Fantasy Bond
A “fantasy bond” describes an illusion of connection between a couple that is substituted for feelings of real love and intimacy. Forming a fantasy bond is an often unconscious act of self-parenting and self-protection, in which two people become pseudo-independent, replacing the real relating involved in being in love with the form of being a “couple.” The degree of reliance on a fantasy bond is proportional to the degree of frustration and pain experienced in a person’s developmental years. In this section, you can learn why fantasy bonds are formed, what qualities make up a fantasy bond, and how to avoid falling into an unhealthy “bond” in your own relationships.
How to Get Your Relationship Out of a Rut
There are ways to liven up your relationship even in lockdown. Even in normal times,... >>
How to Preserve Your Individuality While Quarantining with Your Partner
For many of us, we are one more month into being quarantined with our partner.... >>
Daring to Love in the Time of Coronavirus
With people now having to “shelter in place,” couples are finding themselves spending an unusual... >>
How to Beat Boredom in Your Relationship: Drop into the Plane of Possibility
Relationships are naturally full of highs and lows, but perhaps the thing couples complain about... >>
Are You Addicted to Your Relationship?
We’ve all been through it: the incessant checking of our phone, the tossing and turning... >>
Beware of the Soulmate Myth
The Fantasy Bond Behind the Myth of the Soulmate I know people who say their... >>
Are You Expecting Too Much from Your Partner?
These 7 ways we over-rely on our partner can seriously hurt our relationship. When a... >>
An Overview of Separation Theory
Separation Theory integrates psychoanalytic and existential systems of thought by showing how early interpersonal pain,... >>
Daring to Love: Interview with Tamsen Firestone
Watch Now: Daring to Love Move Beyond Fear of Intimacy, Embrace Vulnerability, and Create Lasting... >>
Preserving Individuality to Strengthen Your Relationship
To maintain a successful relationship it is necessary that both people maintain their own individuality... >>