First Person

A therapist specializing in trauma treatment in the wake of human-made and natural disasters shares what she's seeing in her work with survivors of the war in... Read more

According to psychoanalysis, we all carry an imago—an image of our parents inside of us. But what do you do when the negative, traumatic, or unconscious... Read more

The weight of whether to put a child in a group home. Read more

No one can prevent the horrors of cancer, but processing this particular experience of loss with a therapist who's been through it may stave off the trauma of... Read more

For someone who has survived the death of their child, describing grief as a journey perpetuates the myth that, eventually, there’s an end point. Read more

A daughter’s resentment gives way to a lesson in unconditional love. Read more

As time rushes forward, a diary promises the chance to slow things down. Read more

Four simple ingredients will become bread, whether you do everything right or not. The result may not be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. Read more

Children need an adult who provides safety, attunement, empathy, acceptance, and boundaries. Can a sibling be the next best thing? Read more

Sometimes the road to connection involves a painful separation. Read more

There’s magic in therapy—all types—the most astonishing of which only happens when you stop trying to put on a flawless show. Read more

When becoming a therapist feels like part of our genetic makeup. Read more

Over 40 years, a long-term client gives a therapist an opportunity to recover from clinical mistakes and apply new frameworks and modalities. Read more

As a family therapy trainee in the 70s, it was easy to feel like part of a larger revolution. Read more

An encounter with a superstar teaches a young woman about courage. Read more

A psychiatrist questions taking her own medicine. Read more

In the throes of depression, a therapist searches for a magic bullet. Read more

A clinician with OCD stands up to stigma. Read more

I know this experience will give me more knowledge to help others—that’s how I have to reframe it. As I’ve recovered, I’ve felt how strong and... Read more

When you do the work that we do, it’s important to find ways to take care of yourself. You can’t always carve out lots of time to devote to self-care, but... Read more

Sometimes, trying to stay calm under pressure sets you up for dealing with it in isolation. It feels counterintuitive to head toward vulnerability. That was my... Read more

It isn’t easy to learn self-care. Sometimes, you need to go through a fiery furnace to arrive at a place of centeredness. Read more

Despite our best intentions, sometimes our problems grow so big that they slam into our work—and the result can be surprising. Read more

When a therapist finally confronts his tendency to dissociate, his work takes a life-changing turn. Read more

Many therapists wrestle with the same problems we help our clients tame. But the myth that therapists are masters of their own mental health makes it... Read more

Finding solace after the death of an absent father. Read more

A terrifying journey shows just how much psychotic delusions are embedded in the unquestioned essence of a person’s thinking—as true as ocean, ground, and... Read more

What functions do illusions serve for our clients? Some may be harmful, but there might be occasions when the benefits of self-deception justify the costs. Read more

When our kids no longer need us to be problem solvers, what do we become? Read more

A cancer diagnosis, while devastating, can be a powerful teacher. Through the fear and anxiety, we can discover how to reliably calm ourselves and ask for... Read more