First Person

"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

A man learns shocking news via Facebook about an old flame, which brings back romantic memories of his youth. Read more

A karaoke performance on a psych ward helps a mother and daughter find a way to reconnect. Read more

When our clients are facing their own mortality, how can we guide them in a way that's both compassionate and realistic? In the following video, therapist... Read more

In our own small way, the Networker has tried to revive the ancient, tribal practice of storytelling. At our third annual Symposium storytelling event, Kirsten... Read more

A highlight of this year’s Symposium was iconic therapist Irvin Yalom receiving the Networker Lifetime Achievement Award. In this excerpt from his recent... Read more

In our own small way, the Networker has tried to revive the ancient, tribal practice of storytelling. At our third annual Symposium storytelling event, five... Read more

A challenging client, who won't speak or swallow, teaches a therapist just starting out how to find her own voice. Read more

A therapist tries to ride to the rescue of an immigrant client in a desperate situation. Read more

What happens to a buttoned-up young therapist when things get out of hand in his office? Read more

A specialist in grief and dying gets an early lesson on what makes up a full life. Read more

A karaoke performance on a psych ward helps a mother and daughter find a way to reconnect. Read more