Couples

Is the sex addiction model doing more harm than good? What's the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity? And what are the most common... Read more

Satisfying our needs is a gift our partners give us. Being responsible calls for a willingness to ask clearly and vulnerably for what we want, and to tolerate... Read more

As therapists, our job is to do our best for our clients. But even our best efforts can’t always ensure that therapy will help, or even that we don’t do... Read more

A bold new TV series captures the raw reality of couples therapy—for both clients and therapists. Read more

Being a good traffic cop can mean the difference between success or failure as a couples therapist.* Commentary by Peter Fraenkel Read more

Stephen Porges, originator of the Polyvagal Theory, transformed the way we understand the underlying mechanisms of traumatic response and how safety, caring... Read more

If a loving couple shares a relationship history with no major deal-breaker issues, is “uncoupling” the best path? Read more

Our relational lives are undergoing a radical shift, says couples therapist Esther Perel, bestselling author of The State of Affairs and Mating in Captivity... Read more

Many traditional approaches to couples therapy are built on the assumption that if you help a couple clear up the emotional issues in their relationship, sex... Read more

This article first appeared in the May/June 1989 issue. Back in the 1950s, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Hollywood’s perfect young couple, shocked... Read more

Editor’s Note: This blog is excerpted from a piece that originally appeared in our September/October 1994 issue, Parents Under Siege. Do you think its... Read more

In order to understand the particularity of almost any couple's personal experience, we need to adjust our lens to include not only their private domestic... Read more

Successfully combining families as part of remarriage is always challenging. But it's especially hard when older re-couplers have adult children, who may or... Read more

The conflict between an older, more traditional view of masculinity and a newer, more progressive one is the underlying issue in many marriages today. Helping... Read more

A shared sense of humor can help couples make heavy issues feel lighter. But what happens when there’s no one there to get the joke? Read more

"Okay, I'm gay, I'm married, I have three kids, and I'm not getting divorced." One therapist's approach with mixed orientation marriage. Read more

Diedre was widowed about three years ago, but was excited to tell her therapist about a man she's started dating. She's very happy. As her therapist heard... Read more

“Jeremy, we’ve never talked about it, but I cover my head for many reasons,” I told him. “One of them is to keep the energy contained—the heat... Read more

Sue Johnson makes an impassioned case for the deeply healing power of intimate connection. Read more

Sex therapist Suzanne Iasenza talks about a three-part process that helps couples free themselves from the rigid narratives about sex that keep them from... Read more

Even though partners may forgive each other after a heated argument, the hurtful words that were hurled can be haunting nonetheless. Read more

Susan Johnson explains how attachment science can help couples discover a pathway to optimal lovemaking. Read more

To love another, it's important to get a sense of how you see, hear, and feel, so you can recognize your subjective picture or story of your partner and... Read more

Mark and his wife, Nicole, have been in couples therapy for almost six months. But Mark recently requested an individual session, where he revealed he recently... Read more

Sex and relationship therapist Stephen Snyder talks with Psychotherapy Networker's Lauren Dockett about three simple things to do when you find yourself... Read more

It's not always easy to get men to talk about intimacy and sex. But according to renowned sex therapist and author Esther Perel, there's a way to weave... Read more

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

The #MeToo movement has returned the field to many of the issues feminists raised decades ago. This time, however, there’s a new focus on avoiding... Read more

Giving up being right doesn’t mean you give up your convictions. It means honoring a multiplicity of viewpoints. Rumi says, “Somewhere beyond right and... Read more

Couples therapist Esther Perel has been recognized as one of the world’s most original and insightful thinkers about couples, sexuality, and the peculiar... Read more