Inspired by many great writers, I want to offer you a different kind of love story for Valentine’s Day 2022. Amanda Gorman – the youngest U.S. Poet Laureate who recited “The hill we climb” at Biden’s inauguration -- also wrote “Call us what we carry,” ending in these words: We are not me— We are we. Call us What we carry. I was meditating on this poem as I thought about how Valentine's Day is a celebration of love, and not just romantic love. I'm talking about the love that exists in all kinds of relationships, all of which needs to be celebrated and contemplated. Dr. Sue Johnson's keynote at the 2019 Psychotherapy Networker, titled … [Read more...]
Welcome to 2022 and to Martin Luther King Day weekend!
(This blog post ends with a UNCG sponsored public event in honor of Martin Luther King, so please read to the bottom!) My day began with my son, who lives with autism, reading me a quote from St. Francis of Assisi entitled “Stages”: Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and before you know it, you will be doing the impossible. What a good reminder this is as we face a new year with a world dominated by all the uncertainties of COVID, the growing efforts to build a better future in a world dominated by systemic racism and oppression, and a climate crisis! There are a few contexts for which I personally draw … [Read more...]
For October’s post: An Attachment Injury EFT “Nugget”
I love writing about EFT and AIRM, but for October I decided to make a video in lieu of a written blog post. In this 7-minute video, I'll be talking about working with a couple in distress after an attachment injury. Please enjoy and share! … [Read more...]
February is a time for both love and validating righteous anger: Thoughts on How Love Can Revolutionize Therapy and Our Racist Society
"What’s love got to do with it?" Is love just a second-hand emotion, as Tina Turner sings? “Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” Where is love in a society exploding with white privilege, horrific racial injustices, cultural inequities, and a pandemic disproportionately effecting people of color? Where does love fit into individual therapy with people whose distress is met with no loving relationships for comfort or support? How can love revolutionize our therapy and our racist society? Love, defined as safe and secure bonds, is the north star for therapists. “Love is not only an end for therapy; it is also the means by which … [Read more...]