Adoption Loss: When Grief is Suffocated When someone we love dies, grief can feel suffocating. The fact that we will never talk or touch the person we hold dear again is overwhelming. It is hard to assimilate the loss of a...
Adoptee Reunion: In Praise of Cousins I am on vacation. Why am I writing a blog on a much needed vacation? Because I just had a reminder about how pleasant it is to be reunited with cousins. The first person I...
Ambiguous Loss: Living with the Pain of Uncertainty Before I was a therapist, I had not heard the term ambiguous loss. I know now that I experienced it. Ambiguous means inexplicable. These ambiguous losses of mine were deeply felt for many...
New Year: Rest, Reflection, and Maybe Resolutions A new year and the end of the holiday intensity has arrived. For decades, I worked in retail so January holds a special place in my heart. Less crowds, no more holiday music, and...
Home for the Holidays: The conflict of expectations vs. reality Are you going or have you already been home for the holidays? Maybe the family is coming to you. Either way, holidays often elicit mixed feelings. A retired psychologist happen to sit...
Is there something that happened in your past that you cannot stop thinking about? An incident or relationship that continues to feel deeply sad, shameful, or distressing? The past shows up through rumination, nightmares, or flashbacks. The experience may be...
Pride in These Political Times Pride is a time of celebration. A time to recognize resilience and proudly be out in the world. In 2000, Bill Clinton designated June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Then in 2009, Barack Obama brought...
Uncovering Your History is Your Right In Georgia, SB64 is a bill that would allow adoptees over 18 years of age access to their original birth certificates. So far, the bill has passed unanimously through the Senate. Hopefully, by the time...
Burned out? Create change. I am a therapist because of burnout. In my early 40's, I quit my job. I left behind a career that I had cultivated for 20+ years. An intense workaholic who had feared being fired since I...
Saying "Sorry" Is a Brave Move: My wife picked me up from work the other day and had a song waiting to play for me. She said, "Listen to this, it could be a theme song for couple counseling." The song was...