First Person

Creative personal essays on life and family
Article June 28, 2024

Facing the Past as a Parent

How Our Worst Moments Can Stop Intergenerational Trauma

For one trauma therapist, parenting turned out to be the ultimate trial by fire—and a path to healing and wholeness. Read more

Article June 28, 2024

Countering the Mommy Brain Stigma

The Benefits of Maternal Neuroplasticity at Work

Rather than a deficiency, “mommy brain” is an asset—and therapists can help their clients embrace it in the workplace. Read more

Article June 28, 2024

An Autobiography of Trauma

The Developer of Somatic Experiencing Releases His Own “Body Memory”

When the world-renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing begins feeling persistent disturbing sensations come up from childhood, he realizes it’s time to... Read more

Article May 1, 2024

Does Microdosing Work?

Chasing a Therapeutic Silver Bullet

More and more people are ingesting small amounts of psilocybin on a daily basis in the hope of curing everything from mild irritability to major depression... Read more

Article May 1, 2024

A Monogamish Love Triangle

The Painful Geometry of an Open Relationship

A botched foray into polyamory leaves a woman feeling more singularly herself. Read more

Article May 1, 2024

Editor's Note: May/June 2024

The Search for Higher Ground

Welcome to the new world of psychedelic-assisted healing. It’s no longer a fringe therapy. It’s happening all around us. Read more

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 March 1, 2024

In Search of The Great Male Friend

One Man’s Quest for Intimacy

Grown men don’t say things like “I’ve got nobody to play with.” Or do they? A journalist explores what therapists are seeing across the country: the... 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

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