Irina Zhuravleva

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...

Being raised amid abuse and neglect nearly always saps a person of their natural strength. You begin to doubt your worth, lose faith in your...

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...

Es geschieht an einem ansonsten gewöhnlichen Tag. Vielleicht ist es ein Dienstagabend – Sie sind auf halbem Weg durch einen Film und fühlen sich endlich wieder wie Sie selbst. Oder...

Hören Sie — ich bin ehrlich: Ich war nicht immer der Partner, den sie brauchte. Ich tat ihre Emotionen ab und ignorierte... ohne es zu merken...

Du sagst dir selbst, du seist in Sicherheit. Du glaubst, dass der Rückzug ein Zeichen von Stärke ist. Aber stell dir vor, wenn die Gewohnheit, die du dir zugelegt hast, um zu überleben, ...

Please listen closely—this matters. Your ex cannot take your place, and I’ll explain exactly why. If you’re reading this, you’re probably sorting through the fallout...

There’s a clear theme that keeps appearing in people who tell me they don’t really know themselves — they’re unsure of their tastes, their hopes,...

Okay, so today’s focus is on the things men often do that damage a marriage — and yes, you might be tempted to forward this...

There’s a huge, almost universal thing that sparks childhood-PTSD symptoms — and chances are you’ve got it too. It’s so common that most people never...

Your body is far more honest about what’s happening in a relationship than your mind. While you busy yourself inventing explanations for their mood swings,...

Männer, manchmal, wenn sie still wird, ist das keine Strafe für dich, und manchmal ist ihr Zurückziehen nicht dazu gedacht, sich zu rächen – es kann sein...

How does it feel when you try to be part of a group? For many of us who grew up this way, adulthood often brings...

The world will try to teach my daughter that her worth lies in her appearance, that a “good” girl stays quiet, obedient, and always puts...

People often throw around the phrase “trauma bond,” but what does it actually signify? Many assume it simply means two wounded people connecting because they...

All right — how much blame should the betrayed partner carry for an affair that occurred within a marriage? That’s an important question. Ultimately, remember...

Have you ever stopped pursuing someone and noticed the energy in the room shift? One moment you’re sending messages, explaining yourself, doing everything to keep...

Listen: if you find yourself tempted to cheat on your spouse, you owe it to everyone involved to speak up — even if it feels...

One consequence of past trauma is that it can shape behaviors—often around sex and money—that society judges harshly. Those actions can create stigma that follows...

Your sense of who you are — and therefore what you can imagine for your future — is woven from the narratives you repeat to...

One of the toughest realities to swallow when you’re in love with someone who consistently withdraws is this: the more you pursue them, the more...