Do relationships with your difficult mother run your life?
Regardless of how hard you try to maintain control, she destroys your boundaries and manipulates you to achieve the desired result.
Your mother plays you as a well-tuned violin.
You fight with her and cry at night, replaying those hurtful words in your head. You feel angry and lost, struggling to cope with the pain you feel inside.
Nobody seems to understand what you're going through, maybe even your therapist. You feel lonely and wrong, wrong as if it was all your fault.
I can help.
Hi! I'm Irina Bengtson, Ph.D.
I help daughters of difficult mothers turn their lives, dominated by toxic relationships with their mothers, into a joyful adventure. And I know how not only from my experience as a clinical psychologist but also as a daughter of a narcissistic mother.
I grew up in a dysfunctional family. My mom was emotionally unstable and cruel. My dad became invisible as if she pulled an invisibility cloak on him.
There was no place for emotions other than mothers. She expected us to laugh with her when she felt fine. But most of the time, she was in a dark place, using my dad and me as a lightning rod for her anger and unhappiness.
I lived my life in despair—angry and depressed, always worried, insecure, and anxious. I struggled every day, only feeling safe in my bed.
I could choose to do nothing and become a copy of my mum, but instead, I rebelled and built a life of my own. It wasn't a leisure walk through a rose garden, but it was worth it.
Now I am in the place where I belong, proud of who I am. I make decisions based on my judgment, and my relationships with other people have never been better. I've found peace, happiness, and joy. Finally, I live a life that feels mine and you can, too!
"Irina helped me through a very upsetting time in my life."
Irina helped me through a very upsetting time in my life. She is intuitive, kind, understanding, and very patient. Her professionalism is admirable, and I am forever grateful for her help.
Jessy, Switzerland
Want to live the life of your dreams?
I have over three decades of experience as a clinical psychologist and more than ten years as a certified Imago therapist, coach, and educator. I worked in private practice and hospitals.
Nowadays, I believe in helping women like you transform their lives. Let me help, and we'll evaluate your situation, to identify the stumbling blocks that are holding you back, and outline your healing path.
You'll understand why you feel and act the way that doesn't benefit you, and how to change it. I'll help you build healthy boundaries and communication skills to enhance your confidence and self-esteem.
Boosting your curiosity and creativity will help you find solutions to your practical problems, explore opportunities, and find joy. You'll emotionally separate yourself from your mother, calm your mind, and find inner peace.
Time to free yourself from your mother's control and build the life you've always wanted, both personal and professional.
Do you want to live with joy?
Let me help.
Choose a course or one-on-one services.
Why I started Love Grow Be Happy
Most of my clients waited too long before reaching out for help. Witnessing their needless suffering was frustrating.
When I discovered a passion for free writing, I knew what to do—the idea of a Blog was born.
With my articles and stories, I want to warm your heart, so you don't feel lonely anymore. I want to answer your questions. But more importantly, I want to spark your curiosity and show you how to love and take care of yourself so that you can live the life of your dreams.
“Today, I love and enjoy my life and bring joy to others.”
Guided by Irina's questions, I began to see the way out of the impasse.
At the age of 48, I convinced the bank to give me a loan, and I founded a company. Today, I'm confident in my strength and abilities. My enterprise is thriving and expanding. I enjoy my life, and I love bringing joy to others.
I'm proud that I found the courage to seek help, and I'm happy that I found you.
Thank you!
Héléna, Belgium
“Followed Irina's recommendations, I always managed to achieve a positive result. ”
I turned to Irina on repeated occasions related to various issues of family relationships. She had always listened attentively and helped me to assess the situation.
Followed Irina's recommendations, I always managed to defuse the tense situation and achieve a positive result. At the same time, I gained the desired confidence in the correctness of my actions.
Maria, Switzerland
Backer and Alchemist
The kitchen has always been my favorite place in the house. Cooking, baking, and making cosmetics for myself and friends is relaxing and fun. I like to experiment—tweak and twist recipes following my senses and intuition.
For a while, I stop worrying about my email list, dirty windows, or the madness of the world. Instead, I enjoy the mesmerizing fragrance of Madagascar vanilla or etheric oils. Vanilla reminds me of the best times of my childhood—Christmas.
Want to pop into my office?
It's an unusual one—white and blue-grey spiced with shadows of red, sprinkled with yellow and garnished with green.
Anthurium and orchids help to tickle my creativity when I write. Laughing Buddha on my desk cheers me up when I feel blue. Red gives me the energy and courage to continue when I stuck.
This symphony of colors reminds me of Mozart's music—jolly and sad; playful and behaved; fierce and calm. Always moving, never dull. Never lethargic.
Most of the time, you'll find me writing articles or emails, creating updates for social media, or trying to solve another mysterious problem of our virtual world.
My experience is international. Besides English and Danish, I speak Russian and German, sometimes mixing them, to the amusement of my Danish husband.
Drop me an email at Irina [at] lovegrowbehappy [dot] com...or use this contact form that will deliver your message personally to me the same way.
