
In The Therapy Room
True tales and lessons from the therapist’s chairStorm Damage
Angry Words Can Sink a RelationshipEven though partners may forgive each other after a heated argument, the hurtful words that were hurled can be haunting nonetheless. Read more
The Accidental Sex Therapist
Helping Clients Get “Dumb and Happy”You may not be a certified sex therapist, but that doesn’t mean you have to shy away from helping clients with their sexual issues. Read more
Weiwei and the Spider
Translating Problems into Skills to LearnAn approach that emphasizes acquiring skills rather than focusing on problems helps a young boy in China tackle his problems at school. Read more
Listening to the Next Generation
Are We Hearing What They Have to Say?Admitting her bafflement with some of her millennial clients, a veteran therapist accepts her ignorance and gets advice from some of the young people in her... Read more
“Nobody Knows!”
Helping Introverts Appreciate Their StrengthsA young introvert in college learns to embrace her temperament as a gift, rather than a problem. Read more
Remembering Catherine
Coming to Terms with a Client’s MurderOver the course of my career, numerous world events have entered my office. But none of them prepared me for grieving the murder of Catherine, my client of 15... Read more
A Playful Path to Attachment
A Mother and Adopted Daughter Learn to BondThrough games that encourage small moments of laughter, a struggling mother and her adopted daughter learn a different way to bond. Read more
VIDEO: How Symptoms Reveal the Path to Growth
IFS Developer Richard Schwartz on Befriending the Inner "Protector"Often, our attitudes toward anxiety symptoms are misguided, says Richard Schwartz, the originator of Internal Family Systems. By understanding responses... Read more
In the Shadow of Depression
How Can We Manage to Stay Well?Most clinicians know that if a person has suffered one bout of serious depression, he or she is much more vulnerable to another one. But most therapists still... Read more
Becoming a Therapist for Each Other
How to Deepen Couples TherapyHow to address one partner’s long-term issues in couples therapy without derailing work on the current relationship. Read more
The Challenge of Helping the People Pleaser
Setting Boundaries Can Be RiskyHelping clients set boundaries can be a risky business, especially when people pleasing has been a lifelong strategy. * Commentary by Courtney Armstrong Read more
Is Porn Incompatible with a Loving Relationship?
Talking Frankly About Secrecy, Shame, and New Levels of IntimacyDespite the undeniable harm that porn can do, we therapists need to bear in mind a fundamental fact: the overwhelming majority of people exposed to it don't... Read more
The New Science of Couples Therapy
Highlights from Symposium 2018In their featured address, the Gottmans explored what research has revealed about the crucial role the brain’s seven different command systems can play in... Read more
Taken Over
Breaking the Spell of ObsessionA therapist struggles to help an obsessive client with whom she develops an unusual preoccupation. Read more
Jump-Starting Conversation in Family Therapy
The Difference Between Guiding and InterveningHow do you get family members to talk together productively? Enactments can be among the most valuable tools for getting a family's communication going. But... Read more
Priming Clients for Taking New Practices Home
Four Keys to Enhancing EngagementFour steps to help clients take new practices learned in the consulting room back into their everyday lives. Read more
Second Adolescence
An Alternative to the Midlife CrisisInstead of viewing midlife as a time of emotional unraveling, therapists can see it as an opportunity to help clients gain a fuller sense of purpose in... Read more
Art and Trauma
Accessing Creative Paths to HealingA leader in expressive arts therapy explains why it’s increasingly being used to help combat vets find relief from trauma. Read more
Tuning into Attunement
How to Harness Your Social Engagement SystemWe all know people who have the magic touch when it comes to relating to others. They can instantly connect with strangers and put people at ease without even... Read more
Consensual Nonmonogamy
When Is It Right for Your Clients?In past decades, the only alternatives to involuntary celibacy in a relationship were affairs or divorce. But more and more therapists are recognizing... Read more
From Weight to Well-Being
The Challenges of Treating Binge Eating DisorderAlthough binge eating disorder is more prevalent than anorexia and bulimia, many people still don’t get the help they need for it. Read more
Taking Therapy Home
Motivating Couples to Do Their HomeworkMotivating couples to do their therapy homework may be the key to successful outcomes. Read more
Daring to Play
The Challenge of Embracing Our Youngest ClientsAlthough they make up nearly a quarter of the population, children are rarely a central part of therapists’ practices. Why? The most effective interventions... Read more
From Tough Love to Empathic Love
Teaching Parents to Earn Their Children’s RespectHelping families move past stalemates often means teaching parents to earn their children’s respect. Read more
Being There
Inhabiting the Moment with Traumatized TeensWith traumatized adolescent clients, it’s emotion that gradually changes emotion—not rational explanation or interpretation, not snazzy techniques or... Read more
The Courage to Connect
Highlights from the 2017 SymposiumYear after year, therapists have come to the Networker Symposium expecting to escape the turbulence of everyday life and the real world. But this year... Read more
When Helping Doesn't Help
Why Some Clients May Not Want to ChangeRather than just commiserating with clients’ misery, most therapists want to engage in more active forms of helping. So we try to persuade clients... Read more
Affair Repair
Lessons on Changing DirectionsCouples therapy can be difficult and dicey, especially when there’s an affair in the mix. To keep afloat in the emotional tumult, most therapists cling to... Read more
Speak Easy
Keeping It Real with Your Teen ClientsHow to keep it real with teenage clients. Read more
Navigating the Bipolar Spectrum
Diagnosing Mood Disorders Requires Great CareDiagnosing and treating mood disorders can be tricky, especially when it comes to an often overlooked, subtle form of bipolar II. Read more