Is Everyone Toxic, or Are We Just Tired of Being Uncomfortable?
“I cut off my mom and I’ve never felt better.”
Statements like this are common on social media—and they’re often met with applause. In a culture increasingly fluent in therapy-speak, cutting people off is being reframed as empowerment. But as a systems-based therapist, I can’t help but wonder: Are we building emotional safety, or simply avoiding discomfort?
The term “toxic” has become a vague stand-in for anyone who challenges us, annoys us, or doesn’t validate us—and the result is a growing tendency to sever relationships rather than repair them. While there are absolutely times when stepping away is necessary, especially in cases of abuse or harm, I worry that this broader cultural shift may be leading us toward isolation, emotional fragility, and a diminished tolerance for difference.
What happens when we stop working through conflict—and simply walk away?
Beyond Labels: Understanding Attachment Styles Through a Social Construction Lens
If you’ve ever labeled yourself “anxious” or “avoidant,” you’re not alone — attachment styles are everywhere. But they’re more than just personality quizzes. Through a social construction lens, we explore how your attachment patterns are shaped in context — by relationships, culture, trauma, and experience — and how they can evolve. You’re not stuck. You’re shaped by connection, and capable of building new ones.
Loving Too Hard? How Over-Nurturing Can Undermine Your Partner’s Growth
When caring turns into over-functioning, we risk creating imbalance in our relationships. This blog explores how over-nurturing—though well-intentioned—can lead to partner infantilization, fostering dependence rather than growth. From cleaning up after your partner to managing their schedule, these patterns often stem from anxiety and a desire to help. Learn how trust, vulnerability, and system awareness can restore balance and strengthen your connection.
When Anxiety Picks a Fight: How Hidden Worries Show Up in Our Relationships
Struggling with anxiety in your relationship? Learn how anxiety can manifest as irritability, impatience, or conflict, and discover practical tools for self-awareness, communication, and emotional regulation. Strengthen trust with your partner by taking ownership of your feelings. Read more to explore how therapy or coaching can help.
Trust: Understanding the Nuances in Relationships
Trust isn’t just about the big betrayals—it’s also about the small moments of reliability, support, and emotional safety. You might trust your partner to be faithful, but do you trust them to parent without micromanaging? To handle responsibilities without reminders? To listen without judgment? True trust means feeling safe to be yourself, flaws and all. If you’ve ever filtered your words to avoid criticism or hesitated to share your feelings out of fear of being dismissed, you’ve experienced the nuances of trust. Let’s dive into what trust really means in all areas of life.
How To Set Goals That Matter
As we step into 2025, many of us are setting new goals and resolutions. Did you know that only 9% of people successfully keep their New Year's resolutions? It’s easy to get caught up in setting big, ambitious goals, but these often lead to disappointment when we can’t keep up with them. Studies show that smaller, actionable goals are far more effective.
By taking a systemic approach to goal-setting, understanding relational needs, and enlisting the help of an accountability partner, you can set and achieve goals that truly make a difference. Remember to break your goals into manageable tasks, celebrate successes, and practice gratitude along the way. Setting goals that matter is about finding the balance between ambition and practicality. Together, we can turn those goals into reality.
Navigating Change: Acknowledging Grief in Life Transitions
Grief isn’t limited to the loss of loved ones—it often accompanies major life transitions like job loss, career changes, retirement, divorce, moving, or breakups. These shifts can trigger ambiguous grief and leave individuals struggling with loss of identity. This blog offers empathetic insight into the emotional impact of these transitions, along with practical strategies—such as journaling, mindfulness, social support, and professional help. Readers are encouraged to explore tools like the Mental Physical to regain clarity and embrace new beginnings with grace.
Pushing Ourselves to Engage: Connection in an Isolation World
As work-from-home becomes a permanent part of our lives, it’s important to recognize the need for intentional social connection. While remote work offers flexibility and convenience, it also encourages isolation if we’re not careful. This blog explores the mental health benefits of socializing, the value of engaging with people outside of our close circles, and practical tips for maintaining connection without losing the benefits of remote work. By pushing against the pandemic-induced isolation mindset, we can find balance and thrive in this new era.
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