First Person

There’s a big, hairy problem shadowing our field: what, exactly, is a mental disorder? Is using diagnostic language helping or hurting our clients? The way... Read more

Getting old is often a surprise, even when we’ve spent decades trying to get comfortable with the vicissitudes of aging. Read more

"Like my father before me I’ll continue to wage war against racism, confident that awareness will hold my aim steady." Read more

Is there anything trickier for modern-day parents than separating a 13-year-old from an iPhone, even if it’s just for a few days? Read more

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

We all dissociate in some way to cope with the uncertainties of life, so why are people with dissociative identities often feared and misunderstood, even by... Read more

When mental health professionals compare their problems to that of their clients, they risk falling into the trappings of comparative suffering and missing the... Read more

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

Even when you've spent your entire career teaching people how to have relationships, finding love is still a risky, humbling, and unpredictable... Read more

When a hoarding mother won’t face her illness, what choice does a daughter have? Read more

After this experience, I knew I needed to share what I’d learned with my clients, and soon afterward decided to get training to become a ketamine-assisted... Read more

"Gohyang" is a Korean word that means "hometown" but translates to so much more. Read more

Playing a traditional boardgame in a nontraditional romantic arrangement. Read more

The strongest couples are the ones who are open to help—the ones who can surround themselves with allies, inviting others into the trenches with them. Read more

Many spousal dementia caregivers struggle emotionally watching their life partners slowly decline. But I also knew that male caregivers, especially spouses... Read more

A tale about fatherhood and the pleasures of ice cream. Read more

A nightmare camping trip exposes the limits—and possibilities—of male bonding. Read more

A grandmother’s indelible spirit inspires a therapy practice. Read more

Getting old is hard. But sometimes, as the body becomes more vulnerable, the spirit becomes fiercer. Read more

At 92, a pugnacious client discovers that it’s never too late to change. Read more

A therapist specializing in trauma treatment in the wake of human-made and natural disasters shares what she's seeing in her work with survivors of the war in... Read more

According to psychoanalysis, we all carry an imago—an image of our parents inside of us. But what do you do when the negative, traumatic, or unconscious... Read more

The weight of whether to put a child in a group home. Read more

No one can prevent the horrors of cancer, but processing this particular experience of loss with a therapist who's been through it may stave off the trauma of... Read more

For someone who has survived the death of their child, describing grief as a journey perpetuates the myth that, eventually, there’s an end point. Read more

A daughter’s resentment gives way to a lesson in unconditional love. Read more

As time rushes forward, a diary promises the chance to slow things down. Read more

Four simple ingredients will become bread, whether you do everything right or not. The result may not be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. Read more

Children need an adult who provides safety, attunement, empathy, acceptance, and boundaries. Can a sibling be the next best thing? Read more

Sometimes the road to connection involves a painful separation. Read more