Irina Zhuravleva

Have you ever felt muzzled? You raise your voice about something important and instead of being listened to, you’re dismissed. Sometimes people laugh. Sometimes they...

Many of the people I work with are hurting because they accepted the idea that if they long for a loving, committed partnership, having a...

You glance at your phone again, replaying the last exchange and wondering what went wrong. You’ve tried being calmer, kinder, less demanding. You’ve minimized your...

The single thing that terrifies a toxic person more than almost anything else is when you draw firm boundaries — because boundaries remove their power....

Think about it — the same things we did to win her over are exactly the things we need to keep doing to maintain her...

Work is one of the worst places to fall for someone you can’t—or shouldn’t—pursue. It can destroy your happiness, harm theirs, devastate your spouse, and...

“Don’t go to bed angry,” “a good relationship means never having to say you’re sorry,” “your partner should complete you,” and “your relationship’s purpose is...

There is a particular kind of silence that exists inside intimate relationships — the hush that follows when you risk being vulnerable and are met...

You don’t pursue someone because they’re inherently extraordinary. You pursue them because they withhold themselves. The scarcer their affection, the stronger your craving becomes. If...

Alright — let’s get into this now. Do you want to know what the most devastating form of rejection is for that avoidant-dismissive person in...

Ending up in harmful partnerships is a common and painful outcome for people who experienced abuse and neglect growing up. When mistreatment was normal in...

The first time I ran across the phrase “emotional sobriety,” it shook me — not because I didn’t understand the words, but because it sounded...

Imagine being told that sometimes the most loving choice for a partnership is to stop having sex for a while — it sounds counterintuitive, but...

The saddest part about childhood trauma, to me, is seeing so many people move through life with a battered spirit — their self-assurance, hope, and...

One major issue affecting countless people is staying in relationships that, realistically, have little chance of flourishing. Many remain stuck because nobody has clearly reminded...

About one in three people — and a much larger share among younger generations — report feeling so stressed that most days they are utterly...

If maintaining friendships feels challenging for you, this will be important to read. Losing friendships cuts deep. For those of us raised with traumatic experiences,...

It’s common to believe that once a severe traumatic chapter ends, everything should return to normal. The reality is different: after trauma you’re often fragile—not...

“Hey, can I borrow your phone for a minute? I need to look something up.” “Where’s your phone?” “It’s in the other room.” “Can I...

The uncomfortable reality is that “nice guys” often don’t spark attraction in women. I know how that sounds, so hear me out for a minute...

There’s a clear and crucial distinction between beneficial stress and harmful stress — and the main difference lies in duration, intensity and timing. Beneficial stress...

I made a video joking about a husband who forgot his wife’s birthday, and someone commented, “maybe you should just remind them if it’s so...

Some of the most dangerous people you’ll ever encounter are the ones who never raise their voice. They won’t slam doors or hurl curses. Instead,...

Let me guess — they’ve gone quiet again. You’re glued to your phone, refreshing the screen, replaying the last conversation on repeat. Your thoughts are...