Practical Relationship Advice

In these blogs, articles, & essays you will find practical relationship advice and insights on a wide range of relational challenges.

I write about my current & evolving thinking on different aspects of relationships and how they are changing, as well as sharing practical tools and tips that you can immediately implement.

Does Online Couples Therapy Work? The Pros & Cons of Online Therapy

Post-panny, many of us still use Zoom for work or to connect socially, and most of us have a pretty good handle on it.

But does online couples therapy work? This blog takes a look at the most common mistakes people make, and covers how to get the most from online couples therapy.

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Couples Therapy in Newcastle: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing a Therapist

A Google search for “Couples Therapy in Newcastle” generates loads of options, so how do you decide?

How to navigate different approaches, find the right fit in your therapist, and screen their approach so you’re both a great team. A cynical anti-capitalist guide to finding a couples therapist in Newy & The Hunter Valley.

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Unlocking Interoception: Mind-Body Exercises for Deeper Relationships

Cultural conditioning trains us to ignore the messages from our bodies, which fucks our self-confidence and compels us to look for answers outside ourselves.. Rebuilding this connection is crucial for reclaiming our agency. This blog unpacks the role of interoception in relationships and introduces practical mind-body exercises designed to develop and deepen your emotional connections.

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Dealing With Passive Aggressive Behaviour

Nothing is more frustrating than the low key buzz of passive aggressive behaviour. Like, did they really just fucking say that?! And what do I do now? Tara Thomas & Kia Handley talk about how to navigate the PAP (Passive Aggressive People). LOL. I just made that up.

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Brave Woman at Protest to Dismantle Patriarchy

Love in the Messy Middle: 10 Ways to Dismantle Patriarchy in Your Relationship/s

Many of us feel emotional & cognitive dissonance between our commitment to social justice, while still having to navigate the realities of the world we *actually* live in. This is especially apparent in the relational dynamics with friends, family, and partner/s.

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Boundary Breakdown: An Introduction to Boundaries for Beginners

Boundaries has become a real buzzword in popular psychology, and these days in almost all of my client intakes someone cites “boundaries” as one of their issues. But what the fuck does that even mean? In this introduction to boundaries we look at defining boundaries, common challenges, and identifying your strengths & gaps.

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Boundaries Versus Rules: Navigating Cooperative Power

Boundaries versus rules is an important distinction when we navigate power dynamics within relationships. A boundary is about power within me to make my decisions. A rule is about power over your decisions.

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Is Social Media in Relationships a Force for Good or Evil?

With social media omnipresent in our lives, how can we keep our sense of agency in the way we use them? And is social media in relationships a force of good, or evil? Tara Thomas and Kia Handley discuss the impact of social media in intimate relationships. [Includes audio & full transcript]

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How to Stop the Arguing Before It Even Starts: The Traffic Light Tool

How to Stop the Arguing (Before It Even Starts): The Traffic Light Tool

We’ve all been there before, a spicy conversation leads to escalating tensions and suddenly IT’S ON.

This tool is designed to help you increase self awareness, handle emotional stress, and learn how to stop the arguing when conversations get spicy.

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Defining Relationship Roles: Escaping Relational Fuckery

Relationship roles are rarely explicitly defined- most couples fall into roles that draw from the best & worst of their family histories. Those roles aren’t reviewed strategically, and are only discussed when frustration or resentment trigger an argument (or ongoing conflict).

Most of these challenges are created by poorly defined or disputed roles.

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That banana is attracted to someone else

Help! I’m Attracted to Someone Else: How to Handle Sexual Chemistry When You’re In a Relationship

There’s few things as exciting as the spark of sexual chemistry – you feel vital, desirable, like you’re alive! The experience can be empowering. The fallout can be devastating…

So what do you do when you’re in a relationship and find yourself sexually attracted to someone else?

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The 4 Seasons of Love: The Natural Rhythms of Intimate Relationships

The Seasons of Love framework looks to the rhythms of nature to map relationship cycles, and provides guidance on how to live & love into those rhythms.

What that means is that for each of the seasons of love, there are conversations, reflections, and actions required to grow into each stage of the cycle.

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Tara Thomas

Hey, I'm Tara, relationship coach & couples therapist.

I'm definitely a weirdo, and have never traveled a conventional path-
It sucks because the world isn't designed for misfits, sometimes it's myself I'm rebelling against, and being a weirdo can be lonely.

I swear a lot, think life is too short to waste on drama & bullshit, and dream of a world where we ALL belong.