Irina Zhuravleva

Sometimes silence speaks louder than any shout. It does not scream, chase, or beg; it simply exists. Yet everything can shift when someone who habitually...

People often remain in harmful relationships because the mistreatment is not constant. In trauma bonds especially, a pattern of unpredictable kindness and cruelty conditions the...

Pleasing others will almost certainly wreck your relationships — and many of you are guilty of it. You might ask: Jimmy, how do I tell...

Imagine if you began responding to them exactly as they respond to you. Imagine if you invested in this relationship only to the same degree...

That sickening twist in your stomach when someone you love — someone you’ve been pouring effort into — suddenly acts as though you don’t matter:...

If you have feelings for someone but keep them hidden because you know they aren’t really available, pretending it’s “just friendship,” don’t be astonished when...

When an entire family turns on one of its members, it is a profoundly harmful form of abuse. Sometimes this takes the shape of scapegoating,...

If you grew up with trauma, you already know how past experiences can resurface and set off thoughts, reactions and habits that undermine your performance...

Love itself doesn’t cause pain. People who haven’t learned how to love do. Sit with that for a second. If you have ever been in...

Listen: I can’t fix a relationship unless both partners agree to a shared set of principles and values. If even one person refuses to live...

When a disagreement turns into your partner being critical, how should you respond? First, it helps to recognise that criticism and complaint are not the...

Discover how well you know your partner with fun questions, quizzes, and tips to boost connection and nurture your relationship.

Most people who have been in a relationship know what it’s like to fall in love, and many of us have also experienced the pain...

You know that moment when someone you love begins to drift — the messages taper off, the calls fade, silence takes over — and your...

If you’re someone who gives freely, you must set boundaries, because people who take won’t do it for you. It’s admirable to be naturally selfless...

When a friend abruptly cuts you off and you can’t figure out why, the simplest explanation might be that the person wasn’t a suitable friend...

When someone retreats from you, the instinctive reaction might be to chase after them, to reach out, or to try to close the sudden gap...

If you train someone over time to manage life without you, don’t be shocked when they eventually walk away. Commitment and fidelity mean far more...

The quickest way to undermine a relationship is to ignore what it requires to thrive. When people say, “You shouldn’t have needs in a relationship,”...

When disrespect in a relationship comes to mind, many picture explosive fights, slammed doors, or an obvious betrayal. But what if the harm is quiet?...

The hard truth is that roughly one out of every three romantic partnerships will face some form of infidelity — that’s the bleak part. The...

How many times have you asked for something that should have been simple and reasonable, only for it to erupt into another argument where they...

There are everyday behaviors you repeat without noticing that quietly undermine your relationships, your self-esteem, and the life you could have. These aren’t dramatic meltdowns...

If you want to recover from the wounds left by childhood trauma, you will find yourself in a confrontation between forces that feel like good...