Read our posts about Relationships

13Jun

The Psychology of a One-Night Stand

Terri Apter

LGBT, sex, single

Relationships

The stereotype of a one-night stand is a brutally selfish, egoistically satisfied male, and a woman shamed by regret and disappointment. Yet a memorable counter offensive was launched more than 40 years ago when Erica Jong, in her novel Fear of Flying, celebrated a female fantasy where “zippers fell away like rose petals, underwear blew off in one breath like dandelion fluff”. And, with the subsiding ecstasy, your partner melted away, freeing you both from embarrassment and commitment. For many men and women, this is the promise of a one-night stand.  The “zipless...
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08Jun

Why We Shouldn't Try to be Perfect Mothers

Rachel Kelly

family, mother, motherhood, parenting, women

Relationships

‘Dear Sebastian,’ the letter began in a childish script. ‘Thank you very much for my Birthday Present. I love ‘Angelina Ballerina’ books. Love Yore God Daughter Eleanor’. I laughed. As any mother reading this will know, the likelihood that my husband Sebastian would have a) known it was his god-daughter’s birthday b) sent her a present and c) known that she liked Angelina Ballerina would have been as likely as me going six rounds at the pub. For the truth is, while women have made huge strides in the workplace, many men have not made commensurate progress at...
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07Jun

Couples Therapy: Taking Sides

Susanna Abse

couples, divorce, love, marriage, therapy

Relationships

Are people more embarrassed to say they’ve been to see a couple’s counsellor than an individual one? At least 110,000 people had couples therapy last year reports head of the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships
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23May

What is Love?

Philippa Perry

attachment, love, relationships

Relationships

What is love? Philippa Perry explains that allowing ourselves to be dependent and vulnerable is the basis for secure relationships.
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21May

Old Faces, Younger Lives: How to See Beyond Dementia

Giovanna Forte

care, dementia, elderly, family

Relationships

Imagine yourself in hospital, aged and unable to articulate what you need and when. Think of the dejection, loneliness, and knowledge that your wellbeing lies in the hands of someone who sees you only as a blank and wrinkled canvas, who sees you only in the context of your dementia. I have, and I find it frightening. Dementia visits the elderly with a cloak of confusion and uncertainty, its prey usually unaware of its early presence, manifested by occasional illogical behaviour. A friend witnessed her 75 year-old mother trying to pay for groceries with cigarettes,...
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19May

Birth Order: Does Your Position in Family Really Make a Difference?

Linda Blair

childhood, family, identity, self, siblings

Relationships

Birth order might affect your personality. Whether you’re the eldest, a middle, the youngest or a single child can have a powerful impact on your character, says psychologist Linda Blair.
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30Apr

Dealing with Difficult Family Members

Jane McGregor

communication, family, psychology, stress

Relationships

Learn to communicate with difficult family members by understanding what makes them tick
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17Apr

Coming Out as a BiSexual Sportsman

Eytan Smith

LGBT

Relationships

The hardest conversation I have ever had about my sexual orientation was in a car full of my team mates on the way back from practice. I had decided weeks before that it was time I became more publicly comfortable with my sexuality. No longer could I be afraid of what people would say, how differently people would treat me, or more specifically - how my friendships with other guys would change. It was as if what I had said required no bravery, or was not in the least bit surprising to him So I am on this bi-weekly journey home (excuse the pun), when my friend James...
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20Feb

How Tiger Parenting Kills Curiosity

Terri Apter

children, education, family, father, mother, parenting, psychology

Relationships

Psychologist Dr Terri Apter on the downside of tiger-parenting. It robs children of curiosity
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07Feb

Are You in a Relationship With a Narcissist?

Jane McGregor

couple

Relationships

Narcissists put themselves at the centre of everything, so having a relationship with one can be exhausting and difficult says Dr Jane McGregor
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