Relationships
Why Your Family’s ‘Normal’ Might Be Toxic
Why Your Family’s ‘Normal’ Might Be Toxic Last week, a mother sat in my office describing her household routine with an exhausted laugh. “Every dinner ends in someone crying—usually me,” she admitted. “But that’s just how families are, right? My parents yelled; I yell. It’s normal.” She paused, then added quietly, “So why does it […]
The Dinner Table Habit That Transformed Our Family
The Dinner Table Habit That Transformed Our Family There was a Tuesday evening—unremarkable in every way—when I found myself staring at four people silently shoveling pasta into their mouths while scrolling, texting, and zoning out. My husband was answering work emails between bites. My teenage daughter had her phone propped against the water pitcher, watching […]
The Invisible Load That’s Burning Out Modern Parents
The Invisible Load That’s Burning Out Modern Parents Last week, a mom in my office broke down crying—not because of anything dramatic, but because she’d forgotten to sign a field trip form. Again. “I remembered it,” she said through tears. “At 2 a.m. when I couldn’t sleep. Then at the grocery store. Then while I […]
The One Word That Changes Family Conflicts
The One Word That Changes Family Conflicts I watched a father and his 10-year-old daughter sit, arms crossed, staring in opposite directions. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The dad had just finished explaining (for the third time) why her screen time needed limits. She’d countered with why he “never listens” […]
Why Your Relationship Needs More ‘Fights’
Why Your Relationship Needs More ‘Fights’ (Yes, Really) A couple looking sheepish. “We never fight,” Sarah said, glancing at her husband Tom. “Everyone says that’s great, but… something feels off.” Tom nodded. “It’s like we’re roommates who really like each other. We’re polite. We coordinate schedules. But I can’t remember the last time we talked […]
What Your Family Photos Reveal About Your Dynamics
What Your Family Photos Reveal About Your Dynamics Last week, a mom in my practice pulled out her phone to show me a picture of her family at the beach. “We look so happy here,” she said, smiling. Then she paused. “But if you look closer… my husband and I are on opposite ends. The […]
The Weekend Tradition That Saved Our Sanity
The Weekend Tradition That Saved Our Sanity It was a Sunday evening, and I was staring at the wreckage of another chaotic weekend. The kitchen looked like a crime scene starring cereal boxes and juice spills. My kids had fought over screen time approximately seventeen times. My partner and I had barely exchanged more than […]
The Conflict Resolution Trick Therapists Swear By
The Conflict Resolution Trick Therapists Swear By A mom, tears streaming down her face, and said something I’ll never forget: “We had a screaming match about cheese. Actual cheese. My daughter wanted cheddar on her pasta, I said we only had parmesan, and thirty minutes later we were both crying and I was questioning every […]
What Your Phone is Doing to Your Marriage
What Your Phone is Doing to Your Marriage A couple describing what they called “the slow fade.” They weren’t fighting. Nobody had an affair. They still split chores fairly and tag-teamed bedtime like pros. But somewhere between the group texts, work emails, and doomscrolling at 10 PM, they’d become roommates with a shared calendar. “We’re […]
What Your Fights About Money Are Really About
What Your Fights About Money Are Really About Last week, a couple sat in my office, arms crossed, not making eye contact. She’d just discovered he’d bought a $400 set of golf clubs. He’d found out she’d been secretly paying off her sister’s credit card debt. “It’s not about the money!” they both insisted—while clearly […]