UPDATE 5/21 & 8/21/21 and 11/23 AT BOTTOM Many therapists are questioning the merits of paying office rent while currently working from home due to the pandemic. This post's objective is not to dismiss the many valid reasons some therapists may choose to end their lease. It's to provide an alternative perspective, I've not [...]
How Change in Therapy can be Sticky (or not) Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about stories and storytelling. As a therapist I’m often amazed at how the same story can be a story of resilience for some and a story of defeat for others. I’ve noticed how many times a story from childhood or [...]
A Marriage Therapist’s Fire Place When conducting marriage therapy I hear a lot of hopelessness. Couples hitting tough patches in their relationship. Wondering if it's too late. Questioning if it can get better with marriage counseling. Sometimes, there’s an expectation that they cannot turn things around. They've been pulled into a vortex of negativity. FLIGHT [...]
Was it a decade ago when I first noticed someone talking on a cell while in the chair lift line at a ski resort? It was new then. A surprise. People noticed. There was even a little head shaking. A couple of years went by and phones were everywhere. Still, there were a few preserves, [...]
Something has changed. Perhaps men are more willing to ask for coaching, counseling, or a consultation or women are more independent or just plain “fed up”. When I started doing Relationship Coaching and Marriage Counseling in Chestnut Hill, PA, the norm was that wives dragged their husbands to couples therapy or marriage counseling. Over the [...]
Yes, I said it. I have a top 9 for Adult Children of Alcoholics or ACOAs. We’ve all seen some variation of characteristics that are correlated with growing up in a household affected, directly or indirectly, by a parent’s use of alcohol or drugs. Common ACOA traits include: Adult children of alcoholics judge themselves fiercely [...]
The Counseling Process Everyone experiences challenges in life. You are not crazy to seek out counseling or personal coaching. The opposite is true. Successful human beings recognize when it’s time to take advantage of quality therapy resources to get their life or relationship back on track. As a Chestnut Hill, PA Counselor, many [...]
5 Years of Working Around Holidays in Private Practice in 1 min. Year 1: If anyone wants to come in that Friday, of course I’ll be there. Year 2: Gee last year most people cancelled, still better to be there than lose income. Year 3: Hmm maybe I should ask clients if they really think [...]
Therapy Knots People who call me for counseling often feel hopeless. They report “trying” lots of things to change their mood, drinking patterns, communication, or relationship issues. Sometimes the things they’ve tried make perfect sense. They should work. Yet, they may not. It’s like rowing a boat as hard as you can. You feel frustrated. [...]
Substance Use Disorders & Parents: Paths to Change "It’s a hero’s journey when your life and relationships are impacted by a child’s substance use disorder. And impacted they are. In ways that are unimaginable. A roller coaster of emotions." Deb Owens Parents long for a healthy loving relationship with their child. It’s so hard to [...]