Relationships
What Your Holiday Stress Says About Your Family
What Your Holiday Stress Says About Your Family (And Why That’s Actually Good News) Last December, a mom in my practice sat in the therapy chair and burst into tears. “I spent six hours making homemade gingerbread houses,” she said, “and my kids fought the entire time. My mother-in-law criticized the frosting. My husband hid […]
The Bedtime Conversation That Rekindled Our Intimacy
The Bedtime Conversation That Rekindled Our Intimacy It was 10:47 PM on a Tuesday — I know because I’d been staring at the clock, mentally calculating if I’d get six hours of sleep or just five and a half. My husband was already in bed, scrolling through his phone with that glazed look we’d both […]
The Argument Pattern That’s Slowly Breaking Your Marriage
The Argument Pattern That’s Slowly Breaking Your Marriage Last week, a couple sat across from me in my office, their body language telling the whole story before they said a word. Sarah was leaning forward, desperate to connect. Michael had his arms crossed, eyes fixed somewhere over my shoulder. When I asked what brought them […]
What Nobody Tells You About Love After Kids
The 3 A.M. Text I’ll Never Forget It came from Sarah, a mom I’d been working with for a few months. Just six words: “I miss who we used to be.” She wasn’t talking about her pre-baby body or her old career. She was talking about her marriage. About the inside jokes that used to […]
The Question That Reveals Your Relationship’s Hidden Stress
The Question That Reveals Your Relationship’s Hidden Stress Last week, a couple sat in my office, arms crossed, each staring at opposite walls. When I asked them to describe a typical evening at home, they both answered at the exact same time with completely different stories. He described peaceful coexistence. She described lonely silence. Neither […]
Why Date Nights Aren’t Fixing Your Connection
You Are Not Alone Last Tuesday, a couple sat in my office with all the markers of “doing it right.” They’d hired the babysitter, made a reservation at that new Italian place everyone’s been raving about, and even wore something other than sweatpants. Yet as they described their evening, the wife’s voice cracked: “We sat […]
What Your Partner’s Silence is Really Saying
What Your Partner’s Silence is Really Saying Last week, a couple sat in my office describing what they called “the invisible wall.” Sarah would ask her husband about his day, and he’d offer a one-word answer. She’d share a concern about their daughter’s school, and he’d nod without looking up from his phone. “It’s like […]
What Your Child’s Friendships Say About Their Heart
What Your Child’s Friendships Say About Their Heart Last week, a mom sat in my office fighting back tears. “My daughter had three kids over for her birthday,” she said. “Three. Meanwhile, my neighbor’s daughter had twenty-five.” She paused, looking almost embarrassed. “Does that mean something’s wrong with her? With us?” I leaned forward. “Tell […]
Why ‘Because I Said So’ is Backfiring
Why ‘Because I Said So’ Is Backfiring (And What Actually Works Instead) Last week, a dad in my practice — let’s call him Marcus — slumped into the chair across from me and said, “I don’t get it. My parents said ‘because I said so,’ and I listened. I say it to my son, and […]
What Your Child’s Drawings Reveal About Their Inner World
What Your Child’s Drawings Reveal About Their Inner World Last week, a mom came into my office clutching a crumpled piece of paper like it held state secrets. “Look at this,” she whispered, smoothing out her six-year-old’s drawing. It showed their family — but she and her husband were tiny stick figures in the corner […]