First Person

Creative personal essays on life and family
Article March 1, 2024

Scarred, Not Scary

Bringing Disfigurement Out of the Shadows

Therapists can help disfigured clients build the necessary skills to navigate the documented reality that they’re often avoided, judged, and asked invasive... Read more

Article March 1, 2024

I Want to Be My Client's Friend

A Taboo Longing in the Therapy Room

How far is friendship from the special type of closeness we call the therapeutic relationship? Read more

Article January 10, 2024

Beyond Cancer

A Story of Resilience, Growth, and Mental Health

A therapist reflects on her cancer journey and what her diagnosis meant for not only the rest of her life but also her mental health. Read more

Article November 3, 2023

Reclaiming Black Imagination

The PRIDE Approach to Healing

A new approach embraces the somatic wisdom and indigenous knowledge of BIPOC clients. Read more

Article November 3, 2023

Action Man Meets Therapy Guy

Switching Careers in Midlife

When a journalist and rock climber decides to become a therapist, he embarks on a new understanding of himself. Read more

Article November 3, 2023

The Anxious Warrior

Fighting Fear with Krav Maga

An anxious mom steps out of her fortress of solitude and onto the martial-arts mat. Read more

Article November 3, 2023

Let's Talk About Death—and Pass the Cookies

How Death Cafés Can Enrich Our Lives

What is a death café? And why do so many people find them therapeutic? Read more

Article November 3, 2023

The Long, Lonely Trek to Licensure

Is Becoming a Therapist Harder than Ever?

Many beginning therapists are burning out and leaving the field before they’re able to gain their professional footing. How can we support them better? Read more

Article September 1, 2023
Arnoldo Cantú

There’s a big, hairy problem shadowing our field: what, exactly, is a mental disorder? Is using diagnostic language helping or hurting our clients? The way... Read more

Article September 1, 2023

Just This, Nothing Next

Facing Old Age with Trepidation and Grace

Getting old is often a surprise, even when we’ve spent decades trying to get comfortable with the vicissitudes of aging. Read more

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