Irina Zhuravleva

Experiencing abuse and neglect as a child can leave you convinced that you must manage everyone’s emotions wherever you go. If your family is unhappy,...

The blunt truth is this: trying to force an emotionally avoidant person into full commitment is a losing strategy. Chasing someone who withdraws from intimacy...

Some of the messages that appear on my YouTube channel are fascinating — occasionally warm and thoughtful, and at other times they provoke a strong...

They walked away and left you feeling like you’ve been hit with emotional whiplash — one moment you were their closest confidant, the next you...

Avoidant men often project an image of being unbothered — composed, aloof, untouchable. Yet this apparent indifference is not strength; it’s avoidance rooted in fear:...

Grief isn’t reserved only for deaths. If your childhood was marked by trauma, grief can arrive when you finally grasp that the childhood you needed—more...

The most genuinely powerful people I’ve encountered were quietly kind. They weren’t trying to please everyone or easily pushed around. They were centered, direct, and...

Many people who have survived traumatic experiences end up surrounded by excess stuff, and because clutter can hold you back, it’s empowering when you find...

You were raised to believe that love equals betrayal, that being cheated on is commonplace, and that casual hookups are not only acceptable but safer...

They left without warmth. No tears. No memorable farewell. Just a wall of silence, blocks, unfollows, disappearance. It feels as if you never mattered. Your...

A few years back I asked Emily whether she had ever gone along with something sexual with me when she actually didn’t want to, and...

Eles não te capturaram com grandes juramentos; te mantiveram cativo com sua ausência. Não pelo que ofereceram, mas pelo que se recusaram a...

Existe uma ideia comum de que as pessoas desperdiçam o que quer que tenham em excedente — seja comida, dinheiro, tempo ou saúde. Quando algo é abundante, é...

Você já se sentiu na obrigação de fazer algo — chegar ao trabalho no horário, guardar a roupa, terminar uma peça criativa ou até mesmo escovar os dentes...

Aqui está o porquê de uma verificação semanal regular poder ser a coisa que resgata seu relacionamento: com frequência, nós desviamos das conversas difíceis. Especialmente homens...

Para ser honesto, fico envergonhado quando olho para trás dos momentos em que as pessoas me trataram mal e, em vez de me afastar da situação, eu...

Sejamos honestos por um momento: ser rejeitado machuca. Machuca. Seja um emprego que você queria, uma amizade ou um relacionamento em que você investiu,...

Posso oferecer um conselho? Não permita que a ternura desapareça da sua parceria; não deixe o romance de lado. Você frequentemente não...

If adults you relied on betrayed you as a child, your sense of self-worth and personal boundaries can be so damaged that you become blind...

It’s heartbreaking when caregivers overlook a child whose need for affection, attention and safety is as vital as eating, breathing and drinking. If you grew...

You’ve endured enough silence in your life, haven’t you? That heavy, unsettling quiet that follows their disappearance — the rooms that still seem to echo...

Okay, correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like when you constantly go out of your way for a partner who never returns the...

When I first began teaching about trauma, I never imagined that one of the most persistent, defining consequences of childhood abuse and neglect would also...

The early phase of a romantic relationship—especially after a long period of solitude or when you fear you may never be truly loved—can feel all-consuming....