Relationships

As the name implies, micro-cheating occurs when partners use small gestures or actions to engage with someone outside of their relationship in a flirtatious manner. Micro-cheating can happen when we cross the line with coworkers or friends, spend too much time secretly scrolling through our ex’s social media, or even…

What if our partner’s financial status had been remarkably different, right from the beginning of our relationship. Would that have changed our decision about dating them? What if they’d been even poorer—or what if they’d been richer? As shallow as it sounds, money does make the world go round; and…

When I first met my now-husband’s friends, we all went out to dinner. When we were eating dessert, one of the wives said, “I have known several girlfriends through the years, and he never shares his dessert with anyone. He must really like you!” I laughed, thinking she was kidding….

Dear Unlicensed Psychoblogger, My roommate is extremely attractive and I’m starting to feel an emotional connection. Would it be a humongous mistake to hook up? Sincerely, Writer’s Imaginary Friend (WIF) Dear WIF, This is a tricky question. Fortunately, I’m abundantly qualified to answer it because I’m currently raising a kindergartner…

I’m a happily partnered mom, but no one has to explain to me the benefits of being single. I’m not talking about the joys of online dating and casual sex. I’m talking about keeping your own hours, eating what you want, and TRYING TO WRITE A SENTENCE WITHOUT SOMEONE ELSE’S…

Self-care posts and tips often talk to us as though we’re single. But what about practicing self-care while we’re in a relationship? When we avoid prioritizing our own needs in a relationship, it can result in us feeling hurt and insecure, putting an unfair amount of pressure on our partner…

We’ve already shown how destructive cults and manipulative marketing tactics can weaponize extreme psychological influence. But what about a form of “mind control” that doesn’t have an industry or a social scaffolding behind it? Manipulation by an intimate partner can feel even more insidious because it’s perpetrated by someone you…

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are in their 60s now, but they first became friends in their 20s, when they were both single women in TV broadcasting. This means that for over 40 years they have stuck together through marriages, children, divorce, and career ups and downs. Their BFF status…

Social media platforms are home to carefully curated content. Rarely (if ever) do we post an unflattering photo on Instagram, write an uncomplimentary Facebook status, or share a tweet that isn’t funny. I’m happy to be the lab rat here.  In the last photo I posted on Instagram, my hair…

Buena Vista is as nice a neighborhood as you could imagine: Proper houses trimmed in white, all lined up in neat rows. It’s a labyrinth of new pavement and landscaping, baking underneath the Texas sun. Somewhere, the sounds of a lawnmower swirl together with a dog barking and a child’s…

My dad is a psychologist—growing up, I remember him helping all types of people, from inmates prepping for parole to other children and teens who were having behavioral issues. As someone from a poor family and a rough area of Chicago, his life lessons were always insightful, if a little…

Weddings came back with a vengeance this summer, and let’s be honest: It had been kind of nice to see people elope for a while. So cheap. So quiet. So little pressure on friends and family. You could just send a gift instead of making small talk with strangers and…