Navigating the world of relationships can be challenging. While they can bring immense joy and
fulfillment, they can also lead to emotional turmoil and pain, especially when they turn toxic.Read More…
‘BDSM’ refers to a range of sexual activities that can be grouped into three categories: B and D or bondage and discipline, D and S, domination and submission and S and M, sadism and masochism. In recent years the trilogy ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ books seemed to cause renewed interest in kink and BDSM practices. However, those in BDSM communities quickly distanced themselves from fifty shades of grey phenomenon, as its depiction of kink borders heavily on the dangerous and abusive and is incompatible with informed, uncoerced and enthusiastic consent. BDSM practices include very diverse sexual practices and personae. The scenes played out in thisRead More…
I have always been in touch with my masculine side, which has allowed me to form close-knit, platonic friendships with men. Being a woman, I can confidently say that having male best friends helped shape who I am today, providing me with some of the richest and most meaningful friendships I’ve had to date. Over my 34 years of life, I’ve accumulated a handful of close male friends from my college years right up to the present day. I believe that certain social ideologies trigger insecurities that make men and women feel threatened by wives or husbands who have close relationships with members of theRead More…
As humans, it is in our nature to compare ourselves to others. Such comparisons allow us to evaluate our achievements and can influence how we view ourselves as individuals. However, the amount of comparing we do can affect our mental health and well-being. Social comparisons help us to form our social circles; we are naturally drawn to those whose backgrounds and environments are similar to our own. However, comparing yourself to others at a party does not necessarily have the same effect as comparing yourself to others on Instagram. It is easier to portray an exciting existence and elaborate lifestyle on social media platforms thanRead More…
What I’m going to tell you now is based on my personal experiences. Backstabbers, abusers, imposters, liars and manipulators all share one thing in common: a complete disregard for the boundaries of their victims. Their mission in life is to simply make things worse for you; they are not trying to help you succeed. Instead, they aim to make life terrible. They come in all forms, and the lines between the different types of diagnoses are often blurred. I think it is vital in any relationship to ask ourselves, “how well does this serve me?” You’ll soon realise whether these connections are worth their weightRead More…
Suppose one trending issue regularly appears to surface in female-based community groups. In that case, the trope of successful women attract weak men. Of course, we all know at least one beautiful, intelligent, successful woman who never seems to find men who are anywhere near her calibre. It appears, for whatever reason, that the most desirable women often inexplicably end up with abusers, cheaters, or downright losers. Have you ever wondered, in a state of bewilderment, why these strong, independent women seem to struggle so much when seeking healthy relationships? From what I have gathered, it’s a mix of things. However, there always seem toRead More…
A few years ago, I met a young woman who needed help moving on from a relationship which had ended two years previously. As Leanne began to tell her story, I learnt that she’d met a man through a colleague and they’d began dating soon after. What followed was, as she described, one of the most romantic, intimate relationships she’d ever experienced. One morning, six months later, he left her apartment to go to work and that was the last she ever saw of him. After calling and messaging him numerous times and receiving no reply, she was sent into a tailspin of thoughts andRead More…
Difference in sexual desire happens because individuals and circumstances change. But can this be the reason for long-term relationships to fail? Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist Anna Catania delves deep into the root causes of this problem… Sexual desire can be defined as a wish to engage in sexual activity. This can be sparked by a number of cues including erotic books, videos or pictures (certain scenes in Bridgerton for example), private thoughts, fantasies, feelings and particular social interactions. Moreover, sexual desire can at times be accompanied by biological changes including an increase in heart rate and breathing, erect nipples and genital arousal including penile erectionRead More…
Experiencing loss and grief in an intimate relationship can be very hard. Ending an intimate relationship can be an extremely distressing experience even if the decision to do so is ours. There is loss of the physical presence of the person, loss of routine, loss of doing things together, loss of good times shared. Most of the time there are practical matters to be addressed and difficult emotions to work through. We might be feeling as though hollow inside or carrying a heavy burden with us everywhere we go. Loss is painful and it’s normal to try and avoid pain in our everyday lives. InRead More…
Female orgasmic disorder or anorgasmia is the inability to reach orgasm during sex or through sexual stimulation. Colloquially we use words like: “I did not come” or “I did not finish” after having sex. In my clinical experience, women can experience distress when they do not reach orgasm because they fear that there is something wrong with them or that their bodies are not functioning well. However, recent research indicates that in most cases anorgasmia does not stem from a biological problem. In fact, reasons for not reaching orgasm can be various and may include stress and/or anxiety, not giving oneself enough time to enjoyRead More…
