Betrayal in relationships—whether between parents and children, romantic partners, or close friends—occurs when someone you trust or depend on fails to protect you and instead causes harm. These betrayals can range from minor everyday violations to severe acts such as…
Most people believe that leaving an abusive relationship is the ultimate step in ending coercive control and will put a stop to the abuse. Sadly, the reality is that the abuse doesn’t necessarily end when you walk away. In fact,…
Enmeshment describes family relationships, particularly between parents and children, that are intertwined in unhealthy ways. Enmeshed families may appear very loving from the outside, but that love is often based on a sense of guilt and obligation. Generally, we can…
While not an official diagnosis, Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) is becoming a more common term within the psychological sphere. It is different from childhood abuse in that there is no overt trauma, no physical involvement, no verbal abuse and name…
Many people grow up in families with less than ideal parenting. While abusive parental behaviour is relatively easy to identify, often the emotional damage may come from less obvious behaviours such as parental neglect, unrealistic or developmentally inappropriate expectations put…
Guilt is one of several basic emotions (like anger, shame, sadness, love etc.) that all of us are wired to experience because it serves an important function. Typically, we would experience guilt in the following situations: Doing or thinking something…
Boundaries refer to our ability to set appropriate limits. When a person is confused about responsibility and ownership of their own choices and life, then we can talk about a problem of boundaries. Below are the three most common issues…
