Signs of an Unhappy Marriage: What a Therapist Looks for (That Most People Miss)
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
By Figs O’Sullivan, LMFT You typed “signs of an unhappy marriage” into a search bar.
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 Get Over a Divorce: What Your Nervous System Needs You to Know
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Divorce is not something you ‘get over.’ It is something you metabolize. An attachment science approach to understanding what your nervous system needs during divorce recovery, from the Waltz of Pain to rebuilding your Sovereign Us.
What Is the Vagal Brake in Relationships?
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The vagal brake is the biological mechanism that determines whether you and your partner can stay connected or spiral into conflict. Understanding how it works changes everything about how you approach disagreements, intimacy, and repair.
What Is Emotional Neglect in a Relationship?
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Emotional neglect is the chronic, patterned failure to respond to a partner’s emotional needs. It is one of the most damaging forces a relationship can endure, not because it is dramatic, but because it is invisible.
What Is Relational Trauma? How Attachment Wounds Shape Your Relationships
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The Wound That Doesn’t Have a Name Most people who walk into my office don’t
What Is Emotional Flooding? The Science Behind Why Your Brain Goes Offline in Conflict
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Emotional flooding is a measurable biological event. When your heart rate exceeds 100 BPM during conflict, your prefrontal cortex goes offline. Learn what Gottman’s research reveals about flooding, why logic makes it worse, and exactly what to do when it happens.
How to Deal with a Partner Who Lies: What Attachment Science Says About Dishonesty, Trust, and Your Nervous System
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Your body already knows something is wrong. Learn why partners lie, what chronic dishonesty does to your nervous system, and how to respond in a way that protects the attachment bond.
How to Recover from Emotional Abuse: A Nervous System Roadmap for Healing
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Emotional abuse leaves a biological imprint on your nervous system. Recovery requires more than insight. It requires somatic repair, identity reconstruction, and learning to trust again. Here is the clinical roadmap.
What Is Co-Regulation in Relationships? The Science of Nervous System Partnership
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The Moment You Realize You Can’t Fix This Alone Here is the scene I watch
Join the Empathi Newsletter
Subscribe to the newsletter and get tips from Figs and the Empathi team!
Featured Articles
Best Relationship Quizzes for Couples (2026) | Science-Backed
Figs O'Sullivan
April 3, 2026
If you’re ready for in-person help in the Bay Area, Empathi’s San Francisco couples therapy
Love, Bitcoin, and Why You Won’t Change Until It Hurts Like Hell
Figs O'Sullivan
September 11, 2025
I Love Bitcoin: Understanding Its Impact and Why You Won’t Change Until It Hurts Like
How to Actually Fix a Relationship You Ruined: Expert Dos & Don’ts
Figs O'Sullivan
June 1, 2023
The following list of dos and don’ts for how to fix a relationship you “ruined”