Couples Series #2: Mighty Morphin…Emotions
Here’s the second post in my ongoing Couples Series – a string of pieces inspired by Elizabeth Weil’s Married (Happily) With Issues. Who remembers the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers? If you lived in the United States during the early to mid-90’s (or have a working knowledge of Japanese cartoons, which I don’t), it was almost impossible […]
Couples Series #1: Debate Team – We’re Not in High School Anymore
This post marks the first in a short series on couples issues, inspired by Elizabeth Weil’s article in the NYT documenting her experience trying to improve her already good marriage. A quote to start: We enrolled in a 16-hour, two-Saturday course called “Mastering the Mysteries of Love.” The classes teach students how to have “skilled conversations” […]
To Boldly Go Where Many Have Gone Before…
I just read a great article in the NYT (thanks, Kyle) that’s finally gotten me motivated to talk about couples. The article is essentially a first-person account of the author’s attempts to improve her marriage through books, workshops, and therapy. As a therapist with a special interest in couples work, this piece immediately grabbed my attention. So […]
The Bucket Runneth Over
Whew! I don’t know about some of you, but this time of year is always when things start to get a little crazy in my life. Traveling for the holidays, planning family get-togethers, dealing with daylight savings time (it gets dark at 4:30!), etc…it’s enough to stress out even the calmest of people. And this […]
Freud Wasn’t All Bad
I’ve been spending a lot of time over on Shrink Rap these days – they have some great stuff if you get a moment to check it out. What drew me back again was a post that I read a few weeks back on transference and its role in the therapeutic relationship. Many approaches to therapy view transference as […]
What’s in a Name?
Today’s post is all about labels. A big part of being a clinician is figuring out how much to use diagnostic labels in working with clients. Insurance companies say it’s absolutely necessary. Many mental health professionals say that you can’t treat an individual effectively without knowing their diagnosis. I tend to straddle the fence on […]
