
In The Therapy Room
True tales and lessons from the therapist’s chairThe Mystery of Eroticism
Rethinking Conventional WisdomIt’s long been the conventional wisdom among couples therapists that if couples fix the emotional issues in their relationship, their sexual lives will... Read more
The Dance of Sex
The Way Back to EroticismIf you’re going to help a couple get closer and really learn to work harmoniously with one another, whether in bed or anywhere else, the key is helping... Read more
Breaking the Chain of Resentment
How to Help Clients Move Past Old WoundsHow do you strike a balance between validation and empowerment in helping those afflicted with chronic resentment? Read more
IFS for Self-Compassion
Some Forms of Self-Love Are Harder than OthersIFS founder Dick Schwartz believes a genuine state of self-compassion entails a journey into multiple parts of yourself that may include the good, the bad, the... Read more
Inside the Heart of Healing
When Moment-to-Moment Awareness Isn't EnoughAs the mindfulness movement sweeps through our field, many therapists are discovering that traditional contemplative practices grounded in detached... Read more
Don’t Hit Your Sister!
Understanding the Complexities of Moral DevelopmentHow to help the concerned parents of aggressive kids understand the complexities of moral development. Read more
It’s Not about the Diet
Building a healthy relationship with foodToo often both clinicians and clients fall into the trap of pursuing weight loss as a therapeutic goal. Read more
Rowing to Nowhere
When is Enough Enough?A therapist shares how to walk with a client couple through to their divorce and then let them go. Read more
When a Partner Has Alzheimer’s
Alternatives to Toughing it OutHelping the traditionalist generation care for their aging partners. Read more
The Challenge of Open Relationships
Can They Ever Work?While many therapists are skeptical of open relationships, some believe that, with the right couple, they can work. Read more
The Colors of Tomorrow
Highlights From Symposium 2015After a brutal winter that would’ve given Ernest Shackleton pause, more than 3,700 therapists welcomed the opportunity to escape cabin fever, get out of the... Read more
Rediscovering Happiness
The Use of Positive Childhood Triggers in PsychotherapyTo create deep change, we need to help people mine the sources of intense pleasure in their lives, wherever they may find them. Read more
To move forward, our profession needs a more consistent message about what we have to offer. Read more
Spitting in the Client's Soup
Don’t Overthink Your InterventionsIn our profession, it’s often more alluring to explore new gimmicks than to acknowledge that our success largely hinges on simple, commonsense factors. Read more
Narrowing the Gap
Striving for Honesty in the Therapy RoomIrv Yalom explores what it means to be honest with a client in session, even when that means processing your clients' fears of your death. Read more
Knowing When to Push
Balancing Safety and ChallengeWhen a client has been sexually abused, it can be difficult to find the balance between creating safety and challenging old patterns. Read more
VIDEO: How to Help Clients Cope With Overwhelming Emotion
Joan Klagsbrun on Three Focusing Techniques That WorkIntense emotion in the consulting room can leave some clients overwhelmed; others shut down. Either response can derail your session. Now here’s some help... Read more
The Anatomy of Procrastination
Helping the ADHD Client Make Changes StickClients with ADHD often know the coping skills that can improve their lives—the problem is applying them in daily life. Read more
Voices of Reason
Empowering clients to alter their internal experiencesThe case of a young man hearing voices shows how even problems that first appear to be extreme can be resolved by empowering clients to alter subtle aspects of... Read more
VIDEO: After Infidelity: Focus on the Feelings, Not the Facts
How Understanding the Desires HelpsWhat’s the true nature of your feelings for your lover? An honest answer to that question is what a therapist needs in order to help a couple decide how to... Read more
Cure or Control?
Depression as a Chronic ConditionEvidence continues to accumulate that many people with depression suffer bouts of it all their lives, even after a good response to therapy. So what if we give... Read more
The Power of Small Changes
A Step-by-Step Approach to Treating Depression: An Interview with Judith BeckRelapse prevention begins in the first session, when we tell clients that we want to help them become their own therapists. Read more
The Power of How
Helping Depressed Clients Make Better Choices: An Interview with Michael YapkoOne of the most useful ways of understanding depression is the stress generation model, based on the idea that depressed people need better skills and... Read more
Enduring recovery from obsessive compulsive disorder means riding out the demands of an inner bully. Read more
Get Out of My Life!
Working with Cut-off Family Members in the Consulting RoomHelping families heal cutoffs is painstakingly delicate work, with a high risk for stumbling over buried land mines. Read more
Getting Unhooked
Connecting with Traumatized Kids Who Push Your ButtonsMost parents “loan” children their adult regulatory system beginning at birth. But developmentally traumatized teens have missed out on this opportunity... Read more
VIDEO: Somatic Tools for Self-Soothing
Peter Levine Describes How Somatic Experiencing Helps Clients Self-RegulateIn this brief video clip, Peter demonstrates a body awareness technique that includes loud, vibrating deep breaths to help clients minimize anxiety and... Read more
Beyond Chemistry
Exploring Our Relationship with Our MedsThe chemical effect of psychoactive meds is only part of their impact. In fact, people often develop complex relationships with the pills they take. Read more
The Meds of the Future
Waiting for the Next Magic PillDoes our growing understanding of the brain and the prospect of further scientific discoveries mean there’s a new generation of magical pills on the horizon? Read more
Letting Go of Hate
How to help clients change unconscious responsesMany well-intentioned therapists have suggested that their clients just “let go” of hate, as if it were a heavy load that they could simply drop to the... Read more