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Help! What If My Therapist Goes on Maternity Leave Again? July 4, 2014 . 4 Comments
This is a gut-wrenching position you find yourself in. On the one hand, you’ve done some great work with this therapist and built a strong relationship with her; on the other hand, ... Read More
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Can We Survive My Girlfriend’s Control and Abandonment Issues? April 4, 2014 . 7 Comments
Thank you for your question. Boy, have you been on a roller coaster! In fact, this was my first response: Gee, does he really want to get back on? But then I reflected on it, and I began ... Read More
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Avoidance in Trauma Survivors: An Interview with Robert T. Muller
December 18, 2013 .
7 Comments
Those who have endured trauma experience unique challenges in coping with life after the fact. It may feel as though no one understands the anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, ... Read More
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Why Can’t I Forgive My Mother for Abandoning Her Family? August 30, 2013 . 26 Comments
It sounds like you have tried to get help in so many ways, yet nothing has worked for you. That must be incredibly frustrating. There is no question that being left by a parent is painful. ... Read More
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My Therapist Won’t Email with Me Anymore. I’m Devastated! July 26, 2013 . 16 Comments
Wow. It sounds like you feel like you’ve really had the rug pulled out from under you. It’s certainly understandable; you’ve had daily contact for three years and it has ... Read More
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Recovering from Narcissistic Abuse, Part II: The No-Contact Rule
June 18, 2013 .
150 Comments
Back view of long hair brunette girl In my previous article, I touched on the subject of narcissistic abuse recovery. I decided to write a second article as a follow-up for individuals ... Read More
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Losing Both Parents by Age 27: How I Began to Heal
March 5, 2013 .
127 Comments
I woke up to my dad staring blankly at the wall the morning of October 14, 2004. It was the day before my 23rd birthday. I knew this day was coming, but nothing would prepare me to wake ... Read More
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Should Step-Relationships Be Maintained After Divorce? October 22, 2012 . 154 Comments
What was once considered a rarity—step-siblings, step-parents, and step-in-laws—has become more common than not. When couples marry, there is a very good chance that one of them brings ... Read More
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Managing Your Emotions Through Dialectical Behavior Therapy September 24, 2012 . 9 Comments
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment approach used to treat individuals with a wide variety of issues, including relationship conflict, anxiety, ... Read More
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How We Behave in Relationships Is Predicted by Who We Blame July 11, 2012 . 9 Comments
The ideal standards model (ISM) of interpersonal evaluations suggests that a partner becomes dissatisfied with his or her relationship when the significant other fails to measure up to ... Read More
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Different Shades of Sexuality: The Psychological Aspects of BDSM
June 6, 2012 .
52 Comments
If you haven’t read the novel yet, you might be 50 shades of curious about why Fifty Shades of Grey is the most-talked-about tale in print currently. A quick search will reveal that ... Read More
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Codependency Workbook Exercise One: Family History
January 24, 2012 .
11 Comments
Now that you understand how codependency develops in a family surrounding a dysfunctional person, what are you supposed to do next? Many people have said to me in therapy, “Joyce, now ... Read More
