This blog post explores the common "Parent-Child" trap in marriages—a psychodynamic entanglement where one partner becomes overly responsible (the Parent) and the other becomes passive or reactive (the Child). To resolve this imbalance, the article introduces the Relational Handshake, a five-step communication protocol designed to shift partners back into a balanced Adult-Adult state. By using...

When a relationship feels like a constant "clash of realities," the problem is rarely a lack of communication tools; it is often a deficit in the capacity for emotional containment. For the "Fixer," offering solutions is a defensive shield against the discomfort of their partner's pain, while for the "Feeler," this logic feels like a...

The Parent-Child dynamic in a marriage is often a silent saboteur of intimacy. When one partner consistently carries the "mental load" and adopts a managerial, Parental ego state to handle anxiety, it unconsciously invites the other partner to retreat into a resistant or passive Child ego state. This entanglement creates a "leaky" relationship vessel where...

In the world of Information Technology, a “protocol” is a set of rules that governs how data is exchanged between systems. One of the most fundamental concepts is the handshake: a process where two points acknowledge each other, verify that they are ready to communicate, and confirm that […]

A couple’s therapy with only one partner attending still holds the possibility of real change — especially when we move from trying to fix the other to understanding the self.

What can we really change in therapy—our feelings, thoughts, or behaviour? A psychotherapist reflects on individual and couples therapy using insights from British Psychoanalytic Theory and CBT.

A thoughtful and sophisticated framework - very containing for clients, especially those struggling with the disorientation that often follows the transition to parenthood or separation.

What the first session reveals about the couple’s dynamic—and why seeing both partners together really matters.

“Flatmate Syndrome” describes the emotional and physical disconnection that can occur in relationships when partners start living more like housemates than lovers. This blog explores the phenomenon through a psychoanalytic lens, using object relations theory and Winnicott’s concept of the “good enough mother” to uncover deeper dynamics. Emotional withdrawal, fading intimacy, and parallel lives often...

Understanding the Madonna–Whore Complex in Relationships: Why Emotional Closeness Can Block Sexual Desire and How Therapy Helps Rebuild Intimacy and Self-Worth.