Hella Complicated. Hella Human.

Relationships. Trauma. Sex. Anxiety. Attachment.

Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

Sex is not a performance review

The biggest obstacle to great sex is not skill, it’s pressure. If sex becomes a performance review, anxiety creeps in. Shifting from performance to connection changes everything. Stop trying to impress your partner and focus on connection.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

When Life Feels Uncertain, Your Relationship Feels It Too

Life feels uncertain for a lot of people right now. Layoffs, rising costs, and an unpredictable future don't just affect bank accounts, they affect relationships. When fear comes home, couples often mistake stress for conflict. This article explores what's really happening beneath the surface.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

Keeping it real

How many times have you said, "I'm fine," when you weren't? Keeping it real isn't about saying everything you think. It's about allowing your outside to match your inside—and discovering what changes when it does.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

Groundhog Day

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the same arguments or roles at work, in your family, or in your relationships, systems theory can help you understand why. This post explores how a systems lens reveals the patterns shaping your behavior, and how therapy can help you shift them.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

The Story Changes. The Pattern Doesn't.

Most people focus on what they're fighting about. Therapists tend to notice something else: the pattern. Whether it's conflict, intimacy, or trust, lasting change begins when you stop chasing the story and start seeing what's underneath it.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

Maybe Sex Isn't the Problem.

What if low desire isn't something to fix? Stress, resentment, burnout, trauma, and emotional disconnection all shape our sex lives. This article looks beyond libido to explore what desire is really trying to communicate.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

Don't Believe Everything You Think

Your brain has thousands of thoughts every day. Some are helpful. Some are bizarre. Some are terrifying. The thought isn't usually the problem. What you do with it is. This article explores a different way of understanding intrusive thoughts.

Read More
Roy Bettencourt Roy Bettencourt

Stop Trying to Have a "Normal" Sex Life.

The question I hear most is, "Is this normal?" My answer is usually the same: I don't spend much time worrying about normal. I care about whether your sex life is working for you. This article explores why those are two very different questions.

Read More