Dating vs. Hanging Out Yesterday, one of the counselors I have supervised asked the question “What is dating versus hanging out?” I am grateful for this supervisee/former graduate student of mine…he learns the art of therapy best by talking about life. He’d been observing people and reflecting on the challenges they face in their relationships. … Read more
When Should We Apologize? Don’t let the title mislead you…I know that apologies are vital to the fabric of civil and polite society. I whole hardheartedly agree that people should apologize when they are taking responsibility for themselves including: their actions; their words; their mistakes; their misguided hurtful behavior; or the actions of an organization … Read more
The Inner Self We all have an inner world…in that world there is a running dialogue…it tells us “behave this way not that way” and so on. Therapists are often seeking to engage with people on that level. We are trying to befriend that person…that part of another that is authentic…that part of self that … Read more
Familiarity Breeds Contempt Sometimes people and organizations may take you for granted. You’ve been giving and contributing and investing so long that you become a staple of the institution or a staple in a person’s life. In these instances proximity is a disincentive. The closer you are to the person or organization taking you for … Read more
