If contempt is the slow erosion of respect and appreciation in a relationship, gratitude is its most direct antidote. Gottman's research points to this explicitly: the couples and families who sustain connection over time are not the ones who never fight or never feel frustrated.

If gaslighting erodes your sense of reality, contempt erodes something equally essential: your sense of worth. Of all the ways people hurt each other in relationships, contempt may be the most corrosive, and the most overlooked, precisely because it can be so subtle.

The word gaslighting has made its way into everyday conversation, appearing in news headlines, therapy sessions, social media posts, and dinner table arguments. But as the term has grown in popularity, its meaning has stretched and blurred.

Most of us believe we’re pretty good listeners. But there’s a difference between not talking and actually listening, and one of the most reliable ways to tell the two apart is whether you’re doing something called reflecting back.

After months of hibernating indoors, retreating into routines, and weathering the particular flatness that winter can bring to a relationship, warmer weather offers something to look forward to: a reason to step outside, both literally and emotionally.

When someone we love is struggling, our instinct is to fix the problem. But what if that urge to help is actually getting in the way? Discover why feeling truly heard is often the most powerful thing we can offer — and how to get better at offering it.

Most people think validation means agreeing with someone — but that’s not quite right. Emotional validation is about acknowledgment, not agreement, and understanding the difference can transform the way you connect with the people you love.

In my coaching and therapy sessions, I often ask: “Did you feel safe?” Many people don’t actually know what emotional safety is — or what it feels like in their body.

Learn how to create emotional safety in your relationship, improve communication, and stay connected during conflict.

Have you ever found yourself wondering: How do I stay true to who I am without drifting apart from my partner? It’s a question I hear all the time—and for good reason.

You don’t need to be in a relationship to be doing the work of love. If you’ve ever felt like you lose yourself in love—or keep love at arm’s length to protect your independence—this post is for you.

If you’re not into New Year’s resolutions… same. They can feel like pressure wrapped in good intentions. Like there’s something broken we need to fix or something better we should be chasing.

Yep, the relationship therapist is divorced. It surprises some people when I share that, but to be honest, I think it’s part of what makes me better at what I do.

If you’re wondering how to stay connected during the holidays, you’re not alone—and the good news is, a few small shifts can go a long way in bringing you closer together.

Not everyone deals with conflict by pointing the finger at their partner. Some people quietly turn that finger inward. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Blame doesn’t always show up loudly. Sometimes it’s dressed up as “constructive criticism.” Sometimes it hides in the tone, the timing, or the words we use when we’re trying to make a point.

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to crave closeness in relationships, while others keep a little more distance?

It’s such a familiar scene: you and your partner are in the middle of an argument, and suddenly, the whole conversation shifts into proving who’s right.

I’m so excited to share something new with you—I’ve officially launched a YouTube channel: Couples with Kathleen.

It’s easy to lose yourself in a relationship—not because you’re weak or co-dependent, but because life has a way of pulling your attention outward.