I wonder, are there any family and marriage counseling therapists in societies which have arranged marriages, i.e., where people marry and they WORK IT OUT.. come hell and high water and all the grief and pain in living with another person? Do they have any lawyers who mediate divorce? Is it too easy to bail out, to take off, instead of sitting down and working it out, in our throw away society? I realize this is somewhat of a rhetorical... Read more

Love withers under constraint; its very essence is liberty. It is compatibleneither with obedience, jealousy nor fear. It is there most pure, perfect,and unlimited when its votaries live in confidence, equality and unreserve. Percy Bysshe Shelley Read more

“But otherwise, email (as snail mail) shouldn’t hold any huge secrets”. I am not looking to challenge this statement but, I am shocked by this and would like some clarification. I can see in an ideal marriage this to certainly be the case, but my marriage is far from ideal (as most are). I love my husband and we are working on being one, we have been through a lot…his stuff…..my stuff a lot of stuff. At one point in... Read more

Check out my latest interview on Mormon Stories. Read more

Some great information for those of us who struggle with any level of insomnia:Sleep Hygiene: The Healthy Habits of Good Sleep The only part I push back on slightly, is that for some sleep aids are an important part of finding a solution and should not be completely discounted.  This is something that should be discussed with your doctor.  Read more

Check out Emily Pearson’s post on her blog:Dancing With Crazy: Three Little Words Things to think about:How vulnerable are we able to be within our most meaningful relationships?Are we score keepers?If so, where does that come from – a place of insecurity, of fear, of hurt?I think this is a good date night discussion for those looking for something a little deeper to talk about. Read more

Heart & LibidoExplorations in Intimacy for Couples Sunday, February 6 – Friday February 11 At Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California26 CE credits (AASECT, APA, MCEP, MFT) Presenters: Stella Resnick & Alan Kishbaugh The focus of this seminar is on the interaction between emotional attachment and the sex drive and the qualities of connection that can limit or enhance love and desire. Beginning with a review of the relevant attachment and sexological research, the seminar draws on present-centered processing, breath and... Read more

The following article is very comprehensive and does a good job of defining sexual abuse, how to identify a perpetrator, risks and symptoms.  I often find that adult clients of mine have a difficult time knowing whether or not what they experienced in their childhood/adolescence was abuse, whether or not they were somehow at fault, and whether or not the perpetrator was in fact a perpetrator.  Symptoms they experience are seen as personal weaknesses and shame/self-deprecation take hold in very... Read more

I heard about this on NPR: trackyourhappiness.org Research study being done that anyone can sign up for.  Kind of fun. Read more

This is an interesting article and should be taken into account when making decisions with your doctor as to psychotropic medications that you should or want to take.  However, I do not want this article to cause panic or stop people from seeking medical help they desperately need.  This is information that should be weighed carefully.  My experience, is that negative media attention on anything to do with psychiatric medication has the unfortunate effect of causing widespread myths and distrust... Read more