7 Reasons Why Dealing With Narcissists Is So Exhausting

Why are interactions with narcissists so draining? Here are 7 reasons to help you recognize and gain perspective about narcissistic tactics.

Why are interactions with narcissists so draining? Here are 7 reasons to help you recognize and gain perspective about narcissistic tactics.

The Grey Rocking Guide for Co-parenting With a Narcissist

Grey rocking helps reduce the chronic stress of co-parenting with a narcissist by preserving your energy while still addressing the tasks of parenting effectively.

Grey rocking helps reduce the chronic stress of co-parenting with a narcissist by preserving your energy while still addressing the tasks of parenting effectively.

The Narcissistic Leader’s Vanity Metrics

Focusing on metrics that look good—rather than on the numbers that may reveal inconvenient truths—is a common problem in business.

Focusing on metrics that look good—rather than on the numbers that may reveal inconvenient truths—is a common problem in business.

Projective Identification in Couples

Couple’s therapists can help people face their fears instead of getting their partners to embody them.

Couple’s therapists can help people face their fears instead of getting their partners to embody them.

Childhood Trauma Shapes an Under- or Over-Active Inner World

Childhood trauma shapes coping, leading to hypervigilance or retreat into a rich inner world. Healing requires balancing these responses through therapy and mindfulness.

Childhood trauma shapes coping, leading to hypervigilance or retreat into a rich inner world. Healing requires balancing these responses through therapy and mindfulness.

Why Is Self-Knowledge So Important?

What does self-awareness really do for us? It improves self-control and facilitates our understanding of others.

What does self-awareness really do for us? It improves self-control and facilitates our understanding of others.

What We Can Learn From "Deadpool and Wolverine"

Deadpool and Wolverine offer insights into resilience, identity, and finding humor in adversity in their new film.

Deadpool and Wolverine offer insights into resilience, identity, and finding humor in adversity in their new film.

Healing Through Homecoming

A Personal Perspective: Giving a hero's welcome to our mental health challenges.

A Personal Perspective: Giving a hero's welcome to our mental health challenges.

Are You Over-Functioning in Your Relationship?

In many relationships, there's an over-functioning partner who drives things to be a certain way, and there's a huge cost to the couple's closeness.

In many relationships, there's an over-functioning partner who drives things to be a certain way, and there's a huge cost to the couple's closeness.

A Narcissist Overcommunicates or Undercommunicates

Without direct communication, suffering can increase exponentially. You may open up while a narcissistic partner withholds, justifies, and blows up.

Without direct communication, suffering can increase exponentially. You may open up while a narcissistic partner withholds, justifies, and blows up.

Negative Emotions: A Case Against Toxic Positivity

How toxic positivity shuns difficult emotions.

How toxic positivity shuns difficult emotions.

Was Your Ex a Gold-Digger?

Raise your hand if the answer is yes.

Raise your hand if the answer is yes.

Saying Goodbye Is Hard for the Therapist, Too

Personal Perspective: It may surprise you to learn that when you leave therapy, your decision impacts your therapist, too. You're not the only one who doesn't like saying goodbye!

Personal Perspective: It may surprise you to learn that when you leave therapy, your decision impacts your therapist, too. You're not the only one who doesn't like saying goodbye!

Are You Cuddling Your Anxiety? The Dangers of Merely Coping

Solely focusing on coping with anxiety can lead to self-centered behavior, impulsivity, and neglect of core values. This diminishes our true potential.

Solely focusing on coping with anxiety can lead to self-centered behavior, impulsivity, and neglect of core values. This diminishes our true potential.

The Trope of the Disabled Con Artist

Our society's contempt toward disability is a projection of inner conflict around our own dependency needs.

Our society's contempt toward disability is a projection of inner conflict around our own dependency needs.

Why You Hold Things In, and How to Stop

Were your feelings dismissed or criticized in the past? You may have learned not to express your feelings at all.

Were your feelings dismissed or criticized in the past? You may have learned not to express your feelings at all.

