There are some traits of narcissism that are common to both males and females, such as their grandiose sense of themselves masking their low self-esteem, or their tendency to treat others with contempt to make themselves look and feel better. Both male and female narcissists also tend to be completely self-interested; only doing something for others if they can see the benefits to themselves.

Everyone is on the narcissism spectrum, from a healthy sense of self-confidence to a malignant sense of superiority over others. If you notice that you do have some of these traits or recognise some of these behaviours in yourself, it is not the end of the world. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a personality disorder.

If you have something on your mind or are worried about your own mental health, it can feel difficult to open up that conversation with others. It can leave you feeling alone and isolated, and like no one else will understand. But this is not true.

Typically, narcissists follow a pattern of three stages in romantic relationships; love bombing, devaluation, and discarding. The length of each stage and each cycle will depend on the person and the particular relationship, and perhaps what is going on in their lives outside of the relationship as well, but generally, the pattern seems to fit.

Narcissists lack the skill to make you feel seen, heard, or validated. This is because they don’t generally grasp the concept of feelings. They generally understand their own emotions, but not the emotions of others.

Narcissistic parents raise their children to believe that their authentic self is somehow flawed. These children spend so much of their lives trying to be what their parents want them to be, and taking care of the parent’s emotional needs, that it is difficult to keep in touch with who they are and what they need as individuals.

Children need to feel loved, seen, heard, and known. This highest form of love is unconditional love - knowing that you are loved even if you are being told off, knowing that you are loved even if you are misbehaving.

At the heart of our existence is our need to be intimate with and loved by another. But it can often feel like there are so many obstacles in our way.

We all love a bit of gossip, but a gaslighter will wield gossip like a weapon. Gossip gives the gaslighter a feeling of power and control over those around them.

There is not really one particular definition of a “healthy” relationship, as it depends on the ever-changing needs of those in the relationship. These needs change from person to person, and as we grow and experience life. So, a healthy relationship in your 20s will look very different from a healthy relationship in your 40s.

In today's world, there seems to be no distinction between our work lives and our home lives. Most of us are contactable at any time and no matter where we are in the world thanks to our ever-present mobile phones.

Boundaries are agreed on limitations on a relationship. The reason that we set boundaries in a relationship is so that others know what you are and are not willing to do.

In a time when everything is felt so intensely - the grief, the fear, the sadness, the connection - it can be easy to be led by our emotions and our inner monologues. However, being led by our thoughts and emotions can lead us to feel quite unstable - think about how often your emotions change throughout the day.

Have you ever found yourself thinking 'no, no, no' and then blurted out a 'yes'? Have you ever found yourself so busy but still agreeing to do something else?

Alcohol addiction is a serious illness that can have an impact on the whole family. An addiction is defined as not having any control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you. In this case, we are talking about alcohol.

Domestic abuse is not just physical, it also includes things such as coercive control, manipulation, psychological and emotional abuse, sexual abuse (including partner rape), financial abuse, harassment and stalking, and online abuse.

Dating in the 21st century has turned into a tricky business. Gone are the days of meeting someone at school, church, or through friends. Today is the day of the internet hook-up and the plethora of dating apps.

We are hardwired to seek out human connection throughout our lives. At all stages of life, we seek out connectivity with others, and sometimes these relationships are healthy, while other times they are not.