Why High-Achieving Men Like Mark Secretly Struggle in Relationships – And How Therapy Helps Executives Reclaim Control

Worried about a relationship? That's what therapy is for 

Mark runs his team with efficient kindness. He doesn’t entertain nonsense but if someone has a genuine issue, he’s helpful and guides them to make useful choices and helpful changes.

But his dating life is different.
Mark’s Lucy is wonderful: bright, sexy and fun.

Lucy has a fab job but rarely picks up a bill.
Mark pays for dinners, holidays, and treats.
Lucy is effusive in her thanks but Mark tots it all up and it feels wrong.

Mark is hesitant to speak up.
He’s not sure why.

Maybe it’s because ‘real men pick up the bills.’
Something he feels may not be right?

Or maybe he worries that Lucy will be angry.
He knows that shouldn’t stop him. He feels shame even thinking that.

As life is overall excellent, Mark buries the problem. But a few months later he realizes it’s affecting his focus. It nags him but he’s not sure who to speak to.
So he continues, vaguely unhappy and feeling secretly helpless.

This is what therapy is for.
Sessions are private spaces where Mark can say what he thinks, work out what is happening, and figure out approaches that work best for him.

If you’re a Mark, take action.
You deserve to be happy.

#RelationshipAdvice #PersonalGrowth #MensMentalHealth #PersonalDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #MidlifeLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #RelationshipDynamics

“Yes, but…” When Fear Leads To Self-Sabotage in Therapy

“Yes, but…”

It’s the phrase that keeps so many people stuck in relationships that hurt, whether that’s at home or in the workplace.

If you want change but find yourself resisting it, you aren’t weak. You’ve likely already tried everything: coping, reasoning, waiting, and forgiving.

When you’ve experienced control or gaslighting, your brain begins to see change as a danger. It’s understandable to feel afraid. But staying in the "buts" often means staying in the suffering.

Effective therapy involves challenge:  

• Labelling what is actually happening. 
• Challenging the patterns that keep you stuck. 
• Practising new ways of thinking and behaving.

It can be uncomfortable, and it can sting. But on the other side of that work is freedom.

Real change doesn't happen all at once; it starts with tiny steps and the willingness to experiment with doing something differently.

I’m Ellen Whyte. I work with clients internationally to navigate this process in a safe, supportive space.

If you’re ready to explore what doing things differently looks like for you, contact me.

 

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Want an adventurous, enriching 2026? Try this different approach

Video on my Instagram.  There are people who commit to huge goals in January and go all year, like those watch ads and there’s the other 99% of us who get the watch and it stops there. 


If you’re one of the 99% I have a radical idea: don’t set yourself up for misery. Do 2026 differently. 

Try my suggestion that will enrich your life.

There’s a push towards constant development: work hard, improve yourself. 
There’s a second push that says: do one thing and get really good at it.

My view: meh. 

Strategic investment of your time and energy is key. 
Plan your career carefully. 
Spend some time looking into yourself and being the best you.
But there’s such a thing as too much push. Life is about having fun too. 

So for 2026, make it a year of exploration. 
Don’t commit to one thing; do things for a fortnight or a month.
In January, I walk around three parks. In February, I check out two museums. In March I take a three hour salsa class.

Think of it as a taste testing of life. Broaden your horizons, relax and have some fun.

That’s it! Happy New Year. Wishing you lots of laughter