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 →Blog — Relationship Psychology
Articles on relationship psychology, communication patterns, and conversation analysis.
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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 →Toxic Relationship: 16 Daily Message Patterns That Don't Lie
Daily messages are an intimate mirror of your couple dynamic. While some exchanges nourish connection, others reveal insidious communication patterns, potential signs of a toxic relationship.
Read article →Trauma Bonding: 12 Signals That Appear in Your Couple Messages
Trauma bonding, or traumatic bond, is a powerful emotional attachment that develops in relationships characterized by cycles of abuse and intermittent positive reinforcement.
Read article →Couple After Kids: Rediscovering the Lost Connection
How to rediscover couple connection after the arrival of children? Practical advice and CBT exercises to revive intimacy.
Read article →How to Protect Your Children During a Divorce: A Practical Guide
Discover how to minimize the impact of divorce on your children with concrete strategies validated by psychology research.
Read article →DARVO in Text Messages: Examples and How to Respond
Learn what DARVO means, see examples in text messages, and explore ways to respond to denial, attacks and blame reversal without losing context.
Read article →Polyamory: Understanding the Psychological Risks
Explore the psychological challenges of polyamory: jealousy, self-esteem, anxiety. A complete guide to better understand these relationships.
Read article →How Does Stress Impact Sexuality in a Couple?
Discover the impact of stress on marital intimacy and CBT solutions to regain a fulfilling sexuality as a couple.
Read article →Relational Perfectionism and the Reconstituted Phantom Ex (Amir Levine)
How relational perfectionism and the phantom ex (Amir Levine, Attached 2010) sabotage couples: idealized composite of exes, maternal and paternal roots, and CBT protocol to break free.
Read article →Inside the Godfather's Mind: What Psychology Reveals About Crime Bosses
Discover 'Inside the Godfather's Mind': a clinical analysis of 12 real-life mob bosses and 5 fictional ones through the DSM-5 and PCL-R. 19 forms of organized crime decoded.
Read article →Inside the Godfather's Mind: What Psychology Reveals About Crime Bosses
Inside the Godfather's Mind: 12 real mafia figures + 5 fictional analyzed via DSM-5 and PCL-R. 19 forms of organized crime.
Read article →Cognitive Biases and Thinking Traps: Definitions and Everyday Examples
A practical guide to common cognitive biases and thinking patterns, organized by category with clear definitions and everyday examples. Not an exhaustive or official list.
Read article →Over 190 applied psychology articles
The Psychology and Serenity blog offers over 190 articles by Gildas Garrec, CBT practitioner 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
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Our methodology: 14 validated clinical models →
Explore the models of Gottman, Young, Bowlby, Beck, Sternberg and 9 others automatically applied to your conversations.
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