As healthy people engage in relationships, they have all sorts of goals in mind: finding connection, having loving exchanges, giving and receiving encouragement, feeling secure, minimizing psychological drama, building mutual…

Let’s begin with an affirming thought.  Self-esteem is an essential ingredient for a life of well-being.  It is reasonable for an individual to state: “This is me, I’m a decent…

In any relationship, certain traits are basic for success.  Those traits include trustworthiness, empathy, fairness, affirmation, equality, anticipation, self-restraint, goodness, and many more.  When I say such traits are basic,…

Let’s face it, most individuals do not relish being confronted.  It means something is afoul and adjustments are needed, and it could potentially escalate into unwanted relationship strain.  That said,…

Would it be accurate to assume that all the motives of a narcissist are 100% wrong?  No, not really.  Even though the primary ingredients of this pattern of life can…

It’s virtually impossible to have longstanding exposure to narcissistic people (and systems) without being psychologically scarred.  Perhaps you were brought up in a narcissistic family, or maybe you married someone…

As you discern a person’s psychological maturity, openness is a trait that offers clues about that individual’s capacity for insight and growth.  Open people see life as an ongoing learning…

Let’s focus on a dichotomy that gets to the heart of how people live.  Are you driven by the power of love or the love of power? In my decades…

It is very common to look back upon your history with a narcissist, realizing that it takes time to know and understand the fullness of the pathology you have endured. …