United in Uncertainty
Alicia Muñoz • 4/1/2020
By Alicia Muñoz - In the last few weeks, as the specter of contagion has rapidly grown more ominous with each news cycle, an unthinkable professional reality has emerged for therapists, one that favors technophiles over technophobes. I’m a technophobe—through and through—and a therapist.
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A Simple Exercise to Help Couples Avoid the Assumption Trap
Alicia Muñoz • 1/15/2020
By Alicia Muñoz - Satisfying our needs is a gift our partners give us. Being responsible calls for a willingness to ask clearly and vulnerably for what we want, and to tolerate disappointment.
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…And What to Do When It Backfires
Alicia Muñoz • 11/21/2019
Alicia Muñoz - Boundaries bind. They limit, stop, and inhibit. But they also free people up to be themselves. In couples where one partner is a people-pleaser, things can get even more complicated.
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The Radical Act of Rethinking Your Boundaries
Alicia Muñoz • 8/1/2019
By Alicia Muñoz - I used to view boundaries as a fancy way of dressing up rejection, incompetence, and selfishness. But after a decade of working as a couples counselor, I've learned just how much they create safety in relationships. They’re guardians of our life force, energy incubators, protectors of precious emotional resources, stokers and fuelers of self-respect.
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A Daughter Wrestles with Bittersweet Memories and a New, Looming Threat
Alicia Muñoz • 1/8/2019
By Alicia Muñoz - Sometimes family legacies can stir up complicated feelings and outright conflict.
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A Tool for Helping Partners See Both Sides
Alicia Muñoz • 12/18/2018
By Alicia Muñoz - Giving up being right doesn’t mean you give up your convictions. It means honoring a multiplicity of viewpoints. Rumi says, “Somewhere beyond right and wrong, there is a garden. I will meet you there.” For couples, this garden is their relationship.
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Especially with Kids, Learning to Slow Down Is a Precious Gift
Alicia Muñoz • 8/30/2018
Alicia Muñoz - When I got sick, something amazing happened: I let go of my agenda. Poof—just like that. In the process, I learned there’s nothing more important than doing nothing for extended periods of time, particularly with your child. It’s easy to overlook nondoing as an important activity—or as an important inactivity.
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