What Is Emotional Regulation? The Biological Capacity That Makes or Breaks Your Relationship
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Emotional Regulation Is Not What You Think It Is Let me say something that might
What Is Trauma Bonding? The Neuroscience of Why You Can’t Just Leave
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Watch: Figs O’Sullivan, LMFT explains this. Here is a sentence I say to clients at
How to Deal With a Sexless Marriage
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
A sexless marriage is almost never about sex. It is about safety, the nervous system, and the attachment bond. Here is the clinical framework for what is actually happening and what to do about it.
How to Deal with a Partner with PTSD
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Loving someone with PTSD is one of the most confusing, exhausting, and deeply rewarding things a human being can do. Here is what actually works, from a couples therapist with 16+ years of experience.
How to Deal with a Partner with Anxiety: A Therapist’s Guide for the Non-Anxious Partner
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Your partner’s anxiety is not a thinking problem. It is a body problem. A couples therapist explains the attachment science behind anxiety in relationships and gives you practical tools to support your partner without losing yourself.
What Is the Freeze Response? Dorsal Vagal Shutdown, Relationships, and How to Thaw
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The freeze response is not laziness or indifference. It is your nervous system’s last-resort survival strategy. Learn how dorsal vagal shutdown shows up in relationships, why your partner goes silent during conflict, and the clinical protocol for thawing a frozen nervous system.
What Is the Window of Tolerance? The Nervous System Concept That Explains How Couples Fight and Connect
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The window of tolerance is your regulatory bandwidth, the zone where you can think, listen, and stay present with your partner. Learn how attachment science and polyvagal theory explain why couples fight, shut down, and how to widen your capacity for connection.
What Is the Anxious-Avoidant Trap? The Biology of Why You Cannot Stop the Loop
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The anxious-avoidant trap is the most common relationship pattern couples therapists see. One partner pursues, the other withdraws, and both end up confirming each other’s deepest fears. Here is how the trap works, why these partners attract each other, and the biological protocol for breaking free.
What Is the Fawn Response? The Trauma Response Hiding Inside Your Relationship
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
The fawn response is a neurobiological survival mechanism, not just people-pleasing. Learn how this trauma response operates inside romantic relationships, what attachment science reveals about fawning, and why willpower alone cannot fix it.
How to Save Your Marriage: What Attachment Science Actually Says
Figs O'Sullivan
April 16, 2026
Your marriage isn’t broken the way you think it is. Attachment science reveals why your fights never resolve and the biological protocol that actually repairs the bond. A clinical guide from a couples therapist who has watched hundreds of relationships come back from the brink.
Join the Empathi Newsletter
Subscribe to the newsletter and get tips from Figs and the Empathi team!
