Control struggles between partners are often the ruin of a couple. But what is a battle for “control” in the context of a relationship? When I introduce this concept in couple’s therapy, there is ...

We tend to associate the word “abuse” with more extreme behaviors and actions. However, abuse occurs on a continuum and can take on different forms and morph and/or escalate over the course of the ...

In relationships, control varies from mild to abusive to coercive control. When it’s mild, it can be helpful or annoying. When it’s abusive or coercive, it can be damaging. Control varies in pattern, ...

When it comes to finding lasting love, chemistry and compatibility often take center stage in discussions about relationships. However, relationship experts are increasingly highlighting an often ...

In the face of betrayal, maintaining composure can be a powerful tool. One woman discovered that by not crying, she shifted the power dynamic in her relationship. This unexpected approach disrupted ...

In April 2026, Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax was shot and killed by her husband while their divorce was pending. She had done what she was supposed to do. She had initiated the legal process to leave ...

There's no shortage of discussion over the impending New York trial of rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. One phrase you won't hear during the legal process? "Coercive control." Combs was arrested in ...

Peer relationship is one of the important social relationships in adolescence, and it is also one of the important environmental factors that have an impact on individuals. It is a parallel and equal ...

“Pocketing” is a modern dating term which refers to when one partner in a relationship avoids introducing the other to their friends, family or social circles. Essentially, they keep the relationship ...

Healing means control. That is what I learned when I started medical school nearly a decade ago. It’s a belief embedded so deep in our understanding of medicine that it usually escapes conscious ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. It’s tempting to want to go all in on a new relationship.

With OCD, control is a defensive attempt to manage internal anxiety. It usually doesn’t involve intentional efforts to control other people. OCPD, on the other hand, can involve controlling behaviors.