First Person

My young client, Brian, can reduce even confident mid-life adults to an infantile puddle, one provocative comment at a time. He's a therapist's nightmare... Read more

Many of us overlook our physical environments, and perhaps especially our work spaces, which may be so familiar that we no longer really see them. In this... Read more

The therapeutic benefits of turning an office makeover into a collaborative project. Read more

When a therapist moves offices after 30 years, a lot of emotional issues get stirred up. Read more

A troubled father casts a mysterious shadow over a little girl’s world. Read more

Of all the meaningful sessions that take place in a therapist’s career, what makes certain ones stand out? Sometimes, it’s taking creative leaps in... Read more

A MeToo memory leads a mother and daughter to connection and healing. Read more

A shared sense of humor can help couples make heavy issues feel lighter. But what happens when there’s no one there to get the joke? Read more

What do the masters of truly good therapy have in common? According to couples therapist Bill Doherty, they know how to balance their desire to guide therapy... Read more

"In one session, she said that her life outside of therapy was going great, and seeing me was her main problem." Read more

"Night after night, I’d wait for my father to shout, 'Who’s it gonna be, folks? Who’ll be the lucky girl to come on down and ride the elephant... Read more

"Even though I’d been out as a gay man for decades, I still felt disgust at my erotic interests. Although several therapists over the years had told me I... Read more

Rich Simon, Networker editor, tried to highlight the role therapists can play in a world so turned upside down that "crazy has become the new normal." Read more

Mary Pipher, author of the classic Reviving Ophelia and nine subsequent books, was this year’s recipient of the Networker’s Lifetime Achievement Award for... Read more

Sue Johnson makes an impassioned case for the deeply healing power of intimate connection. Read more

Whether as playmate, protector, or tormentor, a big sister looms large in the imagination of her younger sibling. Read more

Although it’s not usually acknowledged, change in the consulting room goes both ways. Even as they help clients wrestle with their issues, it’s the rare... Read more

“Whoops,” I said, thinking this was a lighthearted moment. “Looks like you should’ve gone with that other psychologist.” But Ted didn’t joke back. Read more

In our stressful, tech-obsessed, and data-based world, psychologist Joan Borysenko reminds us that the nonlinear, nonquantitative wisdom of the heart and... Read more

Lynn Lyons shares a moving, often hilarious, story about how her young client helped her become a stronger person and a better therapist. Read more

What do you do when your life’s expectations get turned upside down? Read more

Sometimes you learn your most important life lessons from the person who most frustrates and disappoints you. Read more

When you’re young, a car isn’t just a car—it can be a freedom machine. Read more

Basketball has taught me many lessons. I learned about trust, relationships, and teamwork. I learned the power to regulate feelings. It would shape my... Read more

A quick glance a therapist whose young clients rave about her. Read more

Sometimes family legacies can stir up complicated feelings and outright conflict. Read more

A world-renowned trauma expert shares his personal experience with the power of ayahuasca ceremonies to heal addiction, PTSD, and ingrained patterns that... Read more

Confronting grief in a laundromat. Read more

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... Read more

At its worst, depression extinguishes your inner pilot light, depriving you of the substrate that makes you feel real. Sufferers complain of living in a fog... Read more