Relationships
Your Advice Was Good. Why Is Your Partner Annoyed?
Why a partner bristles at well-meant advice, what couples research says about mismatched support, and the one question to ask before you answer.
Topic
Relationships
Communication, friendship, dating, family and partnership, handled with honesty and care.
Relationships
"Let Me Know If You Need Anything" Rarely Helps. Try This.
"Let me know if you need anything" is kind, and it hands a grieving friend a task. What research on support suggests saying and doing instead.
Relationships
So, Any News? Answering the Family Question Without a Scene
Nosy family questions at dinner don't need a comeback or a boundaries speech. They need one flat prepared sentence and a question back.
Relationships
Why You Can Feel Lonely in a Perfectly Good Relationship
Feeling lonely next to a partner you love is common and usually about attention, not love. What research suggests, plus one small daily question.
Relationships
Why Adult Friendship Needs a Calendar, Not More Good Intentions
Adult friendships fade when contact stops, however fond the feelings. Why one boring standing plan a month beats waiting for spontaneity.
Relationships
You Said Sorry Four Times. Why Is It Getting Worse?
A sorry followed by "I just didn't realize" turns an apology back into an argument. What research on apologies says makes one actually land.
Relationships
The Text to an Old Friend You Keep Rewriting: Send a Bad One
Most people have an old friend they mean to text and don't. What studies of reaching out found, and why a short, slightly dumb message works.
Relationships
Why You and Your Partner Keep Having the Same Fight
When the same argument keeps coming back, the topic is rarely the real problem. What research on repeat arguments suggests, and a nickname trick.