Articles & Insights on Relationships and Therapy
Here are some articles by Michael Ivanov, Ph.D.Narcissistic Traits in Intimate Relationships
July 4, 2026Why do some relationships begin with intensity, admiration, and promise, only to become marked by distance, blame, or devaluation? This article looks at the relational pattern behind these shifts: how narcissistic traits shape intimate relationships through projection, idealization, emotional self-protection, and the search for validation.
AI vs. Human Therapy
September 1, 2025Artificial intelligence is often marketed as “therapy”: low-cost, always available, and sometimes pitched as a substitute for the real thing. But therapy is not simply a set of exercises or scripted reassurances. Its core work is rooted in human presence, where healing, change, and growth unfold through the relationship itself. AI mental health tools can be valuable for support and practice, but therapy remains a human encounter — and it is in that encounter where transformation truly happens.
A loving human being is not produced by exhortations, rules and threats. Love can only take root in children when it comes to them- initially and most importantly from nurturing parents. Ontogenetically speaking, love is an answering phenomenon. It is literally a response.
- Huston Smith, The World's Religions (1991)
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