Consent vs. Manipulation: Recognizing Toxic Control in Your Relationship
Consent is the foundation of healthy relationships. Yet, in struggling couples, this boundary blurs, becoming imperceptible, until it disappears completely.
Read article →Blog — Relationship Psychology
Articles on relationship psychology, communication patterns, and conversation analysis.
Ctrl+K
Breakup-Reconciliation Cycles: Are You Trapped in an Addictive Loop?
Some couples get trapped in painful, repetitive breakup-reconciliation cycles. Understand these addictive patterns and find ways to break free.
Read article →Toxic Empathy: When Loving Your Partner Too Much Becomes Destructive
As a CBT practitioner, I help many navigate complex relationships. Discover how toxic empathy, giving too much love, can lead to exhaustion and self-destruction.
Read article →Toxic Empathy: When Loving Your Partner Too Much Destroys You
As a CBT psychotherapist, I help many individuals facing complex relationships. Often, they feel they've given too much, leading to exhaustion and self-destruction.
Read article →Toxic Empathy: When Loving Your Partner Too Much Destroys You
As a CBT therapist, I help many individuals navigate complex relationships. Often, they feel they've given too much, loved 'too hard', and end up exhausted and drained.
Read article →Toxic Empathy: When Loving Your Partner Too Much Harms You
As a CBT therapist, I help many navigate complex relationships. Often, clients feel they've given too much, loved 'too hard,' leading to exhaustion and harm.
Read article →Toxic Empathy: When Loving Your Partner Too Much Harms You
Discover toxic empathy: as a CBT therapist, I see many clients exhausted by complex relationships, feeling they've loved too much.
Read article →Toxic Empathy: When Over-Caring for Your Partner Becomes Destructive
As a CBT psychotherapist, I guide many individuals through complex relationships. Often, they feel they've given too much, loved 'too hard,' and are left exhausted.
Read article →Passive-Aggressive Control: When Your Partner Punishes with Indifference
In complex human relationships, insidious and destructive dynamics often exist. Passive-aggressive control is one such dynamic, difficult to pinpoint but deeply damaging.
Read article →Healing After Infidelity: Steps for Couples to Rebuild Trust and Bonds
Infidelity shatters relationships, eroding trust and leaving a trail of pain and anger. Discover how couples successfully navigate reconciliation and rebuild stronger bonds.
Read article →Sexual Taboos in Couples: How to Talk Without Hurting Each Other
Discover how to calmly address sexual taboos in your relationship. Practical advice from a psychopractitioner for successful intimate communication.
Read article →Express Your Needs Without Accusing: A Guide to Better Communication
Learn how to express your needs in your relationship without falling into accusation. CBT techniques and practical advice included.
Read article →How the Absent Father Wound Shows Up in Your Couple Messages: 11 Markers
The absent father wound, whether due to physical, emotional, or symbolic absence, profoundly shapes our attachment and communication patterns.
Read article →Anxious Attachment: The 14 Types of Desperate Messages Sent During a Breakup
During a breakup, anxious attachment manifests through desperate attempts to reconnect, reassure, or prevent abandonment. These messages reveal a deep fear of solitude.
Read article →Childhood Trauma: How It Shows Up in Your Couple Messages — 12 Markers
Childhood trauma, even old, never stays confined to the past; it often manifests subtly in our daily interactions, including in our text exchanges with our partner.
Read article →Emotional Dependence: 13 Patterns Visible in Your Daily Messages to Your Partner
Emotional dependence often manifests subtly, but our text exchanges with a partner reveal deep markers. These patterns, ranging from constant search for validation to fear of abandonment.
Read article →Gaslighting: 15 Typical Phrases to Recognize in Your Partner's Messages
Gaslighting is an insidious form of psychological manipulation where someone makes you doubt your perception, memory, and mental health. In written conversations, these tactics manifest through messages that distort reality.
Read article →Ghosting: The 13 Signals in the Last Messages We Didn't Want to See
Ghosting, the sudden and unexplained disappearance of a person you were exchanging with, often leaves a feeling of incomprehension and pain. Retrospectively, our text conversations are full of subtle markers.
Read article →Jealousy: 14 Types of Control Messages to Recognize in Your Relationship
Jealousy, when it leads to controlling behaviors, can poison a relationship. Recognizing control messages is the first step to addressing it.
Read article →Need for Validation: 11 Types of Messages That Reveal Compulsive Search for Approval
Compulsive search for approval often manifests through incessant text messages, where one solicits the partner's opinion, affection, or confirmation. This behavior betrays deep insecurity.
Read article →Over 190 applied psychology articles
The Psychology and Serenity blog offers over 190 articles by Gildas Garrec, CBT psychopractitioner in Nantes. Each article draws on validated psychological models (Gottman, Young, attachment theory, CBT) to offer practical insights.
Couple Communication — Gottman’s 4 horsemen, the 5:1 ratio, stonewalling, NVC
Attachment — Anxious, avoidant, disorganized styles, path to secure attachment
Emotional Dependency — 10 signs, self-assessment tests, CBT strategies
Ghosting & Dating — Ghosting, breadcrumbing, curving, orbiting, zombieing
Manipulation — Gaslighting, coercive control, narcissistic abuse, psychological violence
Infidelity — Understanding, forgiving, trauma bonding, rebuilding
Anxiety & Stress — Relationship anxiety, burnout, rumination, insomnia
Jealousy — Pathological jealousy, retroactive, social media
Breakup & Grief — The 7 stages, no contact, relationship PTSD
Couple & Cohabitation — Moving in, arguments, libido, mental load
Parenting — Parental alienation, co-parenting, blended families
Young Schemas — 18 early schemas, cognitive distortions
Dating Apps — Mental health impact, paradox of choice, dating fatigue
Mental Health — When to consult, online therapy, CBT vs EMDR
⚖️
Our methodology: 14 validated clinical models →
Discover the models of Gottman, Young, Bowlby, Beck, Sternberg and 9 others automatically applied to your conversations.
Analyse your conversation
Experiencing a situation described in our articles? Get an objective analysis of your conversation.
Start free analysis