I’ve been learning how to navigate with topographic map and compass. Despite trekking over what must have been several thousand miles in the Himalayas (not to mention the Western US), my knowledge of maps has been sketchy; of compasses, nil. So it adds a new dimension to an old passion. And it’s fascinating to watch … Read moreCompass vs. Map
How does therapy work? Putting aside all notions of theory, skill, and personality,one aspect is simply the biological magic activated by the face-to-face presence of two humans paying attention to one another. I have long marveled at how much more powerful it is to recount a dream or work with an image in the presence … Read moreNo Such Thing as a Baby
A few popular myths I’ve encountered over the years that seem to inform the general perception of therapy: Pushing through things is the way to go: “If I can just talk about my problems enough, think about them enough, figure them out with my head, they’ll eventually be solved.” Endurance is the main virtue espoused by … Read moreSome Therapeutic Myths
A client sits down across from me. “How are you?” I ask — not the social “How ya doin’?” of casual interactions, but the “How are you, really?” of therapeutic inquiry. “I’m feeling stressed.” My internal radar flickers with interest. “Stressed” is a term that obscures far more than it reveals. Endocrinologist Hans Selye chose … Read moreUnpacking Stress
It hits every one of us at some point in our lives. Loss, be it sudden or slow. Loss of job, partner, child, health, home, success, financial security. Sometimes all of these at once. And that external loss precipitates the loss of everything we navigated by, everything that gave our lives meaning. Pluto pulls Persephone … Read moreDark Night of the Soul