In The Therapy Room
True tales and lessons from the therapist’s chair
De-escalating Disputes
How Therapists Can Stop Runaway ConflictExploring “high conflict” with a bigger picture in mind. 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
Is There Meaning in Loss?
Helping Our Clients and Ourselves Navigate Grief WorkMany grief specialists talk about helping clients finding meaning after loss. But often, loss feels meaningless. One therapist working with grieving clients... Read more
When Adult Siblings Struggle
Three Steps Toward RepairThe session was supposed to be a consultation between two middle-aged sisters—my client, Annie, and her sister, Carol—about sharing their multigenerational... 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
The Perpetual Student
A Trauma Treatment JourneyA long-term client leads a therapist to discover that maybe the hard way is how we learn best. Read more
To Take Notes or Not to Take Notes?
When a Valuable Tool Becomes a DistractionWhen a therapist begins to sense that her in-session note taking may be distracting her clients and impeding their work together, she begins to wonder whether... Read more
Surrogate Partner Therapy
Crossing Lines or Expanding Boundaries?The debate around surrogate partner therapy. Read more
The Breaking Point
Supporting Fragile and Separating CouplesAs clinicians, we need to keep alert to the struggles couples have had during the pandemic and find ways to support those who couldn’t hold together. Read more
The Pager Incident
From Therapeutic Stagnation to GrowthA decades-long therapeutic relationship shares some of the same elements as a marriage of similar length: the commitment to stay, the ups and downs, the... Read more