Irina Zhuravleva

Being avoidant in relationships isn’t only the obvious signs — refusing to commit, swinging between warmth and coldness, disappearing when conversations about commitment start. You...

Okay, gentlemen — let’s have a conversation about teasing our partners. I enjoy a good laugh as much as anyone, but here’s a simple guideline...

Research shows that the way couples repair conflicts can determine the fate of their relationship, so it’s important to know how to apologize well. Imagine...

Okay — let’s address this right now. I’m speaking directly to you. You’re here because it feels like your words keep hitting a brick wall,...

Okay — today I want to cover how to argue with a narcissist and actually come out on top, because few things are more maddening...

Most women pick up on it, yet very few voice it: female friendships can carry a set of unwritten rules. These expectations aren’t posted anywhere...

There’s a repeating dynamic that quietly destroys many women’s lives, and it often goes unnoticed. You’re intelligent. You work hard. You’ve put effort into personal...

All right — how can you tell if something you said actually hurt your partner? That’s a vital question, because too many of us, myself...

If what you most deeply want is a steady, authentic love, honor that desire — it’s what you are meant to have. If you were...

That’s an important question and one that will touch a lot of people: why are narcissists often blamed instead of being seen as wounded humans...

Silence takes over. An unseen barrier slams into place. Every part of you wants to act—fix it, fill the gap, restore connection. You grab your...

We live amid a constant clamor of prescriptions about how to live: everyone seems to have an answer. Some insist it’s all about willpower and...

Listen: marriage can sometimes feel even lonelier than single life, and it’s easy to be swept up in the fairy-tale emotions of the wedding day....

Do you ever notice something almost nobody will admit aloud? Some of the cruelest forms of harm in close relationships are quiet, nonphysical, and they...

Have you ever loved someone who withdraws each time closeness grows? Someone who appears composed on the outside, yet you can sense the quiet tempests...

Avoidant partners can wound the psyche in deep and lasting ways — and often they do so without even realizing the harm they cause. It’s...

Chances are you’ve heard that the single most widespread phobia is public speaking — roughly three out of four people feel nervous at the thought...

People instinctively crave justice. Deep down we need to feel assured that the damage inflicted on us as children was wrong — that it should...

Many people insist that they should never have to change for their partner. To be clear: change is often necessary. As Tim Keller observes in...

People with avoidant tendencies seldom repeat “I love you” a hundred times a day, yet that fact doesn’t mean their feelings are shallow. Quite the...

People fall in love every day — it’s effortless and happens to anyone with a heartbeat — but staying in love is a different challenge....

Your body tells the truth about relationships in ways your mind often won’t. While you rationalize their inconsistent behavior, try to explain away their emotional...

All right — many ask for communication strategies that actually help their partner hear them without becoming defensive, shutting down, or erupting. This is a...

Few things shape the quality of life more than the condition of our closest relationships. Keep in mind that a year from now your relational...