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Impacts of Conflict on Children
“They’re Not Affected — We Don’t Argue in Front of Them.” Many fathers believe this. “We don’t fight in front of the kids.” “They’re too young to understand.” “It’s just tension — they’ll be fine.” “I never say anything about their mum to them.” But children don’t need front-row seats to be affected. They live…
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“She’s Not Afraid of Me — We Just Don’t Communicate Well.”
I hear this often. “She’s not scared of me.” “She gives it back just as much.” “If I was abusive, she wouldn’t talk to me the way she does.” “We just clash.” And sometimes, from the outside, it can look that way. Raised voices on both sides. Sharp words exchanged. Two strong personalities colliding. So…
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Taking Time Out Without Walking Away: How Couples Can Pause Conflict Without Causing Harm
All relationships include disagreement. That is not a failure of communication or compatibility — it is a normal consequence of two separate nervous systems, histories, values, and needs sharing a life. What damages relationships is not disagreement itself, but how disagreement is managed once emotions escalate. For many couples, conflict moves too quickly from difference to…
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When Men Die by Suicide: Pain, Power, and the Violence We Don’t Want to Name
Men die by suicide at far higher rates than women in Australia. This fact is often presented with urgency, sorrow, and alarm — as it should be. Behind every statistic is a man in pain, and behind every death is a ripple of grief that moves through families, workplaces, friendships, and communities. But if Australia…
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“Not All Men” – A reflection
“Not All Men” and the Work We Avoid “Not all men are abusive.” The statement is factually true. It is also often the wrong place to start. When women speak about fear, violence, or harm, they are rarely making a statistical claim about all men. They are describing a reality shaped by uncertainty, power imbalance, and risk…
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“She’s Not Afraid of Me — She’s the Aggressive One.”
This is something I hear often. “If she was scared of me, she wouldn’t yell.” “She gets in my face.” “She throws things.” “She’s the aggressive one.” “You don’t act like that if you’re afraid.” On the surface, it sounds logical. But fear does not always look like quiet compliance. And aggression does not always…
