Narcissism Archives

A chain link shatters dramatically with sparks and glass fragments flying outward

The Codependent Fantasy: If I Love Them Properly, They Will Change

This article explores the codependent fantasy that enough love, patience, and understanding will change another person. It examines how hope, self-abandonment, and early relational conditioning keep people attached to harmful relationships, and why recovery begins with seeing reality clearly rather than trying to rescue someone who will not change.

A sparrow breaks free from a chain as the sun sets over a mountainous coastline.

Therapy Shorts 88: Why Leaving a Narcissist Can Feel Like Betrayal

This article explains why leaving a narcissistic relationship can feel like betrayal for codependent people. It explores guilt, loyalty, trauma bonding, hope, emotional responsibility, and the fear of abandoning someone difficult, while showing how leaving can be an act of self-protection rather than cruelty.

A woman looks upset while a man holds his head in distress in their living room.

Therapy Shorts 87: Boundary Guilt in Codependency: Why Feeling Bad Doesn’t Mean You’re Wrong

Feeling guilty after setting a boundary is common in codependency. This article explains why guilt often appears when you stop over-functioning, how to tell conscience from conditioning, and how to stay steady without apologising or collapsing. Learn a calmer way to hold boundaries and rebuild self-leadership.

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Healthy vs Pathological Narcissism: What You Need to Know

Healthy narcissism is a grounded sense of self-worth that supports confidence, resilience, empathy and healthy boundaries. It is very different from pathological narcissism, which is defensive and damaging. This article explains why healthy narcissism matters, how it develops, and why it is essential for emotional health and relationships.

Therapy Shorts 83: How Codependency Lives in the Body

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

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

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

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.

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

Nervous system regulation is not a trend or quick fix. It is the gradual process of helping the body feel safe enough to come out of survival mode. This article explores simple, effective ways to regulate the nervous system through breath, routine, boundaries, rest, movement and steady daily practice.

Read more about the article Accountability, Repair, Consistency: The Real Work After Conflict and Why Codependents and Narcissists Find This Difficult

Accountability, Repair, Consistency: The Real Work After Conflict and Why Codependents and Narcissists Find This Difficult

Conflict is not what damages relationships most. It is the failure to repair afterwards. This article explores the three essentials of healthy conflict repair, accountability, repair and consistency, and explains why narcissists resist this process while codependents often over-function within it, hoping for change that never fully arrives.