The Field

Borrowed Tears

A Therapist Reclaims His Buried Past—and Upends His Practice

When a therapist finally confronts his tendency to dissociate, his work takes a life-changing turn. Read more

When Therapists Struggle with Suicidality

Releasing Ourselves from Stigma and Shame

Many therapists wrestle with the same problems we help our clients tame. But the myth that therapists are masters of their own mental health makes it... Read more

Many therapists fear coming out about their own mental health struggles, even in front of colleagues. The heartening news is that it’s beginning to change. Read more

Erv Polster on How Aging Changes Therapy

Learning to Embrace the Flow of Relationship
Erv Polster

PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORKER: You’re 95 now and have been retired from practice for 20 years, so you have an unusually broad perspective on how therapists... Read more

Aging Courageously

…And What Many People Who Struggle with Aging Have in Common

PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORKER: Do you think that your experience as a therapist has given you any special insight into the challenges of... Read more

Irvin Yalom on the Possibilities of Aging

The Rewards and Challenges of Being an Older Therapist

As each of us grows older, we can try to embrace the full possibilities of aging, even alongside its challenges. That’s a genuine gift for our clients as... Read more

Navigating the Rift

A Therapeutic Rupture and the Art of Repair

After being insulted by a difficult client, this therapist doesn't know how to proceed. Here, seven clinicians weigh in. Read more

Can We Go Back?

A Therapist Contemplates a Return to the Office

All of us, therapists and clients alike, have been forced to adapt to the reality of living in a pandemic. But as we catch our collective breath, we must... Read more

This week, the Networker's assistant editor, Chris Lyford, sat down for a live conversation and Q&A with hip hop artist and therapist, J.C. Hall. Read more

Wisdom, or Yesterday’s News?

The Older Therapist in the Younger Practice

An older therapist is beginning to feel insecure about their age and is considering whether to dive into new trainings or retire. Five clinicians offer advice. Read more

The Myth of Infallibility

A Therapist Comes to Terms with a Client’s Suicide

When it comes to coping with suicide deaths, we therapists need to let go of our superhero expectations. Read more

The Fox and the Hedgehog

Flexibility and Focus in the Therapy Room

As a therapist, is it better to adapt an eclectic approach or specialize in the one you believe in most? Perhaps the answer isn’t as simple as it seems. Read more

Editor's Note: July/August 2021

The Necessity of Illusions

What functions do illusions serve for our clients? Some may be harmful, but there might be occasions when the benefits of self-deception justify the costs. Read more

Casting a Wider Therapeutic Net

Dr. Joy on Therapy for Black Girls

The founder of a rapidly growing online community helps young Black women candidly discuss and destigmatize mental health issues. Read more

Access for All

Tackling Therapy’s Biggest Challenge

Denise is slumped in her chair, declaring that she’s not a believer in therapy. A middle-aged, Indigenous, transgender woman, she’s heard too many bullshit... Read more

Facing the Waves

Therapy in the Surf Circle

Learning to surf requires awareness, focus, and flexibility—perhaps the most essential qualities for navigating the complexities of life. For some young... Read more

Editor's Note - May/June 2021

Taking Therapy to New Places

What are therapists doing to expand access to those too often shut out of the mental health system? Read more

Covering Psychotherapy

The Evolution of a Life's Work

Every decade, on the anniversary of the Networker, Rich reflected on the trends and trajectories he’d witnessed in the field. This piece tells the story, in... Read more

The Great Appreciator

Just One of the Many Rich Simons

Sometimes the act of describing something vague or giving it a name dispels the vagueness and makes it come alive. “Naming something” was probably Rich’s... Read more

A Voyage Through Our Craft

Editor’s Notes and Symposium Intros from over the Years
Rich Simon (Adapted Writings) — Introduction by William Doherty

In his Editor’s Notes and Symposium speeches, Rich always told a story, one that drew from his own life while capturing a collective momentum in the field... Read more

Celebrating the Creative Journey

A Writer's Remembrance

Even for seasoned writers, being edited by Rich wasn't an easy process, but it led them to the murky, half-buried thing waiting below the surface—the thing... Read more

Soul Work

Recovering Our Voices

Almost 20 years ago, an editorial experience writing about a racial trauma at the hands of police resulted in a lasting friendship and an article that... Read more

A Legacy of Living with Courage

Discovering the Watchful Heart

The legacies of extraordinary people we’ve lost invite us to embrace the examples they’ve left behind. But how exactly do we do it? Read more

The Grief We Hold

Loving in the Midst of Loss

Our soul and our psyche know how to grieve. We don't need to learn it. It's not a technique. What we need to learn is not to avoid it. Read more

Reflections on Rich

Friends Celebrate His Life and Legacy

Sharing how Rich Simon impacted our lives—and the field as a whole. Read more

The Child Confidentiality Bind

How to Involve Families When Treating Teens
Laura Kastner

It’s a tall order to maintain a teen client’s privacy and build rapport with them when you’re including their parents in the mix. But having the right... Read more

Editor's Note: January/February 2021

Creating Lifelines for Today’s Kids

This issue explores how our current pandemic reality is affecting kids and their caregivers. Read more

Gender-Affirmative Therapy

Helping Transgender Clients Begin Their Journey

The key elements of gender-affirmative therapy for clients who are medically or socially transitioning. Read more

Psychologist Ali Mattu is on a mission to bring therapeutic principles to the mainstream. Read more

Beyond Normal

Our Evolving Attitudes Toward Mental Illness

A new book examines how different cultures view mental illness and the stigma that persists in America. Read more