The BLOG · writing on therapy & GROWTHReflections on therapy, relationships, and the slow work of recovery from abuse and harm.
Articles exploring schema therapy, mental health, trauma recovery, and emotional wellbeing — For people doing the slow work of understanding themselves, their relationships, and the harm they've lived through.
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The Pull in Two Directions: Enmeshment, Obligation, and the Longing to Be Free
Do you find yourself cancelling plans for family, editing what you say around your parents, or feeling simultaneously guilty for staying and guilty for pulling away? This article explores the psychology of enmeshment, the two competing parts of self it produces, and what healing can look like.
The Enmeshment/Undeveloped Self Schema: When You Don't Know Where You End and Others Begin
Do you struggle to know what you want, or feel your sense of self gets lost in your closest relationships? The Enmeshment schema may explain why — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Abandonment/Instability Schema: When You're Always Waiting for People to Leave
Do you struggle with anxious attachment or live with a constant fear that people will leave? The Abandonment/Instability schema shapes some of our most painful relationship patterns. Discover where this schema comes from, how it shows up in daily life, and how schema therapy can help.
When Control Is the Trauma: Understanding Coercive Control and Its Psychological Impact
Coercive control is a form of violence that can cause profound psychological harm. This article explores coercive control trauma, explaining how repeated patterns of control erode autonomy, identity, and safety over time. Drawing on research, it examines why coercive control is often missed and how understanding its impact can support recovery.
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Harm
Douglas Kelley’s psychiatric assessments at Nuremberg revealed a confronting truth: the men responsible for atrocity were psychologically ordinary. This article explores obedience, authority, and how harm emerges within systems—not madness.
The Unrelenting Standards Schema: When Good Enough Is Never Good Enough
Do you push yourself relentlessly, struggle to feel satisfied, or find it impossible to rest? The Unrelenting Standards schema may be driving that exhausting pursuit of perfection — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
Understanding Religious OCD & Scrupulosity: A Closer Look at Scrupulosity and Its Impact
Scrupulosity, or religious OCD, traps Christians in cycles of intrusive thoughts, guilt, and compulsive rituals around faith. This article explains the signs of scrupulosity, its impact on prayer, worship, and spiritual life, and how treatments like CBT and ERP bring healing. With compassionate Christian psychology support, individuals can separate faith from fear, break the cycle of religious OCD, and rediscover peace, freedom, and authentic connection with God.
The Self-Sacrifice Schema: When Giving to Others Comes at the Cost of Yourself
Do you give endlessly to others but struggle to attend to your own needs — or feel guilty when you try? The Self-Sacrifice schema may be driving that pattern — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
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