Why Am I Unhappy in My Relationship? A Therapist Explains the 7 Hidden Reasons
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
By Figs O’Sullivan, LMFT It’s 11:47 PM. Your partner is asleep beside you. The house
Couples Therapy Insights
Empathi's Couples Therapy Insights
How to Co-Parent with a Narcissist: A Therapist’s Guide to Protecting Your Children’s Nervous Systems
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Standard co-parenting advice fails when your ex has narcissistic features. Here is a clinical framework for protecting your children’s nervous systems, building enforceable parenting plans, and knowing when parallel parenting is the healthier choice.
How to Navigate Blended Family Challenges: A Therapist’s Guide to Stepfamily Dynamics, Loyalty Conflicts, and Protecting Your Couple Bond
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Blended family challenges activate deep attachment wiring. A couples therapist explains what attachment science says about loyalty conflicts, co-parenting with an ex, and building a stepfamily that actually works.
How to Rebuild Trust After Lying: A Therapist’s Guide to the Biology of Trust Repair
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The Lie Has Already Happened. Now What? Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash You lied.
What Is the Drama Triangle? How Couples Get Trapped in Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor Roles
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The Fight That Keeps Repeating Itself You know the one. It starts over something small,
What Is Differentiation in Relationships? A Therapist Explains the Concept That Changes Everything
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Differentiation is your ability to hold onto yourself while staying emotionally connected to the person you love. Therapist Figs O’Sullivan explains Bowen’s concept and how it transforms relationships.
What Is the Triangle of Conflict? How Hidden Feelings, Anxiety, and Defense Shape Your Relationship
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The triangle of conflict, developed by David Malan, reveals how hidden feelings, anxiety, and defense mechanisms create the destructive cycles that keep couples stuck. Learn how to identify your pattern and break free.
What Is the Cycle of Disconnection and Repair?
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The cycle of disconnection and repair is the natural rhythm of every intimate relationship. Understanding why disconnection is inevitable and how repair strengthens the bond is the most important thing couples can learn.
What Is the Vulnerability Cycle? How Dropping Your Armor Creates Real Connection
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The vulnerability cycle is the moment both partners drop their defenses, access their deeper emotions, and create a new experience of connection. Learn how EFT helps couples move from their reactive loop into genuine bonding.
What Is Relational Repair? The Clinical Science of Healing After Rupture
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Relational repair is not an apology. It is a biological process of restoring safety to a threatened nervous system. Learn what attachment science and EFT reveal about the rupture-repair cycle, why surface apologies fail, and how deep repair actually strengthens your bond.
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