There is no diagnosis called ‘toxic.’ As a couples therapist, I explain what people actually mean when they use the word, the attachment science behind relationship damage, and why the label might be more complicated than you think.
Verbal abuse leaves invisible scars that are just as damaging as physical ones. Learn the seven forms of verbal abuse, what it does to your brain and nervous system, and why victims minimize it.
Written for the person who IS emotionally unavailable and wants to change. Learn why your nervous system shuts down, the specific behaviors to change, and a graduated approach to becoming more emotionally available.
Your self-esteem was built in relationship, and it will be rebuilt in relationship. Learn the attachment science of self-worth, six practices for building esteem while partnered, and the sovereignty principle that changes everything.
A therapist’s emergency guide for coping with a breakup: what’s happening in your nervous system, how to survive the first 48 hours, and when coping becomes avoidance.
Watch: Figs O’Sullivan, LMFT explains this. When your partner lies to you, deal with the
A comprehensive, clinician-honest guide to the Gottman Method. Covers the Sound Relationship House, Four Horsemen, bids for connection, the 5:1 ratio, and how Gottman compares to EFT and psychodynamic approaches.
Emotional exhaustion is not tiredness, depression, or burnout. It is a distinct neurobiological state with specific causes and specific pathways to recovery. Licensed therapist Figs O’Sullivan explains the neuroscience of depletion, the 12 signs to watch for, why high-empathy people are most vulnerable, and how to come back home.
Emotional numbness is not apathy or a character flaw. It is your nervous system pulling the emergency brake. Learn the neuroscience behind why your brain shuts down feeling, how numbness differs from detachment, what it does to your relationships, and specific strategies to safely reconnect with your emotional life.
Watch: Figs O’Sullivan, LMFT explains this. You Googled this. That matters more than you think.
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