Before we get into it, it's important to note that cushioning isn't necessarily all bad, specifically in the beginning of a relationship before you've established boundaries for exclusivity. "At the beginning of a relationship it's very common and it makes a lot of sense," Maria Sosa, MS, MFT, expert for the relationship app Clarity, tells Refinery29. "However after you have defined the relationship and you've said, 'Okay, we're committed to each other,' then it gets a little bit into that betrayal area."
At its core, cushioning typically stems from avoidance, fear, and insecurity in a relationship, Wood explains. "It's the fear that the relationship won't work out, and playing into that fear you're essentially already setting it up for failure because you're thinking about when it ends," she says.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/cushioning-dating-term-meaning