When you enter into a committed, romantic relationship, the partnership is like a freshly sprouted plant. Some relationships are fruit trees, some are flower bushes, some are vegetables, but they all have something in common – roots.

In 2001, I was a doctoral student working with clients both at the university campus clinic and in a small private practice in a nearby community. The events of September, 2001 deeply shaped the experiences I had with clients during my early years as a therapist.

After interviewing and counseling with hundreds of clients and their families over the last 15 years, one of the most common questions that I have received concerns confusion about the difference between sadness and depression.

Inside Out isn't specifically about divorce, but instead about 11-year-old Riley’s feelings around relocating from Minnesota to California. I have no doubt, though, that as my child clients who are experiencing parental divorce watch this movie, they will first and foremost see themselves in the character of Riley in the context of their parents’ divorces.

My son, Thomas, came home a few weeks ago telling us about the new word he learned at school- metacognition. After getting over the shock of the fact that my 3rd grader was taught a vocabulary word that I didn’t know before graduate school, I was so excited!

Several news stories recently (eg, Stanford conviction and Baylor University controversies around sexual assault by athletes) have led many to be talking about the role parents play in shaping our sons’ characters and choices, especially regarding sexual consent.

Your marriage CAN survive an affair. No, it is not easy- quite the contrary. Yes, it will take time, maybe a long time. In this blog series, I will discuss some of the most common issues I have witnessed for couples working through an affair in therapy.

Your marriage CAN survive an affair. No, it is not easy- quite the contrary. Yes, it will take time, maybe a long time. In this blog series, I will discuss some of the most common issues I have witnessed for couples working through an affair in therapy.

I find myself telling the couples that come into my office that assumptions erode ones reality. They slowly breakdown what was once a strong foundation until there is nothing left to hold up a relationship.

I’ve been a marriage and family therapist for over 15 years now, so I have lost count of the times couples’ first sessions of therapy started with a statement by one (or both) spouses that they were strongly considering ending the marriage.