Last month the San Francisco chapter of the California Association of Marriage of Family Therapists (SFCAMFT) approved a Statement on the Ethical Treatment of Sexual Orientation and Gender. The statement addresses when a therapist’s personal, cultural or religious beliefs conflict with evidence-based practice, particularly in regard to working with sexual minority clients and clients with non-conforming gender identifications.

I’ve written a lot about mindful awareness in relationships, and this practice can apply to many other areas of life, as well. Food and eating is one of them. I read a book by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch called Intuitive Eating, which I really liked, and wanted to share their 10 principles with you. Mindful awareness plays an important role.

Money is often one of the hardest subjects for couples to talk about. First, each of us has a unique history around money, beginning with our family of origin, and this can be hard to articulate. Second, money is such a multidimensional topic, connected to issues of independence, safety, freedom, work and pleasure. Couples can easily fall into misunderstandings.

Arthur Kleinman is a medical anthropologist, psychiatrist and former chair of the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Some time ago, I came across a series of questions that he suggests asking clients to better understand how they view their difficulties.

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.