit right with you if,...

Today I want to tackle a difficult question: should you change for your partner? The short answer is no — don’t alter who you are...

Okay, this is a little bit of a rant, but whenever I try to offer relationship guidance — even when I start by saying that...

One of the surest ways to slowly destroy a relationship is chronic people-pleasing. Not everyone naturally becomes a people pleaser — it often grows out...

The single most potent way to create genuinely meaningful connections with others is to make them feel heard. People crave that — and doing it...

This is not merely a relationship with routine highs and lows. What you’re caught in is a deliberate psychological scheme. The avoidant person in your...