IFS and Time Travel

You might visit the past because it was fun or you wish it hadn't happened. If you think about, see, feel, or repeat painful experiences, there is an option for getting out.

You might visit the past because it was fun or you wish it hadn't happened. If you think about, see, feel, or repeat painful experiences, there is an option for getting out.

A Simple Way to Excuse Embarrassing Behavior

There is probably no more simple and powerful way to excuse an unflattering behavior than to suggest its commonness.

There is probably no more simple and powerful way to excuse an unflattering behavior than to suggest its commonness.

Living Your Most Authentic Life

Personal Perspective: We are so indoctrinated, propagandized, and socialized that we don’t know who we truly are.

Personal Perspective: We are so indoctrinated, propagandized, and socialized that we don’t know who we truly are.

Phrase, Craze, Raze: Shut Down Debate in Three Steps

A time-honored, tried-and-true method for foreclosing debate in three easy steps.

A time-honored, tried-and-true method for foreclosing debate in three easy steps.

Dissociation Comes to the Rescue, or Does It?

Trauma can significantly affect an individual and family, particularly when culture and acculturation are involved, as shown in the film 'Safe Among Stars' (2019) by Jess X Snow.

Trauma can significantly affect an individual and family, particularly when culture and acculturation are involved, as shown in the film 'Safe Among Stars' (2019) by Jess X Snow.

What's Your Fighting Style?

Most people argue in one of four main ways. Learning about them can help you understand your partner, friend, or family member, so your arguments can be more productive.

Most people argue in one of four main ways. Learning about them can help you understand your partner, friend, or family member, so your arguments can be more productive.

One Way to Avoid the Confirmation Bias

Take the advice of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Robert Lefkowitz: Commit to testing alternative narratives to explain the facts.

Take the advice of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Robert Lefkowitz: Commit to testing alternative narratives to explain the facts.

The Most Insidious Way a Narcissist Dismantles Your Sense of Self

It's dangerous to look at yourself through the narcissist’s distorted lens, but you may not realize it's skewed. It's like looking in a fun house mirror, not knowing it's warped.

It's dangerous to look at yourself through the narcissist’s distorted lens, but you may not realize it's skewed. It's like looking in a fun house mirror, not knowing it's warped.

Defense Mechanisms Are the Sunglasses of Our Mind

The good, the bad, and the tinted: While they can be protective, defense mechanisms can also be detrimental if overused.

The good, the bad, and the tinted: While they can be protective, defense mechanisms can also be detrimental if overused.

Whether to Speak Up or Stay Quiet

When is the best time to stay quiet or end a conversation? When it could be counter-productive—like a heated conversation that is going nowhere.

When is the best time to stay quiet or end a conversation? When it could be counter-productive—like a heated conversation that is going nowhere.

It's Not My Fault! Why Defensiveness Is Damaging

All couples argue. It may surprise you to learn that arguing does not in and of itself harm your relationship — but how you argue can cause damage.

All couples argue. It may surprise you to learn that arguing does not in and of itself harm your relationship — but how you argue can cause damage.

Small Talk: Cringe-Worthy, Yet Essential for Connection

You may have dozens of digital connections and seem well-connected, yet consistently feel lonely and as if you are missing out.

You may have dozens of digital connections and seem well-connected, yet consistently feel lonely and as if you are missing out.

What to Know About Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) appears effective in treating myriad psychological conditions. A case study is presented demonstrating how it may optimally work.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) appears effective in treating myriad psychological conditions. A case study is presented demonstrating how it may optimally work.

2 Emotionally Intelligent Tools That Disarm a Narcissist

Initially, you are susceptible to a narcissist's manipulations because you are accountable, empathic & trusting. Once you realize they're deceptive, use 2 EI tools to disarm them.

Initially, you are susceptible to a narcissist's manipulations because you are accountable, empathic & trusting. Once you realize they're deceptive, use 2 EI tools to disarm them.