A great many people go to great lengths to avoid the reality of evil. This is especially true when it comes to evil deeds committed by people, rather than governments or corporate entities. In my experience, there are two exceptions to this tendency. One is for African Americans, who cannot avoid the evil reality of […]
To be sure, psychotherapy is a relationship. Personal and relational growth and healing takes place within the context of a relationship. Apps for anxiety, PTSD and other emotional struggles can be quite helpful. But they rarely take the place of a relationship, nor does research indicate that they have the same efficacy. It is relationships, […]
I think we’ve established that the culture affects our relationships and our families. But does it also find its way into our bedrooms? You betcha! Just recently I was talking with a delightful young couple. Their relationship is committed, and their communication and conflict resolution skills are excellent. They are both pleased and satisfied with […]
Being lonely is about not having people around us, about not having people in our orbit with whom we are close enough to just be ourselves. We feel lonely when we don’t have enough people we can trust, trust with our deepest selves, trust to lend a hand if we need it. Loneliness is feeling […]
Recently I was stuck in traffic and noticed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. It read “God Bless Our Troops. Especially the Snipers”. The first part – God Bless Our Troops – okay I get that. Of course we all uphold the courage and sacrifice of the brave men and women […]
With some regularity while out and about, I’ll encounter a child being verbally abused. A parent or caretaker may be aggressive, demeaning, or threatening to the child. The child’s pain is palpable, as he tries to compact himself into an even smaller package. Lest we ever forget, in these moments a parent’s absolute power over […]
Insurrection. Isn’t that what is supposed to happen in countries whose names we can’t pronounce? Or countries we look down upon? That was before. Before January 6th, when there was insurrection in the United States. In the capitol city, Washington DC. In the temple of our democracy, the US Congress. On the other hand, isn’t […]
I was sitting with the African American Mom of a preschooler and we were chatting about kid things. Her family had recently moved and her four year-old son had just begun attending a new preschool. I am White. She was saying that the curriculum and routine were quite similar at both schools, something that had […]
Around the corner from me a few boys have a garage band. It seems to consist of a couple of electric guitars and a drummer. They’re loud, enthusiastic, and practice in all weathers. And they sound good, really good. Garage bands are supposedly a throwback to the early years of rock music, when they were […]
Most psychotherapy in the U.S. is done by LCSWs (Licensed Clinical Social Workers) and Clinical Psychologists. Training is similar, although LCSWs learn more about the person in the context of family & society and community resources; and psychologists learn how to administer psychological tests. I refer to both disciplines equally, depending on clinical skill and […]