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1 week ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
We all enter adult relationships carrying a suitcase packed with the lessons of childhood. Sometimes, it contains good things — resilience, trust, affection — but much of it also holds the coping mechanisms we developed to survive emotionally challenging moments growing up. These strategies helped us navigate difficult times, but as adults, they may hinder our ability to connect and communicate in healthy adult relationships.
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1 week ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
As more individuals experience dating burnout and exhaustion from dating apps, many are turning away from the endless swiping in search of something more meaningful. This may be why more and more people are opening up to the idea of their parents and other community members helping them seek lifelong partners. This is where practices like arranged marriages and matchmaking come into play.
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1 week ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
Breakups can sometimes hurt in ways words can’t always capture. One minute you’re fine — the next, you’re rereading old messages, spiraling in your notes app and questioning if you were “enough” for the other person. You may try to reassure yourself by repeating something like, “I’ll get through this. It’s not the first time.”But those words might feel empty against the memories that rush back in uninvited. In those moments, logic doesn’t help. What you need isn’t advice — it’s anchoring.
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1 week ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
When people are plagued with regret, especially in the face of uncertainty or failure, they usually come to therapy haunted by their past.
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1 week ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
You might be doing everything you can to show your partner how much they mean to you — leaving sweet notes or buying them little gifts every other day. But your partner still seems a little distant, or perhaps even underwhelmed. This can be frustrating, especially when you feel like you’re pouring your heart into the relationship. It’s easy to wonder: Why isn’t your love getting through? The truth is, love doesn’t always land the way we intend.
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2 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
At the beginning of a relationship, everything feels like forward motion. There’s excitement in the unknown, a natural curiosity about each other and a sense that you’re both becoming better versions of yourselves simply by being together. You dream more boldly, support each other’s goals and build a shared vision for what could be. But sometimes — slowly, almost imperceptibly — something shifts. The initial spark of uniqueness that brought you together starts to dim.
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2 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
We’re often told that compromise is the secret sauce to a healthy relationship. It’s the word tossed into every bit of relationship advice, from couples’ therapy to wedding toasts. And while compromise is essential, the way most people understand and practice it is where things can go off-track.
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2 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
Picture this: you land an incredible new job that you’ve worked hard for, but instead of celebrating, you’re consumed by doubt. You start thinking — “What if they realize I’m not as skilled as they think? What if I can’t live up to their expectations?”This is impostor syndrome in action. It’s that relentless voice whispering in your head that you’re a fraud or that you’re undeserving of your achievements.
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2 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
In a culture hooked on speed, screens and constant stimulation, there’s a growing desire to slow down and reconnect with simpler and more intentional ways of living. That’s where “grandma hobbies” like knitting, gardening, baking and sewing come in. Activities once seen as old-fashioned are now being embraced for their surprising mental health benefits. Take knitting, for example.
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2 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | A Psychologist |Mark Travers
Have you ever been stuck in traffic where no one moves, there’s constant horns blaring, tempers rising and you just sit there, inching forward only to get blocked again? That’s gridlock. Essentially, when everyone’s trying to move ahead, but they’re so entangled that no one can. Now imagine that in your relationship — a situation where you’re both trying and equally seem to care about each other.
