The Psychology of Self-Sabotage
What self-sabotage, perfectionism, and chronic unfinishedness are actually protecting.
A great deal of modern conversation around self-sabotage tries to compress complex psychological processes into simplistic language: fear of success, low motivation, laziness, lack of discipline. While these expl...
A Lens on Communication Breakdowns
We often mistake passive behavior for harmlessness. But avoiding conflict doesn’t mean avoiding control. In fact, it can signal a subtler, more corrosive form of control: passive influence.
Indirect communication shows up when someone expresses their needs, frustrations, or judgments in subtle ways...
Growth Hurts: And That’s the Point
Growth is uncomfortable. It disrupts what’s familiar. It shakes our sense of competence. It asks us to stretch into things we haven’t mastered yet.
And if we’re honest, most of us don’t like being bad at things. Especially not in front of others.
But to get better at anything, we have to be will...
Self-Awareness: What People Think It Is—and What It Actually Requires
But much of what is labeled as self-awareness is actually self-description. People can articulate their tendencies, reference their attachment style, even recite insights from therapy or coaching. But the deeper question is: how does that awareness shape your choices?
Real self-awareness isn’t a...
The Real Conversation About “Mankeeping” Isn’t About Men
The term mankeeping has gained traction as a way to describe the emotional labor women carry in relationships. It’s a provocative phrase, but I worry it oversimplifies something far more complex: the dynamics of agency and responsibility in emotional work.
Yes, women often carry a disproportionate ...
Projections in Professional Relationships: The Unconscious Dynamics of Work and Leadership
In leadership and professional environments, projections play out constantly—often subtly, sometimes destructively. These projections—where we unconsciously cast our own unmet needs, fears, or expectations onto others—are not limited to personal relationships. They show up with team members, coll...
The Solomon Paradox: Can We Really Give Good Advice If We Don’t Know Ourselves?
The so-called Solomon paradox—the idea that people give wiser advice to others than they do to themselves—has a catchy appeal.
It feels true at first glance: we’ve all experienced how much easier it is to see someone else’s situation clearly while feeling lost in our own. But as a universal claim, ...
Bridging the Divide: The Gaps Between Coaching and Therapy
The Growing Overlap of Coaching and Therapy
In recent years, coaching and therapy have increasingly converged as critical support systems for professionals, especially executives and leaders. While each discipline has undeniable strengths, subtle tensions and misunderstandings arise from misconcept...
Understanding Humility: Finding Your Exact Dimensions
Humility is often misunderstood as the act of shrinking oneself, remaining quiet, or deflecting recognition. Yet, authentic humility, as illuminated by the Mussar tradition—a Jewish practice focused on ethical and spiritual growth—is not about self-erasure at all. Rather, it's about accurately asses...
Executive Fatigue: Moving Beyond Superficial Solutions to Genuine Leadership Renewal
While well-intentioned, popular narratives around executive fatigue often oversimplify the profound mental, emotional, and operational pressures faced by today's leaders.
Encouraging executives merely to "pause and reflect" is beneficial but grossly insufficient when addressing the deep-rooted and...