THE ONLINE THERAPIST

Mental Health Blog
By Dr Nicholas Jenner

THE ONLINE THERAPIST

Dr Nicholas Jenner

Featured Podcast

Welcome to The Online Therapist blog, dedicated to mental health and emotional wellbeing. I have been writing about these subjects for over two decades, and this site brings together my articles, podcasts, and resources on issues that affect everyday life, including relationships, codependency, narcissistic abuse, parenting, and depression. The top menu has been carefully organised to help you explore these topics more easily and find the support, insight, and guidance most relevant to your needs.

Dr Nicholas Jenner

Counselling Psychotherapist

Therapy Shorts 84: Why You Keep Falling For The Wrong People

April 7, 2026

Why are codependents drawn to emotionally unavailable and inconsistent partners? This article explores how childhood conditioning, low self-worth and nervous system activation shape attraction, causing healthy love to feel unfamiliar. Learn why codependents mistake drama for connection and how recovery begins by judging behaviour, not chemistry.

Therapy Shorts 83: How Codependency Lives in the Body

April 1, 2026

Why Codependents Let The Right Person Slip Away

March 31, 2026

Therapy Shorts 82: Want A New Start? Clear Out The Dead Wood First

March 31, 2026

How Childhood Trauma Shapes Codependency and Affects the Nervous System

March 30, 2026

Break Free from Codependency:
Start Your Healing Journey with
Dr Jenner's Self-Help Program

No calls. No scheduling.
Just you, Dr Jenner,
and 13 episodes of life-changing clarity.

START WITH A FREE EPISODE

Have Questions About The Program?

Chat with Dr. Jenner Now!

Group Therapy for Codependency Recovery starts again on 29 March 2026 (via Zoom), with free access to Dr Jenner’s Codependency Self-Help Programme (value $390 USD).

Introducing The All New Free From Codependency Online Therapy Hub

The Power of Journalling and Why So Many People Struggle With It

Therapy Shorts 81: Codependency on The Good Men Project: Interview with Dr Nicholas Jenner

Therapy Shorts 80: When the Body Won’t Settle: Simple Ways to Regulate the Nervous System

Therapy Shorts 79: Why Codependents Cling to People Who Were Never Really There

Therapy Shorts 78: The Daily Practice of Detaching from Codependency

NEW! THERAPY SHORTS

Popular Posts

Therapy Shorts 84: Why You Keep Falling For The Wrong People

April 7, 2026

The Power of Journalling and Why So Many People Struggle With It

April 5, 2026

Journaling is a practical tool for emotional clarity, self-awareness and pattern recognition. This article explores why journaling can support psychological wellbeing, why many people resist it, and how difficulty with journaling often reflects deeper struggles with honesty, emotional expression, perfectionism and self-connection rather than a lack of discipline.

Therapy Shorts 83: How Codependency Lives in the Body

April 2, 2026

Codependency does not only shape relationships. It affects the body as well. Chronic over-responsibility, people-pleasing and emotional vigilance can lead to exhaustion, tension, poor sleep and stress-related symptoms. This article explores how codependency lives in the body, including the role of the nervous system in keeping people stuck.

Therapy Shorts 82: Want A New Start? Clear Out The Dead Wood First

March 31, 2026

Change is never easy but we face it every day. For some it is a terrifying experience, for others an opportunity. We all, see it, feel it and deal with in in different ways. How we see it, feel it and deal with it will generally determine how difficult it will be…

Why Codependents Let The Right Person Slip Away

March 29, 2026

Codependents often pursue inconsistent and unhealthy partners due to early emotional conditioning, low self-worth, and familiarity with unpredictability. This behavior stems from childhood experiences where love was scarce and complex. Consequently, they overlook emotionally available partners, mistaking stability for dullness, leading to regret for missed opportunities with genuinely loving individuals.

Therapy Shorts 81: Codependency on The Good Men Project: Interview with Dr Nicholas Jenner

March 26, 2026

In Therapy Shorts 81, Dr Nicholas Jenner appears on The Good Men Project to discuss codependency recovery. This interview explores how codependent patterns form, why people-pleasing persists, and what healthy boundaries actually look like in real relationships. Practical insights cover self-worth, attachment, and small steps to shift from rescuing to relating.

