Week after week, a client’s sessions focus on her issues with her partner. Her therapist thinks couples therapy would be tremendously helpful, but the partner refuses to attend. The therapist worries her client is just spinning her wheels in individual therapy, since all she talks about are the changes she wants to see in her relationship, and isn't sure how to help her. Five therapists share how they'd proceed.

As experts in any field will tell you, the secret to honing your craft is practice, practice, practice. But a little advice doesn’t hurt either. Here, four therapists well acquainted with the ins and outs, highs and lows, and successes and challenges of practicing psychotherapy share the most valuable lessons they’ve learned during their years in practice, as well as what they wish someone had told them before they ever sat down with a client.

By Lauren Dockett - Many therapists know their way around family systems. But what if they could create three-dimensional experiences to help clients shed the pain of lingering traumas that can get passed down through generations? As research into the epigenetics of trauma develops, a reporter looks into an unusual approach to healing.

With so much of our lives being conducted in front of screens right now, it can be easy to lose sight of the world around us, and this can make for some tough moments with family and friends. Networker editor Rich Simon sat down with psychologist and mindfulness expert Tara Brach, who shares a personal story about cultivating mindfulness and patience in a digital world.

During the 2020 Networker Virtual Symposium, renowned Buddhist teacher and psychologist Tara Brach explained how, even in the midst of the stress, anxiety, and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we can use mindfulness and compassion to undo our primitive, fear-based reactivity, reveal our mutual belonging, and awaken our hearts.

These days, many of us are feeling increasingly anxious and upset. But how do we know whether we're experiencing trauma, or just grieving? And how can we support our clients during these difficult times? Gabor Maté offers an optimistic take.

I’ve begun to worry that in our headlong rush to embrace teletherapy, we’re going to train ourselves out of expecting the depth of connection and intimacy that we receive from body-to-body, gaze-to-gaze, in-person communication. In doing so, we may come to settle for an impoverished version of intimacy and connection; one that could even spill over into our lived, in-person relationships.

A maverick and a visionary in the '60s and '70s, Salvador Minuchin transformed the very idea of what a therapist was supposed to be. Here, he reflects on his journey as a therapist and what clinicians need to do in order to master their craft.

It’s important to recognize that a trauma bond doesn’t have to play out as overt, obvious toxicity or abuse. So many people in relationships have learned to be loved in ways that are transactional—“If you do this for me, I’ll comfort you,” or “If you play this role, I’ll show you affection”—and it's now exhausting them. Therapist and researcher Laura Copley shares how to help clients interrupt these unhealthy, even dangerous, relational patterns.

Too many Black people are living in a wall-less prison, says therapist Ken Hardy, where they're constantly calibrating their lives based on the expectations of the white mainstream. Here, he makes a call to action: even if it’s not part of your job description, make allyship part of your life's work.

As parts of the country start to open back up from COVID-19 lockdown measures, a therapist worries about the risk of seeing clients in person again. Five clinicians give their take on some ways she might ease back into seeing clients in her office that ensures everyone is safe.

I’ve spent a long time doing therapy with conflict-avoidant men. Working with them isn’t always easy, but I’ve developed a three-part road map that’s helped me expedite what can often be a lengthy and difficult process. This is the story of a particular couple that fundamentally shaped my approach.

Therapists are continuously honing their craft. Much of what we learn through trial and error, and hours upon hours sitting across from clients, we were never taught in grad school. So we asked some seasoned therapists to pass on the lessons they wish someone had told them when they were first starting out.

What does Attachment Theory tell us? That emotion is the most powerful force in the therapy room, says couples therapist Sue Johnson, developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Here, she explains how to establish a safe, supportive connection with the client and facilitate that same connection between partners in treatment.

Most clinicians need a mentor: someone who takes them under their wing and inspires them to be a better therapist. The five clinicians whose stories you’re about to read all agree on one thing: seeing how their mentors practice left an indelible mark on their personal and professional development that still resonates today.

What do you do when kids get anxious, afraid, or angry at the prospect of going to school? Pediatric psychologist Mona Delahooke explains how Polyvagal Theory can help us better understand why kids react this way, and come up with targeted interventions to address the root of the issue.

By Irvin Yalom - As each of us grows older, we can try to embrace the full possibilities of aging, even alongside its challenges. In the following interview, iconic existential psychotherapist Irvin Yalom traces how his quality of presence with clients has changed over time.

A pervasive sense of shame makes many of us feel unworthy of human connection. Why the shame? Because in this perfectionistic culture, most of us believe we’re “not good enough." Professor and acclaimed TED speaker Brené Brown says that some people have escaped the shame trap. How? They let themselves be vulnerable.

The recent protests against racial injustice and police brutality have left many therapists wondering what they can do to be active forces for change in the therapy room and beyond. Four mental health professionals discuss where to begin.

By Lauren Dockett and Rich Simon - Over the years, physician Gabor Maté has challenged his audiences to stop asking “why the addiction?” and start asking “why the pain?” Here, he explains his view of how addictive patterns of behavior are rooted in alienation and emotional suffering.

Since its founding, Black Therapists Rock, a Facebook group for Black therapists, has gained tens of thousands of members. It's a resource where members can network, get clinical advice, and meet potential mentors. But it’s also where many Black therapists discover—often for the first time—a sense of community in a predominately white field.

Helping hyperaroused clients learn to manage overwhelming emotions is like helping them steer a ship in stormy waters, says therapist and mindfulness practitioner Linda Graham. Here, she breaks down her "ABCs" approach to helping clients retake the wheel.

June 2020 Clinician's Quandary: Teletherapy allows therapists to notice their clients' subtle expressions, movements, and gestures. But some clients prefer phone sessions, which can make clinicians feel hindered. Here, five therapists offer tips and strategies that can help make phone sessions just as effective as those done over video.

With summer camps cancelled and many schools indefinitely closed, a therapist shares six homeschooling strategies that have served him well in helping the parents and support networks of children with ADHD.

When you practice in a rural town, sometimes it can feel like everyone is connected to each other. Instead of worrying about boundary and confidentiality violations, I've learned a strategy that embraces the dilemma instead of avoiding it.