Let a man/more privileged person earn your friendship through consistent respect, compassion and reciprocity instead of assuming it in dating.

Relationships are partnerships. What affects one person should be significant to the other person/people.

I meet women/nonmen with the most basic bare minimum needs feeling needy in relationships.

Placeholders shouldn't exist but folks can be framed as such because sexist, racist, fatphobic oppression is pervasive.

If you've ever stayed in a toxic relationship, this reflection addresses dynamics you may have experienced and proposes paths to healing.

My top tips for optimizing your dating profiles for finding your most compatible matches.

In Gottman research as well as other studies, this dynamic was shown to be rather common in divorced couples. The pursuers will usually be more invested in fixing the distancing and disengagement, so change often begins with them stepping back from pursuit mode.

A common question women/nonmen ask me is about being further ahead in relational skills and not knowing how long to wait for a partner (often a man) to catch up.

When feeling criticism is the best way to get our needs met, remember that it doesn't come from a place of deep regard, vulnerability about your own needs, concerns, fears and priorities.

So let's talk about feeling guilty about setting boundaries, because it's a very common concern folks have, including many clients. If you struggle with people-pleasing, this is for you.