Feeling Down? Have a Deep Conversation
According to a recent study, titled “Eavesdropping on Happiness,” increased well-being is associated with more “substantive” conversation. Authors found that happier individuals spend less time alone and engage in deeper conversations (vs. chit-chat) than less happy individuals. While the methodology of this study isn’t ironclad by any means, it does provide some evidence that superficial conversation […]
Parents? Who Needs ‘Em?
You can divorce an abusive spouse. You can call it quits if your lover mistreats you. But what can you do if the source of your misery is your own parent? This is a quote from a New York Times article on toxic parental relationships. In it the author talks about his own and other therapists’ […]
Couples Series #1: Debate Team – We’re Not in High School Anymore
This post marks the first in a short series on couples issues, inspired by Elizabeth Weil’s article in the NYT documenting her experience trying to improve her already good marriage. A quote to start: We enrolled in a 16-hour, two-Saturday course called “Mastering the Mysteries of Love.” The classes teach students how to have “skilled conversations” […]
To Boldly Go Where Many Have Gone Before…
I just read a great article in the NYT (thanks, Kyle) that’s finally gotten me motivated to talk about couples. The article is essentially a first-person account of the author’s attempts to improve her marriage through books, workshops, and therapy. As a therapist with a special interest in couples work, this piece immediately grabbed my attention. So […]
The Legality of Love
Short post today – just a brief comment and a link to an article on the U.S. constitution and same-sex marriage (thanks, Tyler). This article was great for me to read. While I know a bit about each of the topics separately, their intersection is more of a mystery. Check it out if you have a […]
Fire in the Belly
I’m borrowing today’s title from a book by Sam Keen, a former philosophy professor and contributing editor to Psychology Today. The full title is Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man. I was suggested this book by a co-worker at CU-Boulder (thanks, Matt) about six months ago as we were co-leading a men’s group together. Keen writes on several […]
