I’ve been reading a book by Glen O. Gabbard where he outlines some of the goals we work on in psychotherapy. Gabbard is a professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and a respected writer in the field of psychodynamic therapy. Below I elaborate on some of his outline in my own language.

During my training years, I worked in a number of community mental health settings and really appreciate the work of these organizations. Listed below are a few good places to know about, whether you’re a health professional or a client.

KQED’s Forum with Michael Krasny had a good program earlier this month on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The guests included Dr. Tracy Foose from Langley Porter Hospital at UCSF and the comedian Howie Mandel, who has written a memoir about his struggles with OCD.

My colleague, Isadora Alman, has a very good article in her online library called “Saying No Gracefully.” This seems like a good reminder for us all, especially around the holidays. You may recognize Isadora’s name from her “Ask Isadora” columns on sex and relationships.

Earlier this year I wrote an article for Bridge, a local journal for therapists and other health professionals, on helpful practices for couples to build and strengthen their relationship. The three practices I wrote about are mindfulness, cultivating wise mind, and sharing appreciations.

“There is not one kind of healthy self — there are many kinds.”
— Heinz Kohut

In the past couple of years, I’ve started teaching graduate students and providing informal consultation to MFT Interns. This work has inspired me to revisit some of the foundational literature in our field, including self psychology.

Two important Town Hall Meetings concerning CAMFT and marriage equality are happening on August 21st in Berkeley and on August 23rd in San Francisco. All therapists are invited. CAMFT, the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, in a recent discussion of marriage equality in its magazine, published non-scientific articles that perpetuated derogatory stereotypes of LGBTQQ people. These meetings will address their response to the membership and their stance on marriage equality as an ethical and professional issue.

The New York Times published an article today on the mysterious connection between our sense of self and our physical brain, referencing stories and research from traumatic brain injury cases. The sense of self is an area that psychotherapy has been investigating for some time, and it’s fascinating to see how brain science approaches this material.

Weddings can be playful, fun and meaningful — in addition to the all the requisite stress and planning. When I see couples for premarriage counseling, I always like to find out about their own unique “magic” — what makes their relationship special — and help couples incorporate this into the planning. Here are a few wedding videos that totally illustrate the playful concept.

Vicki Santillano, a writer at DivineCaroline, an online magazine for women, called to ask for my thoughts on a recent study about relationships and obesity. She was kind enough to include my comments in her article, “Do Women Gain More Weight in Relationships?”