Ірина Журавльова

This is what happens when you fall in love with an avoidant person. At first there’s an intense sense of belonging, like finally finding something...

I had to come to terms with the fact that a woman touching me doesn’t automatically mean she wants sex — and Emily eventually reached...

One of the major ways childhood trauma undermines the possibility of a healthy adult partnership is by freezing emotional growth. When caregivers threaten a child...

For a long time I thought there was something deeply strange and wrong with me. I often felt cut off from other people, unable to...

Almost nobody notices this, but if your life becomes a pattern of chasing people who don’t return your feelings, refusing to commit while you keep...

Do you want to be an exceptional partner? I certainly set out to be an outstanding husband. Nobody stands at the altar promising to be...

If a person with an avoidant attachment pattern does this, they are being loyal to you — and it’s probably not what you expect. Most...

This question comes up all the time, so let’s clarify how to approach it. Both partners have responsibilities in a relationship; each person has a...

Okay, I want to speak directly to my driven spouses for a minute — where are my driven spouses at? I see you grinding 50,...

I’ll say something that may feel counterintuitive but is painfully accurate: the people who walk away are often the same ones who come back —...

Obsessive love often flares up when life feels empty and the ties to people and pursuits that bring joy are weak. Limerence is what happens...

Is it feasible to have a relationship with a narcissist? That’s a big question. It really hinges on how you define “narcissist.” If you mean...

Let’s set one thing straight from the outset. Feeling shattered does not make you irrational. And his ability to walk away appearing unfazed doesn’t mark...

Hear this carefully — it will land hard. Keeping quiet after a breakup is not a sign of frailty. In fact, silence, particularly when the...

I owe everyone an apology. After posting a video about what actually helps with narcissistic partners — boundaries and rebuilding self-worth — I received a...

Listen — it can be genuinely confusing to know what she wants from you in the heat of an argument. Most likely, like any partner,...

Okay, let’s be honest. If you’ve ever loved someone who draws closer then retreats as soon as things get intimate, you know how draining that...

Relationship experts consistently point out that a major factor determining whether a partnership flourishes is how regularly partners make small “deposits” into each other’s emotional...

What if the very work you’ve poured into personal development is the thing keeping you stuck? You’ve devoured self-help books, journaled your inner life, pushed...

The issue with romantic bonds—especially for people who experienced neglect or hurt in childhood—is how intensely attached we can become. Breaking up can feel catastrophic,...

You have a friend you secretly love. You convinced yourself you had to behave like “just a friend” in order to keep them, afraid they’d...

Listen. Put whatever you’re doing on pause. Are you glancing at your phone, waiting for a message that you’re convinced will make everything right? Do...

How can you tell when it’s time to walk away from a relationship? That question feels one of the hardest to answer because we invest...

Okay — today we’re going to explore how to tell if someone might be the right long-term partner, because relationships are complicated. How do you...