Relationships

The Sacred Work of Heartbreak

Relinquishing the God-like Fantasy of Love

In a society where most people spend more time on dating apps than in places of worship, the pursuit of a romantic partner has become a holy quest. Read more

Facing Post-Separation Abuse

Sometimes the Breakup Isn't the End

Post-separation abuse can easily masquerade as a simple "bad breakup." Read more

The Video Game Therapist

A Creative Approach to the Male Friendship Crisis

Making friends isn’t easy. But amid unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and trauma, and in the middle of what the Department of Health and Human... Read more

The Esther Perel Phenomenon

Did Mental Health Become Entertainment?

Therapy is having a moment right now, with clinicians filling our social media feeds, bestseller lists, and concert halls. How did we get here? And where are... Read more

Esther Perel on Working with Sexuality to Transform Relationships

And Busting Myths about Today’s Relationships

Observe relationship expert Esther Perel in action as she helps couples navigate infidelity, incompatibility, and the impacts of childhood trauma. Read more

The Surrogacy Partnership

Navigating a Complicated, Intimate Arrangement

Building a trusting relationship with a surrogate requires a wide array of interpersonal and self-regulation skills— and can be the ultimate exercise in... Read more

Boys Holding Hands

How Are We Policing the Beauty of Male Intimacy?

In "Close," director Lukas Dhont illustrates what can happen when society squashes the beautiful, empathic relationships that come naturally to boys. Read more

“She Looks Just Like You”

What Are We Not Seeing with Donor-Assisted IVF?

Understanding the impact of “resemblance talk” and the challenge of “parental claiming” can help the parents of donor-conceived children feel... Read more

Taking Sides in Couples Therapy

The Importance of Ditching Neutrality

When one partner is clearly in the wrong, being an impartial couples therapist can do more harm than good. Read more

The Myth of Low Sexual Desire

Updating Our Ideas about Erotic Well-Being

Great sex over the long term is not about how much you want sex; it’s about how much you like the sex you’re having. Read more

A Monogamish Love Triangle

The Painful Geometry of an Open Relationship

A botched foray into polyamory leaves a woman feeling more singularly herself. Read more

Celebrating Sue Johnson

A Tribute to a Leading Force in the Field

Psychotherapy Networker honors the memory of Sue Johnson, EFT and EFIT pioneer, with highlights from her trailblazing career. Read more

How to Know It's Narcissistic Abuse

Signs to Watch for in Therapy

Watch this clip of Dr. Ramani explaining the signs of narcissistic abuse in a relationship and what it looks like in your therapy office. Read more

Watch this clip of Dr. Ramani explaining how to help your clients who are survivors of narcissistic and build trust. Read more

What is Betrayal Blindness?

Dr. Ramani on Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse

Watch this clip of Dr. Ramani explaining what betrayal blindness looks like in relationships impacted by narcissistic abuse. Read more

Practice Tools: May/June 2024

The best from across the field of psychotherapy . . . on us!
Nancy Johnston

Download a worksheet from this month’s selection: Nancy Johnston's "The Clinician’s Codependency Treatment Workbook." Read more

Editor's Note: March/April 2024

The Loneliness Epidemic

This issue aims to explore what we can do about loneliness in our therapy offices—not just for kids and young adults, but for people at any stage of life Read more

Cultivating Relationships in Real Life

Seven Strategies for Guiding Lonely Young Adults

By asking the right questions in therapy, we can help make the road to adulthood less lonely for high school and college-age kids. Read more

Celebrating Black Sisterhood

The Power of Healing in Community

Forming strong connections with others is not only integral to our development as humans, it’s connected to our very survival. For Black women, this is... Read more

The Gottmans on How to Fight Right

Conflict is a Human Constant

From their new book, Fight Right, relationship experts John and Julie Gottman explain why some couples conflict will never go away. Read more

Rethinking Codependence

An Attachment-Based Framework for Caregivers

Does codependency pathologize our natural willingness to help those we love? Read more

Practice Tools: November/December 2023

The best from across the field of psychotherapy . . . on us!

This month’s selection is from Alexandra Solomon’s, Love Every Day: 365 Relationship Self-Awareness Practices to Help Your Relationship Heal, Grow and... Read more

An Emotionally Focused Path to Healing Trauma

Accessing the Resource of Relationships

Sue Johnson, developer of EFT, argues that because we’re socially bonded beings, trauma is always about relationships—and relationships are key to healing... Read more

The Art of Dating Your Ex

A Therapist Finds Love Where She Least Expects It
Alissa Hirshfeld

What would you do differently if you could rekindle love with your ex? 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

Were You Raised by a Four-Year-Old?

The Impact of Emotionally Immature Parents

Author Lindsay Gibson reveals how exploring our parents’ emotional lack of maturity can free us up to become more emotionally mature ourselves. Read more

Hunting for Harry

Can a Lost Marriage Be Retrieved?
Campbell Gregson

When losing your spouse in a bookstore helps you find perspective. Read more

Editor's Note

Rethinking relationships

My editorial Spidey-sense tells me there’s a good chance that some readers will raise an eyebrow—or maybe two—at this issue of the magazine Read more

When One Partner Is Kinky...

Cracking Open the Conversation

Having an erotic craving that seems shocking to a partner doesn’t have to be a death knell for a relationship. Read more

Rewriting Marriage Contracts

Fresh Options for Ambivalent Couples

The choice for ambivalent couples is no longer binary: separate or stay together. Instead, therapists can help them craft formal yet flexible agreements... Read more