Identity Issues

My husband was surprised the first time he got a Father’s Day card from our kids. Not having any kids of his own, his assumed role of step-father was one he was utterly unfamiliar with. ... Read More

When we describe the relationship between mother and infant, we understand that baby and mother are one. In that symbiotic relationship, there is merger. There are not two separate selves ... Read More

Each of us has our own unique identity made up of a combination of personality traits, personal and family history, and other attributes. But what happens inside when an identity is not ... Read More

I decided to dedicate myself to investigating and writing about the experience of body in transgender people. Though I am by no means an “expert” in working with this population, I ... Read More

Which of the following statements are true? People with high self-esteem: A. Are convinced they can never be wrong B. Don’t usually appreciate negative feedback C. Think whatever they ... Read More

One way to understand the healing journey is to think of growing from a place of victimization to survival, and ultimately, to thriving. While a person has had no choice about being victimized, ... Read More

When a baby is born the process of Separation/Individuation begins. First, baby and mother are one. Mother has the wish to love and protect her baby. She wants to keep her from physical ... Read More

“For years it lay in an iron box buried so deep inside me that I was never sure just what it was. I knew it carried slippery, combustible things more secret than sex and more dangerous ... Read More

Why do so many men sabotage relationships and careers? Current cultural stereotypes of men range from bumbling incompetence to aggressive, macho insensitivity. I’ve worked with men in ... Read More

It might seem absurd or counterintuitive to think of a two-person relationship as consisting of three parts. So why would someone suggest you consider it? As a couple’s specialist, I ... Read More

In my practice, people trace depression back to trauma most of the time. Emotional trauma is an overwhelming shock to a person’s equilibrium. Trauma might be linked to an emotional, physical, ... Read More

Most teenagers naturally reach a point where the bounds of sexuality are explored and roles and sexual identity are created. For LGBT teens this natural part of growing up can often be ... Read More