Maya Chen headshot

Maya Chen

Senior Writer at Emira

  • Attachment styles and attachment-driven conflict
  • Recurring conflict patterns and repair
  • Decision-point moments (stay vs. leave)
  • Translating research into practical frameworks

About Maya

Maya is a Senior Writer at Emira. Her work focuses on conflict, attachment, and the recurring patterns that quietly shape whether a relationship deepens over time or stalls.

Before joining Emira, she spent a decade writing about psychology and behavior, with a particular interest in why people who genuinely love each other still end up in the same fight for the eighth time. Most of her writing tries to bridge the gap between research-backed frameworks (Gottman, attachment theory, Emotion-Focused Therapy) and the messy, specific reality of what couples actually deal with on a Tuesday night.

She is the author of much of Emira's coverage on decision-point moments — the periods when couples are trying to figure out whether to keep working at something or step away — and on attachment-driven conflict.

21 articles by Maya Chen

A woman standing at a window at night, looking out into the dark
Marriage 23 min read

Feeling Lonely in a Relationship: What It Actually Means and What to Do When Your Partner Doesn't See It

Most articles tell you relationship loneliness is real and common, then offer generic communication tips. This is the longer version: the 4 forms of loneliness, how to tell which one you're in, and what to do when you've named it and your partner still doesn't see you.

Two people holding hands, close together
Dating 14 min read

Green Flags in a Relationship: 30 Real Signs You've Found Something Healthy

Most green flags lists give you ten generic 'they communicate well' bullet points. This one is specific, organized by what each green flag actually predicts, with a section on why healthy can feel boring if you're used to chaos.

Person sitting alone at a window, looking thoughtful
Communication 13 min read

Signs of Emotional Unavailability (And What Causes It, And What to Do)

Most articles on emotional unavailability give you ten vague signs and tell you to leave. This is the more honest version: how to recognize it, what it isn't, and the harder question of whether someone can actually change.

Couple's feet under a white duvet, intimate and quiet
Intimacy 21 min read

Sexual Intimacy: What It Actually Is, Why It Erodes, and How to Build It Back

Sexual intimacy is not the same as having sex. This is the difference, why long-term couples lose it without quite noticing, and the specific path back.

A woman holding a coffee cup, looking up in thought
Communication 14 min read

How to Stop Overthinking in a Relationship: A Practical Guide

Most overthinking advice is 'just be present' and 'challenge your thoughts.' This is the more useful version: the patterns underneath, the in-the-moment scripts, and when overthinking is information rather than noise.

Couple sitting at a table, one looking away with arms crossed
Conflict 12 min read

Contempt in Relationships: How to Spot It, What Causes It, and How to Repair

Most articles on contempt define the term and stop. This one covers what to do if you're the one receiving it, what to do if you're the one feeling it, and whether the relationship can actually recover.

Couple sitting apart on a sofa, both looking away
Conflict 18 min read

How to Rebuild Trust in a Relationship: An Honest Guide for Both Partners

Most articles on rebuilding trust give you the same vague three steps. This is the more honest version: different paths for different betrayals, separate playbooks for both partners, and what the rebuilding actually looks like week by week.

A woman looking downward, contemplative
Communication 14 min read

Insecurity in Relationships: Where It Comes From, How It Shows Up, and What to Do About It

Most articles on insecurity blur two very different problems together. This is the more useful version: the distinction that matters, the specific behaviors it drives, and what to actually do when the feeling spikes.

Couple sitting on a couch, one turned away from the other
Conflict 11 min read

Stonewalling in Relationships: What It Is and What to Do in the Moment

Most stonewalling articles tell you what it is. This one tells you what to actually say in the first thirty seconds, what to do if you're the one shutting down, and how to tell stonewalling apart from a healthy break.

A woman in a blue top looking at her cell phone
Conflict 17 min read

What Is Emotional Cheating? Where the Line Is, How to Recognize It, and What to Do Next

The honest version of where the line falls between a close friendship and emotional cheating. Includes the diagnostic test most articles avoid, modern examples, and what to do if you're already across the line.

