First Person

The old maxim "You should eat to live, not live to eat" may sound wise, but it's based on a profound misreading of the fundamental facts of human biology. Read more

Understanding your place in the great circle of life is often a matter of where you choose to look. Read more

A mother deals with the news that her child will have a lifelong impairment. Read more

At an age when many are sticking even closer to their couches and remote controls, a restless soul decides to seize his last chance to explore the wilderness... Read more

A private practice therapist recalls his college days as a basketball player in a way he never dreamed of. Read more

An ill child finds his place among a group of other boys in aging men's bodies. Read more

Fond memories of an old-fashioned father who believed in practicing tough love with his fists. Read more

A young woman discovers the world of the senses. Read more

The worry and wonder of living with Asperger's syndrome Read more

Throughout our lives, our pets are our most unassuming teachers. Read more

In our culture, we don't take kindly to children who won't do as they are told. Now a new treatment approach offers hope for kids who defy standard diagnoses. Read more

A father and son reflect on a life path that isn't about money Read more

Michael White, who died suddenly in April 2008 at 59, devoted his life to helping people find the kernels of personal courage, self-respect, and emotional... Read more

Life in the empty nest can be humbling, exhilarating, and occasionally, just plain weird. Read more

A woman recovering from cancer develops a new sense of her body and her comfort zone. Read more

A parentless woman recalls her childhood Christmas rituals. Read more

Our best teachers aren't always the two-legged kind. Read more

Grieving the departed will always elicit startling feelings and strange behaviors. It may be less about truth than about timing. Read more

How does a therapeutic alliance become more than that? Read more

A session with a homeless client recalls a long-ago lesson about accomplishing an impossible task. Read more

Sometimes, raising a child is less an act of love than something much wilder. Read more

A man who grew up rescuing the women around him learns that there's no saving someone from sorrow. Sometimes the best we can do—all we can do—is offer a... Read more

If therapy is in some sense a confrontation in which you must come face-to-face with your disowned self, it's a real advantage to choose a therapist who's your... Read more

In a single, unforeseen moment, a self-lacerating young woman takes a risk and discovers, deep in her bones, why we're alive. Read more

In our treatment of survivors over the past two decades, the therapeutic pendulum has swung from complete denial to an overfocus on the wounded inner child... Read more

A take-charge clinician meets his match and finally learns to listen to his clients-and himself. Read more

Losing control of your story can be one of life's most terrifying experiences. Read more

Stop making sense and allow yourself the luxury of tears. Read more

"Mom, I think it's time to really forgive you, and maybe even me. But I'm still mad. I just don't know how to let go of it. Believe it or not, I've been trying... Read more

From the September/October 1994 IN THE PHOTOGRAPH OF MY maternal grandfather, Louie, that I remember most clearly, he is around 50, his bald head and... Read more