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How to Deal With Passive-Aggressive In-Laws Without Losing Your Cool
If you are trying to figure out how to deal with passive-aggressive in-laws without blowing up, freezing, or spiraling afterward, you are not alone. There are ways to respond that protect your peace without pulling you deeper into the dynamic.
Why Narcissist Partners Show Such Intense Potential at First
One of the most confusing parts of loving a narcissistically wounded partner is how good the beginning feels.
Why Your In-Laws Trigger You So Much (And How EMDR Can Help)
If you find yourself wondering, "Why do my in-laws trigger me so much?" the answer is usually deeper than “they’re annoying.”
Yes, maybe they are intrusive and critical and always seem to know exactly how to get under your skin. But when a reaction feels intense, immediate, or hard to shake, it usually means something in your nervous system is getting activated.
When Your Partner Won’t Set Boundaries With Their Family: What You Can Do
If your partner won’t set boundaries with family, the goal is not just to fix the family dynamic. It is to understand what is happening between the two of you and create a healthier pattern together.
How to Set Boundaries With Difficult In-Laws Without Causing More Conflict
If your in-laws leave you tense for days and your partner keeps saying ‘that’s just how they are,’ the issue is no longer just the in-laws. It’s the pressure the dynamic is putting on your relationship.
If you have difficult in-laws, you already know the problem is usually not just what they do. It’s the position they hold in your life.
Reassurance in Relationships: When It Helps and When It Hurts
Reassurance in relationships is often seen as a sign of care. When someone we love feels insecure, worried, or afraid of losing us, offering comfort can strengthen connection.
We Rushed Into Our Relationship; Now What?
Rushing into relationships is common, especially when vulnerability, attraction, and longing for connection collide. Whether it’s your first big love or your fifth situationship, this pattern can happen to anyone.
When Love and Money Collide: How To Smooth Over Differing Financial Beliefs That Create Relationship Stress
Money is one of the most common sources of conflict in relationships. It's not just about how much you earn or spend. More often, it's about the meaning you assign to money: safety, freedom, control, power, love, or worth.
Is the First Year of Marriage Really the Hardest?
You’ve tied the knot, the honeymoon photos are up, and the thank-you cards are (mostly) mailed. Now real life begins! ... And for many couples, it doesn’t feel quite as blissful as expected. You may have heard that “the first year of marriage is the hardest.” But is that true?
Want to Feel Close Again? Try This To Strengthen Your Relationship
When couples say they feel disconnected, they often think the answer is more date nights or intense conversations. While those things are helpful, one often-overlooked way to rebuild emotional intimacy is much simpler: do something together that matters to both of you.
The Myth of Being “Completed” By Our Partners Is Making Us Unhappier In Relationships
We've all seen the romantic movies where the hero/ine finds their perfect partner, and suddenly, their life is "complete." This idea that a partner can "complete" us sounds appealing. But in real life, it leads to unhealthy relationship dynamics, unmet expectations, and codependency
Post-Wedding Depression: Why You Might Feel Low After The Big Day And What To Do About It
You planned. You celebrated. You made it through the wedding. Maybe you even had the honeymoon of your dreams. And now… you feel off. Wedding-related depression can show up across all relationship styles and structures, and your emotional world deserves care, no matter how your celebration looked.
How to Build And Update Your Love Maps: 10 Questions to Strengthen Your Relationship
A Love Map is your mental and emotional blueprint of your partner’s inner world. It includes everything from their favorite foods to their biggest life goals, current stressors, fears, and childhood memories. The stronger your Love Maps, the better equipped you are to handle conflict, support each other through life’s ups and downs, and stay connected for the long haul.
How The Enneagram Can Help Couples
Because it focuses on motivation rather than behavior, the Enneagram helps us understand why our friends and loved ones do the things they do. When we understand someone's motivation, it makes things less personal and increases empathy. This is hugely helpful to couples when addressing communication and conflict.
How To Overcome The Challenges LGBT Couples Face When Planning a Wedding
Planning a wedding is can be exciting. But for LGBT couples, the process often comes with challenges that straight couples may not have to consider. Here are our LGBT therapist approved tips for couples to plan a wedding that truly reflects your love while minimizing stress.
What to Do If You’re Smothering Your Partner: A Guide to Self-Soothing
So your partner just told you you’re smothering them. Ouch! That stings. If you’re wondering where to go from here, we’ve got a plan.
What No One Tells You About Getting Married: Emotional Prep for the Big Day
Most of us grow up hearing that getting married will be one of the happiest days of our lives. We imagine joy, celebration, love, and maybe a few happy tears. What we don’t often talk about? The emotional complexity that can come with such a major life transition.
Protecting Your LGBT Relationship Against Political Stress
The first half of 2025 has been particularly difficult for our LGBT community. As we are all aware, political unrest and targeted efforts to strip away our rights have accelerated in recent years. These forces have taken an especially heavy toll on our trans siblings. It’s in times like these that relationships within our community are tested. Here are ways to fortify your LGBT relationship against the political stress we are facing.
Does My Fiancé Asking for a Prenup Mean They're Planning to Divorce Me?
If your fiancé just brought up getting a prenup and your stomach dropped a little, you’re not alone. It's easy to associate prenups with worst-case scenarios or imagine it as someone saying, “I don’t trust this to last.” But in reality, a prenup isn’t about preparing to leave—it’s about planning to stay. And more importantly, it’s about protecting both of you.
A Couples Therapist Reacts to Love Is Blind
What reality TV can teach us about real relationships – from a Los Angeles couples therapist.
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