relationships Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/tag/relationships/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:03:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://heatherhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-HH_logo-32x32.png relationships Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/tag/relationships/ 32 32 The Emotional Toll of Loving Someone with an Addiction https://heatherhayes.com/the-emotional-toll-of-loving-someone-with-an-addiction/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:03:09 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7500 As mental health care practitioners, and also more broadly as a society, we often discuss how it feels to experience addiction: the symptoms of substance use disorder, its effects, the challenges facing individuals who are in treatment and recovery, and the prevalence of these difficulties amongst the wider population. However, individuals with substance use disorder […]

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]]> Connection as Medicine: Reclaiming Relationships after Trauma and Substance Use Disorder https://heatherhayes.com/connection-as-medicine-reclaiming-relationships-after-trauma-and-substance-use-disorder/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7180 “Every person I’ve ever met in the throes of addiction has been searching for the same thing: connection.” – Johann Hari Addiction, at its core, is not about moral failure, weakness, or lack of willpower. It is about separation or disconnection from self, from others, and often from any sense of safety in the world. […]

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]]> Building Family Connection and Secure Attachment: Foundations, Disruptions, and Tools for Healing https://heatherhayes.com/building-family-connection-and-secure-attachment-foundations-disruptions-and-tools-for-healing/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:00:53 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7100 Healthy families are built on two fundamental pillars: connection and attachment. When these are strong, family members feel safe, seen, and valued, which fosters emotional resilience, trust, and overall well-being. When disrupted, however, individuals can struggle with lifelong emotional regulation, relational difficulties, and mental health challenges. Below, we explore the foundations of family connection and […]

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]]> The Importance of Safety in Healing Family Dynamics: Insights from Judith Herman and Steven Porges https://heatherhayes.com/the-importance-of-safety-in-healing-family-dynamics-insights-from-judith-herman-and-steven-porges/ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:00:33 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7091 Safety is a fundamental prerequisite for healing within any family system, particularly for members who have experienced emotional abuse. The pioneering work of Judith Herman and Steven Porges highlights the critical role of safety in the recovery process. Their essay explores the importance of safety, drawing on Herman’s work on trauma and recovery and Porges’ […]

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]]> The Power of Expectation: Bowlby’s Theory, Coping Patterns, and the Family System https://heatherhayes.com/the-power-of-expectation-bowlbys-theory-coping-patterns-and-the-family-system/ Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:00:28 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7065 “What cannot be communicated to the [parent] cannot be communicated to the self.” — John Bowlby, Attachment and Loss (1980) British psychoanalyst John Bowlby, best known for founding attachment theory, proposed that the expectations children form about themselves and others are deeply shaped by early relational experiences. Often overlooked within his broader framework is his […]

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]]> Family Systemic Therapy and the Role of Family Involvement in Adolescent Treatment https://heatherhayes.com/family-systemic-therapy-and-the-role-of-family-involvement-in-adolescent-treatment/ Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:00:30 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7059 Family Systemic Therapy is a therapeutic approach that views the family as a system in which each member affects the others. This framework, largely developed by pioneers in the field such as Salvador Minuchin, Carl Whitaker, and Jay Haley, emphasises the importance of involving family members in therapeutic interventions, especially when treating adolescents.  Adolescents often […]

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]]> Soul-Led Sovereignty: Reclaiming Wholeness from the Inside Out https://heatherhayes.com/soul-led-sovereignty-reclaiming-wholeness-from-the-inside-out/ Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:00:57 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7054 In a world that often demands conformity, control, and performance, the invitation to live from soul-led sovereignty is nothing short of radical. It asks us to reorient away from external validation and into an embodied knowing of who we are beyond our roles, our trauma, and our conditioning. For those of us working in the […]

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]]> Healing for the Long Haul: Why Trauma-Responsive Systems are the Key to a Sustainable Future https://heatherhayes.com/healing-for-the-long-haul-why-trauma-responsive-systems-are-the-key-to-a-sustainable-future/ Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:00:28 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7040 In the global rush toward sustainability, we focus on carbon, conservation, and capital—but what about the people? Behind every burned-out frontline worker, fractured family, or failed system lies something we rarely acknowledge in sustainability conversations: trauma. If we want a just and lasting future, we must broaden our definition of sustainability to include healing. That […]

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]]> The Worrying Rise of Diet Drugs https://heatherhayes.com/the-worrying-rise-of-diet-drugs/ Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:00:16 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7012 The contemporary landscape of weight loss solutions is dominated by the emergence of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, which have gained immense popularity for their purported weight loss benefits. While these medications are making headlines and witnessing widespread prescription, their implications on eating disorders and diet culture warrant critical examination.  Yet, Ozempic has helped many […]

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]]> The Power of Canes: A Vital Tool for Accessibility and Visibility in the Transgender Community https://heatherhayes.com/the-power-of-canes-a-vital-tool-for-accessibility-and-visibility-in-the-transgender-community/ Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:13:03 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7003 In many communities, mobility aids like canes are often seen as simple tools for physical support. However, in the transgender community, they hold deeper significance, serving not just as instruments of accessibility but also as symbols of identity, resilience, and self-expression. This rarely-discussed intersection of mobility and identity is profoundly impactful. The article “My Walking […]

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]]> Self-esteem and Self-compassion: What’s the Difference? https://heatherhayes.com/self-esteem-and-self-compassion-whats-the-difference/ Wed, 28 May 2025 07:00:50 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=6996 The way we relate to ourselves is a key feature of our overall well-being, and understanding the different aspects that make us individuals is one of the important ways to practice good mental health. It is much easier to work with knowns than unknowns; doing the work to develop and maintain good mental health is […]

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]]> Childhood Trauma and Self-Perception: Building Positive Self-Identity https://heatherhayes.com/childhood-trauma-and-self-perception-building-positive-self-identity/ Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:00:59 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/the-importance-of-healthy-closure-in-relationships-friendships-partnerships-and-beyond-copy/ How we perceive ourselves is fundamental to our overall well-being. Self-worth, self-confidence, and a desire for achievement all stem from self-perception. Unfortunately, this means that a negative self-perception can influence countless factors in our lives, from personal relationships to career paths to overall health and well-being. Studies have shown that those who have experienced childhood […]

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