A couple lying in bed, facing each other in conversation
Intimacy 18 min read

Sexual Compatibility: The 7 Dimensions That Actually Matter (and How to Honestly Assess Yours)

Most articles on sexual compatibility define it vaguely and tell you to 'communicate.' This is the longer version: 7 dimensions, ranked by how negotiable each is, with a real self-assessment and what to do when compatibility is genuinely off.

A couple lying close in bed with morning light, one tenderly kissing the other's forehead
Intimacy 19 min read

High Libido: What It Means, What It Doesn't, and What to Do When Your Partner's Drive Doesn't Match

Most articles on high libido pathologize it. The honest reality is that most people googling this term aren't experiencing a clinical condition. They're the higher-libido partner in a relationship trying to figure out what to do.

A woman sitting on a window sill in contemplation, hand resting against her chin
Marriage 23 min read

When to Leave a Relationship: How to Decide Without False Hope or Premature Exit

Most articles on this topic tilt toward 'leave' or 'stay and try harder.' This is the honest middle: the 8 signs that matter, the difference between conflict of preference and conflict of core values, what to do when you still love them, and how to decide without rushing or stalling.

A couple standing quietly side by side, looking out a window in a moment of reflection
Marriage 21 min read

Signs Your Marriage Is Over: 9 Patterns That Matter (and the Bigger Question Underneath)

Most articles on this topic give you a doom checklist or a 'you can fix anything' pep talk. This is the honest middle: 9 signs that actually matter, the difference between marriages that need to end and ones that just need to fundamentally change, and the decision framework that helps you tell which is which.

Couple sitting apart on a bench in soft afternoon light
Marriage 15 min read

Falling Out of Love: What It Feels Like, What It Means, and What to Do Next

Most articles on falling out of love list ten signs and tell you to communicate. This is the more useful version: how to tell what state you're actually in, and a real framework for deciding what to do next.

A couple sitting close together on the ground, leaning in conversation
Intimacy 19 min read

The Types of Intimacy: 6 Core Forms (and 6 More Worth Knowing)

Articles on this topic disagree about the count: some list 5, some 7, some 12, some 16. The number isn't the point. This is the version that names the 6 core types and helps you figure out which ones your relationship actually needs more of.

A woman holding a coffee mug, thinking quietly in soft morning light
Dating 25 min read

How to Know If You Should Break Up: The Framework Most Articles Skip

Most articles hand you a 16-item checklist and walk away. The harder question is whether what you're feeling is a real signal about the relationship or your nervous system firing under stress. This is the framework for telling the difference.

A pair of hands carefully exchanging a beautifully wrapped gift box
Communication 19 min read

Receiving Gifts Love Language: What It Actually Means (and Why It Gets the Worst Reputation)

Of the five love languages, receiving gifts gets the worst rap. Most articles defend it briefly and move on to a tip list. This is the longer version: why the shame exists, what it actually means, and how to honor it (or partner with someone who has it) without anyone feeling weird.

Two people sitting together on a couch, both looking at their phones rather than each other
Marriage 23 min read

Feeling Disconnected From Your Partner: The 4 Types of Disconnection (and What Helps for Each)

Most articles on this topic treat disconnection as one thing. It isn't. There are at least 4 types, with different causes and different solutions, and the prescription depends on which kind you're in.

Couple sitting on opposite sides of a bed in dim morning light
Intimacy 14 min read

Sexless Marriage: What It Means, Why It Happens, and the Honest Question of Whether to Stay

The phrase 'sexless marriage' covers a wider range of situations than most people realize. Some are workable. Some aren't. The hard part is being honest about which one you're in.

Person looking thoughtful in shadow at a window
Conflict 15 min read

Covert Narcissist: How to Recognize One, What They Do, and What to Actually Do About It

Most articles on covert narcissism stop at the definition. This is the practical version: real phrases they use, the diagnostic threshold, and what actually works if you stay or if you leave.