You’re on a first date at your favorite café, laughing at their joke—but your mind is racing: Do they actually like me, or are they just being polite? Or maybe you’ve been talking to a coworker you’re into, but you can’t tell if the vibe is “just friends” or something more. If this sounds familiar, you’re not…
We’ve all been there: A coworker snaps at you during a team meeting after their own project flops. A friend comments on your Instagram vacation photos, saying, “Those must be so filtered—real life can’t look that good.” Or a parent dismisses your promotion by adding, “Your cousin got a bigger raise last year, didn’t she?”…
Introduction: Do You Struggle With Boundaries? Think about your week: A coworker asked you to finish their report—even though you had your own deadline. A family member pressed you about your salary or relationship status at Sunday dinner. A friend borrowed your favorite jacket without asking, then returned it stained. If any of these sound…
Have you ever assumed a celebrity with a great smile is also kind? Or thought a coworker with an Ivy League degree must be a top performer? If so, you’ve experienced the Halo Effect—a psychological bias that warps how we judge people and things. This invisible force shapes our choices daily, from who we befriend to…
Do you ever set big goals with excitement—only to quit before you even gain momentum?Maybe you signed up for a gym membership to get in shape, but skipped workouts after the first tiring session. Or you bought a Spanish course to learn a new language, but let the textbook collect dust after 3 chapters. You’re…
Do you ever walk out of a team presentation at work convinced you “totally failed” just because you stumbled over one line? Or spiral into doubt about a friendship when a friend cancels plans last minute—assuming they “never cared about you”? These upsetting, all-too-common reactions aren’t random. They often stem from cognitive distortions—persistent thought traps that…
Have you ever met someone who seems to “shut down” when you get close—maybe a coworker who skips every team lunch, a friend who never shares their feelings, or a partner who pulls away when you talk about the future? If their distance feels less like “being shy” and more like a pattern, they might…
Do you know someone who obsesses over every detail—maybe a coworker who rewrites a report 10 times, or a friend who cancels plans because their outfit “isn’t right”? Or perhaps you’re the one who stays up late fixing a tiny typo in a work email, even though no one else would notice. That’s perfectionism at play, and…
Introduction: The Invisible Hurt of Covert Abuse When we hear the word “abuse,” most of us think of visible harm—bruises, shouts, or obvious threats. But there’s a quieter, more insidious form that affects millions of Americans: Covert Abuse. It leaves no physical marks, no public outbursts, and no clear “proof”—yet it chips away at self-worth, distorts…