2024 is all about Conscious Detachment…

January 2, 2024

How To Assess Your Relationship For The R Factor. The Silent Killer Of Relationships

February 22, 2021

What Our Inner Voices Tell Us… The Bad News Is… We Believe Them!

February 11, 2021

How To Understand What A Porn Addiction Does To A Relationship

January 21, 2021

Therapy Shorts 63: If you have a Self-Centred Person in your life, don’t take this advice

Learn how to navigate a relationship with a narcissist and prioritize your mental health. Discover ways to exit toxic dynamics for good.

ChatGPT Isn’t Therapy: The Quiet Risks of Replacing Human Help with AI

Explore the crucial differences between AI and therapy. Learn why genuine human connection is essential for mental health care.

Breaking Free from Social Media Addiction.When Social Media Stops Being a Choice

Explore the impact of social media on mental health, sleep, and personal relationships, and learn strategies to regain control of your usage.

Therapy Shorts 64: In The Mind Of A Codependent

Explore the destructive cycle of codependency and narcissism. Learn how therapy can guide those challenged by unrealistic relationship expectations.

Therapy Shorts 65: Understanding Your Nervous System: A Guide to Managing Anxiety

Discover practical ways to calm your nervous system and reduce anxiety through breathing, mindfulness, and daily resets.

Therapy Shorts 62: Understanding Codependency: The Push-Pull Dynamic Explained

Discover the dynamics of codependent relationships, their origins, and how to break free from unhealthy patterns and embrace real love.

New Podcast: The Manosphere, Porn, and Consent: How Attitudes Become Relationship Damage

Therapy Shorts 77: What Are We Teaching Boys About Women?

Therapy Shorts 76: Living with a Codependent Man Who Uses Porn Instead of Dealing With the Relationship

Why Codependent Men Might Turn to Porn But Narcissists Probably Will

Therapy Shorts 75: Why Codependents Choose Narcissists and Convince Themselves It’s Love

Join Our Next Round
of Online Group Therapy

Free From Codependency

Starting November 9th, 2025

Registration is now closed

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

Starting November 9th, 2025

Registation is now closed

explore popular posts

Are We Incompatible? Can You Really Love Someone So Different To You?

What is Avoidant Codependency?

Should your partner or spouse be part of your individual therapy and how?

The Concept of Individuality in a Relationship and Why it is Essential

Adult Issues We Should Not Be Talking To Our Children About

Narcissist Abuse Syndrome: Elements of Stockholm Syndrome and PTSD

What Does Porn Addiction Do To A Relationship?

Two Codependents Will Also Find A Relationship Difficult

The Narcissist Parent And His Chosen Child

Being in a relationship with a narcissist “type” can be hell. However, what if the narcissist is your parent and has cloned you to be a living “perfect” version of him or her? A child chosen to heal the parent’s own broken past…

The Real Question Isn’t ‘Will They Change?’ It’s Why Are You Staying?

If we are honest, clinically and theoretically, this type of person can change. Narcissistic traits exist on a spectrum and with long term intervention by a skilled therapist, some individuals can develop more self-awareness, emotional regulation and a degree of empathy. However, in practice, the theory doesn’t usually work because such people are very resistant to the process required to make change happen.

Narcissism: How Devaluing Destroys Their Codependent Victims

If you had the chance to study the way a narcissist behaves in a relationship, you might recognise a distinct pattern. A three stage whirlwind of a relationship that will leave a victim emotionally…

The Golden Child Carries The Shame Of A Narcissist Parent

There are many articles around on the internet about all types of narcissism and the dangers of being in a relationship with someone who has these tendencies. The advice is clear: get away from the situation as quickly as possible…

Defining Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

What exactly is a boundary, when it comes to relationships? Simply put, a boundary is a limit or space between you and the other person; a clear place where you begin and the other person ends…

The Narcissist Parent And His Chosen Child

The Real Question Isn’t ‘Will They Change?’ It’s Why Are You Staying?

