Case Study
Taking Sides in Couples Therapy
The Importance of Ditching NeutralityWhen one partner is clearly in the wrong, being an impartial couples therapist can do more harm than good. Read more
Social Anxiety in Kids
How Our Good Intentions Make It WorseMaking accommodations for socially anxious kids can be easier than getting them off their phones and out of their rooms—but it’s also dangerous. Read more
Ending a Marriage That's Already Over
Helping Women Move Beyond the Paralysis of GuiltThe person burdened with the decision of whether or not to end a marriage may not be the one who’s already left the marriage—emotionally or sexually. Read more
Shame and Blame in Couples Therapy
A Therapist's Misstep Sparks RepairA clinical rupture becomes an opportunity to help a couple move beyond the pursue-withdraw cycle. Read more
Spiritual Issues in Secular Treatment
When a Client Wants to Reconnect with Their FaithAre therapists equipped to support clients who want to reconnect with their spiritual faith? Read more
Tuning into the Body in Couples Work
Getting to the Root of Core ConflictsIntegrating a somatic focus into couples therapy can help partners address their deeply entrenched stuck points. Read more
Uncovering Intimate Partner Violence
When Does Relationship Conflict Tip into Abuse?Intimate partner violence isn’t as obvious to therapists as cultural stereotypes suggest—and even when it’s revealed, the path forward isn’t always... Read more
A Dog Wanders into My Session
Taking a New Direction in the Therapy RoomA seasoned therapist discovers that the willingness to be a beginner again can sometimes have more value for clients than polished expertise. Read more
Behind the Pursuer–Distancer Dynamic
Encouraging Men to Face Their Hidden FearsHow to help men face the hidden fears that keep them stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns. Read more
The Art of Mirroring
Helping a Deaf Client Trust Her TruthLearning how not to save our clients, especially the ones we identify with the most. Read more
Helping Couples on the Brink
How Validating Ambivalence Can Foster HopeHow can we meet last-chance couples exactly where they are? Read more
"Why Won’t You Like Sports?"
The Father–Son Struggle with Gender ExpectationsAs young people move forward with new, more flexible frameworks for thinking about gender, it’s not always easy to bring parents along. Read more
Recognizing Medical Trauma
How Therapists Can InterveneDespite its pervasiveness, medical trauma often goes unrecognized. Read more
Suddenly Strangers
Iraq War Vets, PTSD, and the Challenge of RelationshipWith tens of thousands of Iraq War vets with PTSD returning home, therapists increasingly face the challenge of helping them with their troubled marriages. Read more
It's Still Unfair!
Struggling to Establish Equitable RelationshipsHealthy, equal relationships require compromise, negotiation, and generosity. But when couples don’t have models for mastering these skills, they often... Read more
Attachment Grief
Living with the Loss of a ChildFor 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
When Actions Speak Louder than Words
Creating Change Through Therapeutic RitualsWhen our attempts to use logic and reason fail, therapeutic rituals can help clients connect to inner resources for healing. Read more
“Be Yourself—But Don’t”
Mixed Messages from a Mother to Her Gay SonWhat happens when loving mothers of gay sons unknowingly send them mixed messages about being themselves? Read more
Fifty Years of Wisdom
Lessons from a Retired TherapistI practiced for almost 50 years, and just retired with a feeling of satisfaction. Here’s what I’ve learned in my journey to contentment. These are my tales... Read more
My Biggest Challenge as a Therapist
The Hardest Things About PracticeTherapy is hard work. But what are therapy’s biggest challenges, and how do therapists overcome them? Here, five therapists share the clinical challenge that... Read more
Bursting the Bubble of Individual Therapy
The Need to See Your Clients in a Relational ContextAs the years pass, is it possible that the more we work with long-term clients, the more we might overlook bigger issues that aren’t being addressed? Read more
“You Have Borderline Personality Disorder”
Sharing a Difficult Diagnosis with a ClientTherapists need to consider not only what diagnosis to give, but also the pain or hardship that can result from sharing it with a client. Read more
Doing Our Own Work Differently
An EMDR Portal to Our Clients’ HealingHow stepping outside our comfort zone when doing our own work can change therapy for our clients. Read more
"I'm Not That Guy"
Navigating the New Couples ConversationDiscovering how ghosts and global issues have permeated relationship bonds in new ways. Read more
Evoking the Inner Artist: May/June 2021
How to Replace Discomfort with CreativityVulnerability, doubt, fear, and uncertainty—feelings most people try to avoid—are essential to cultivating creativity. Read more
IFS and Chronic Pain
Listening to Inner Parts that Hold the HurtIf most chronic pain is maintained by complex mind–body interactions, how can therapists help treat it? Read more
Gender-Affirmative Therapy
Helping Transgender Clients Begin Their JourneyThe key elements of gender-affirmative therapy for clients who are medically or socially transitioning. Read more
A New Family Narrative
Transforming Intergenerational TraumaThe key to working with a family may be getting parents to see the intergenerational trauma underlying present-day issues. Read more
Last-Chance Therapy in a Tumultuous Time
Discovering Hope in Higher Values with CouplesWorking with couples on the brink of divorce during this pressure-cooker time requires us to help them “reach up” to their highest values. Read more
Helping Black Men Access Mental Health Care
The Free Therapy Movement Breaks New GroundThe movement to offer more free therapy and expand access to treatment gains momentum. Read more