Articles

When I think about psychotherapy’s role in Black maternal health, one woman in particular comes to mind. She was a new mom and came into the therapy room, seeking help for severe postpartum anxiety. She hadn’t been sleeping and was hyper-vigilant to her baby, reactive to any signs that the baby was not okay. I wondered about her family history. What generational history was this new mom carrying with her into her experience of taking care of her infant?

Depression rates have tripled during the pandemic, and depression afflicts both individual and couple health. In the timely discussion below, Lisa Gordon, Ph.D. explores how depression intrudes into a relationship and how a couple can confront depression as a team. Whether you have identified clinical or low-grade depression in yourself or your partner, know that you are not alone.

The Family Institute at Northwestern University sends its support to all who are experiencing pain and suffering because of the war in Ukraine. We know that within the Ukrainian diaspora, many are agonizing over the fate of their friends, family, and their sovereign country. There is no overstating the impact.  To too many families around the world, this is a familiar feeling. Armed conflict is occurring in many parts of the world, including Libya, Mexico, Somalia, Syria,…

Self-harm can be so distressing both for the individual engaging in the behavior and for loved ones hearing, seeing, or learning about it happening.  First, acknowledge how painful self-harm must be for the both of you. What is self-harm? Simply put, this is when an instrument (i.e., razors, lighters) is intentionally used to inflict pain and harm to a part of the body, such as arms, legs, and stomach.   Why does someone self-harm?

People often label Black women first and primarily as “strong.” While they may use the term with good intentions, it actually perpetuates racial discrimination. And Black women’s relationship with the term is also complex. Many report wearing the term as a form of armor, used to protect them from the stresses of daily racial discrimination.

My daughter introduced me to early-2000s television show One Tree Hill. In one episode, the character Deb tries to convince her husband to attend therapy by offering him a choice between therapy and divorce. Spoiler alert: the couple begins divorce proceedings. As a therapist, I know better ways exist to convince your partner to see a therapist.

We all know how to spot the couple in the throes of early-relationship dopamine bliss. They physically space themselves close together and very likely touch. They focus on each other, oblivious to external distractions. Unless being used to take selfies, their phones are tucked away in their carefully chosen garments and accessories. Certainly feelings of love, interest, and passion fuel these attunement behaviors.

After more than a year of pandemic stress; social isolation; and overlapping demands of work, home and school, many of us have been eagerly awaiting a return to normal. As the pace of vaccinations picked up in the early half of 2021 and states and municipalities relaxed restrictions, that return to a semblance of normality is upon us.