The Best and Beloved Stories from 2022

At Psychotherapy Networker, we talk about the heart of psychotherapy. Our articles and interviews are collectively more than just good journalism. These are stories that dig deep and unearth the complexities and simple joys embedded in the life of a therapist.

It’s always a difficult task picking the best articles from the year. Many pieces resonated with different people for different reasons. Our magazine produced many popular articles this year—namely “When Therapists Encourage Family Cutoffs” and “Unlearning Weight Stigma.” We got a lot of “Letters to the Editor” for our July/August issue on grief. That issue led to our most watched Networker Live virtual event, Prolonged Grief Disorder. Lastly, some articles were written by you, the reader, for our web exclusive series Clinician’s Quandary (e.g., The Power of Laughter and Elderly Clients, Hidden Talents).

Instead of a straightforward “top ten” list, we asked our writers and editors to pick their personal favorites—the ones that represented exactly what we do here at Networker and the profession that we love.

Here are the best and beloved of Psychotherapy Networker in 2022, as selected by our staff:

A Therapist Confronts Cancer

by Anna Lock
from the July/August issue

As our clinical director, Anna Lock often adds her clinical insight to the issues we’re exploring in the magazine. She’s a talented therapist and an expert course creator—and now, she’ll go down in the Networker annuls as one of our most courageous authors. When she volunteered to write a personal essay on her experience with breast cancer at age 37 and its effect on her work with clients, I never anticipated how vulnerable and emotionally poignant her writing would be. The result is an astonishing piece that stuck with our readers and changed the way many of them understood “surviving” cancer. – Livia Kent, Editor in Chief

Reframing Complex PTSD

An interview with Stephanie Foo
from the May/June issue

My [Point of View] column typically highlights the innovative work clinicians are doing in our field, and I’m always amazed by their creativity, dedication, and expertise. But for the May/June 2022 issue I was able to speak with someone with a different perspective – a client on the receiving end of those skills. Stephanie Foo, an Emmy-winning journalist who had worked with NPR’s This American Life and Snap Judgment, came to realize her emotional and relational difficulties were above the standard Millennial stress, and that they were actually the result of her history of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD. In her book What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma, she chronicles her healing quest through multiple therapists and modalities, sharing both her journalistic explorations and personal insights. Interviewing her helped me better understand the maze clients endure when seeking help, especially when their condition is not widely understood. – Ryan Howes, Contributing Editor

Living in the Light

An interview with Mary Pipher
Streamed live on July 26th

Psychologist Mary Pipher’s memoir A Life in Light is the springboard for this tender, intimate interview with Marian Sandmaier. Once these two seasoned writers start talking, you’ll enjoy a fascinating glimpse into what can happen when a small-town girl from Kansas defies her family’s expectations, goes to Berkeley, works at Dunkin’ Donuts, majors in cultural anthropology, and gets exposed to Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, and the amazing light and rolling fog of San Francisco. If you’re interested in resilience and the challenges of coming to terms with a painful childhood at any age or phase in your life, this is a Networker restream you don’t want to miss. – Alicia Muñoz, Senior Writer/Editor

Life without Atticus

by Amanda Gregory
from the January/February issue

Like an old movie “now in technicolor!” Amanda Gregory’s “Life without Atticus” blends past and present. It’s a case study in revisiting and reckoning with the good and bad halves of your childhood—and putting what you learn to good use. These are years filled with play, camaraderie, and wonder. But when you throw trauma in the mix, can the good insulate you against the bad? Parent or not, when you read Gregory’s piece, you’ll likely find yourself instinctively reaching out to young Scout during her unsupervised, high-wire antics. And if you were lucky enough to have a Jem in your life, you’ll feel that, too. For me, that’s the mark of a great piece: the ability to tap into a universal experience, then pluck a chord. – Chris Lyford, Senior Editor

Supporting Women’s Voices

by Lauren Dockett
from the November/December issue

Lauren’s piece beautifully captures the thoughts of famed-feminist Carol Gilligan. Just as therapists are navigating the legal risks of talking about abortion in therapy, this article challenges us to think about how we are supporting women and offers a much-needed compass for navigating conversations about reproductive rights. – Anna Locke, Director of Continuing Education

Attachment Grief

by Dana Lerner
from the July/August issue

I want to believe that grief is a place we go for a time and then return. But the more I read about grief and loss, and experience it in my own life, the more I accept the fact that we only leave grief behind when we leave our love for that person behind as well. That truth has rarely touched me so deeply, as a person and a therapist, than when I read Dana Lerner’s account of the loss of her son, Cooper. It’s a must-read and a must-understand for any therapist working with grief and loss. – Zach Taylor, Director

Unhappy Campers

by Chris Lyford
from the September/October issue

A first-person essay about a guys’ camping trip gone bad? I was a sucker from the start–and for good reason. In the opening scene, Chris Lyford drops us into an intensely physical moment that has him dripping with sweat, assaulted by insects, hurting all over, and horribly lost. Gradually, we learn about the psychological dynamics among the five 30-something guys on the trip, each with very different expectations of the weekend—and each other. I found the piece gritty, darkly funny, honest, and suspenseful to the end. – Marian Sandmaier, Features Editor