Opportunists in the Right Place at the Right Time? The concepts of codependence and love addiction emerged in the 1980s as popular, oversimplified pop-psychology explanations for dysfunctional relationship patterns, thanks in large part to two figures, Melody Beattie and Pia Mellody. In this blog post I will explore the

Artwork by Jake Baddeley This entry is inspired by events I witnessed, experienced, and detailed in my upcoming book, Unlearning Love: Reclaiming Desire from Diagnosis. *If a predatory treatment center has victimized you or someone you know, please follow this link for more information: National Association for Addiction Treatment Provider

Artwork: Jake Baddeley In the material world, opposites exist in a dynamic dance that is essential to creation, transformation, and the highest order of life. The tension between night and day, masculine and feminine, chaos and order is not meant to result in the dissolution of these polarities into sameness,

Artwork: Jake Baddeley Selfless Desire: The Purest Form I once tasted the rarest form of desire. I let go of all projections, illusions, hopes, disappointments, and reasons for resentment. I accepted her as she was and as she would become—brutal and beautiful, artful and distasteful, order and chaos. A

Artist: Jake Baddeley Recognizing the animus is an essential step for a woman on a path to maturity and to forming a healthy relationship with a real flesh and blood hu-MAN. Comedian Taylor Tomlinson in her latest Netflix special gives a spectacular example of a women possessed by her

Artist: Jake Baddeley Unveiling the Myth of Biological Uniform Emotional Responses in Conflicts The Misconception of Emotional Uniformity In the quest to understand the intricate dance of intimate relationships, one often stumbles upon the delicate interplay of assumptions and judgments. These, when unchecked, can weave a deceptive tapestry of reality,

Artwork: Accolade by Edmund Leighton (1901) Oil on Canvas Chivalry, a word that once invoked images of honor, bravery, and respect for women, has faded into obscurity in modern relationships. What happened to this ancient code, and why does it seem so foreign today? In this essay, I aim to

A Group of Leading Relationship Psychologists and Scholars Answer. Artwork: Unknown “Perfect love means to love the one through whom one became unhappy.” —Søren Kierkegaard Marriage has long been the bedrock of societies, yet in our modern world, its dissolution appears to be symptomatic of deeper societal fractures. Failing marriages

Some Academic Scholars think Maybe He Did. Whether Jesus had an intimate relationship with Mary Magdalene has been debated among scholars and laypeople. While the canonical Gospels do not explicitly mention a romantic connection between the two, several non-canonical texts have raised the possibility of a more intimate relationship