Narcissism: How Devaluing Destroys Their Codependent Victims

The Golden Child Carries The Shame Of A Narcissist Parent

Defining Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

What exactly is a boundary, when it comes to relationships? Simply put, a boundary is a limit or space between you and the other person; a clear place where you begin and the other person ends…

Therapy Shorts 74: Living With a Codependent: Why It Can Feel Suffocating and What Actually Helps

Therapy Shorts 73: Why Familiar Pain Feels Like Love

Therapy Shorts 72: Stop Calling It Chemistry: When “Urgent” Is Just Your Nervous System

Stop Trying to Heal Alone: The Community Move That Breaks Codependency for Good

Therapy Shorts 71: Boundaries Build Bridges… Don’t Be Afraid To Set Them

Popular Categories

INNER CHILD THERAPY

CODEPENDENCY ISSUES

COUPLES THERAPY

PARENTING ADVICE

Therapy Shorts 70: The Boundary That Works Is the One You Can Keep

Practical Boundaries: How to Set Them, Say Them, and Stick to Them

Therapy Shorts 69: Loneliness, ‘Solutionships’, and the Work of Aloneness

Therapy Shorts 68: Why You Keep Being Attracted to the Wrong People

If You Keep Choosing Distant Partners, It’s Not Romance, It’s Repetition

Join Our Next Round
of Online Group Therapy

Free From Codependency

Starting November 9th, 2025

Registration is now closed

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

Starting November 9th, 2025

Registration is now closed

EXPLORE POPULAR POSTS

Are We Incompatible? Can You Really Love Someone So Different To You?

What is Avoidant Codependency?

Should your partner or spouse be part of your individual therapy and how?

The Concept of Individuality in a Relationship and Why it is Essential

Adult Issues We Should Not Be Talking To Our Children About

Narcissist Abuse Syndrome: Elements of Stockholm Syndrome and PTSD

What Does Porn Addiction Do To A Relationship?

Two Codependents Will Also Find A Relationship Difficult

Why Codependent Men Might Turn to Porn But Narcissists Probably Will

Why do some men turn to porn instead of leaving unhappy relationships? This article explains how codependency can drive secrecy, avoidance, and nervous-system coping, while narcissistic traits are more linked to entitlement and control. Learn how to spot the difference and use a reflection exercise to gain clarity.

Infidelity and Codependency: Why Cheating Isn’t the End of the Story (and How Couples Really Respond)

Explore the complex aftermath of infidelity and codependency in relationships. Discover paths to healing and rebuilding trust effectively.

Therapy Shorts 63: If you have a Self-Centred Person in your life, don’t take this advice

Learn how to navigate a relationship with a narcissist and prioritize your mental health. Discover ways to exit toxic dynamics for good.

Therapy Shorts 57: Narcissistic and Codependent Relationships: Two Sides of the Same Wound

A clinical exploration of narcissistic and codependent relationships, how both stem from attachment wounds, and what healing through self-leadership requires.

The Real Question Isn’t ‘Will They Change?’ It’s Why Are You Staying?

The Narcissist Parent And His Chosen Child

The Real Question Isn’t ‘Will They Change?’ It’s Why Are You Staying?

Narcissism: How Devaluing Destroys Their Codependent Victims

The Golden Child Carries The Shame Of A Narcissist Parent

Defining Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

What exactly is a boundary, when it comes to relationships? Simply put, a boundary is a limit or space between you and the other person; a clear place where you begin and the other person ends…

The Narcissist Parent And His Chosen Child

The Real Question Isn’t ‘Will They Change?’ It’s Why Are You Staying?

Narcissism: How Devaluing Destroys Their Codependent Victims

The Golden Child Carries The Shame Of A Narcissist Parent

Defining Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

What exactly is a boundary, when it comes to relationships? Simply put, a boundary is a limit or space between you and the other person; a clear place where you begin and the other person ends…

The Narcissist Parent And His Chosen Child

The Real Question Isn’t ‘Will They Change?’ It’s Why Are You Staying?

Narcissism: How Devaluing Destroys Their Codependent Victims

The Golden Child Carries The Shame Of A Narcissist Parent

Defining Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

What exactly is a boundary, when it comes to relationships? Simply put, a boundary is a limit or space between you and the other person; a clear place where you begin and the other person ends…