Moving into a new relationship is all about stepping into vulnerability. We often feel anxiety when we step into vulnerability because we risk being hurt. I hope these tips will be helpful for those of you experiencing new relationship anxiety. …
Tag: Boundaries
Coercive Vaccination Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
This is something nobody seems to be talking about. Can we pause and consider? Imagine for a moment that you grew up in an environment where the boundaries around your body were not respected. You had little or no say …
My Partner Always Wants To Pause During Difficult Conversations, And It Is Difficult To Move Forward
The curiosity here is around reactivity, and when fight, flight or freeze might take over for either of you in the relationship. This is a conversation that needs to happen when you are NOT in the middle of an argument. …
How to Take a Break During an Argument
Storming out during an argument is not a great way to take a break. Maybe you return to the argument, but more often than not there is still tension in the air, maybe you become passive-aggressive with one another and …
Communicating Needs Without Losing it.
When we ask for something, we risk being and feeling rejected. We are vulnerable. To cover that vulnerability, many of us will use anger or force. How can I ask for what I need and hold onto the part of …
9 Simple Tips To Manage Your Stress
What do you do to self-soothe when you are stressed? Do you pick up a drink? Do you find yourself in front of the cupboard tucking into a whole packet of dark chocolate McVities Digestives (for the Brits reading this)? …
Signs Of Emotional Exhaustion
We have all been there. When we feel like there is no more to give, to ourselves or anyone else. We are burnt out, and emotionally exhausted. When this happens for me, I know it is a big shout out …
Why do you Avoid Being Assertive?
There are many reasons people avoid being assertive. I find the two biggest reasons are: ‘The other person will be upset’ (conflict avoidance) and ‘I have no idea how to do it’. Let’s take ‘The other person will be …
When we have ‘too much empathy, it is usually a boundary issue, not an empathy issue’. It is the result of a high level of emotional enmeshment.
I hear a lot of people in my clinic feel that they are too empathetic. They can feel the other person’s discomfort or pain and just want it to go away. This is the result of a high level of …
What Does Abandoning Yourself in an Argument Look Like
Sometimes, we only find out that we should have stood our ground more firmly AFTER the fact. It isn’t until we are sat at the work lunch, with a pounding head, having to make polite conversation, that it is obvious …