One of our favorite books for couples has been on the shelves of The Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara for almost twenty years and is still selling. Co-authored by Drs. Jordan and Margaret Paul, Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You? is now in its second edition and can […]
How to Solve Problems More Effectively
If you are given the job of manager in most businesses, you will usually be given some form of training in good leadership and appropriate management skills such as decision-making and problem-solving. Isn’t it a bit crazy that we provide little to no training to parents about how to manage the complicated and often overwhelming job of […]
Accepting our Differences
The world is made more interesting and more beautiful because of our diversity and complexity. Unfortunately, this same diversity can also bring pain and estrangement. Families of the future need to know how to embrace and accept the special gifts and challenges that each individual member contributes to the whole. One of the subjects, besides […]
Improving the Dance of Intimate Connection
One of our favorite self-help books for clients, especially women, who need to focus on creating more healthy boundaries is The Dance of Intimacy by Harriet Lerner, published in 1990 but still relevant today. Written by a family therapist and staff psychologist from the Menninger Clinic, the book highlights the importance of women defining themselves […]
Effective Discipline for Kids
One of most common reasons that parents request family therapy is when one or more of their kids are out of control. How’s Your Family Really Doing? describes how problems in a child can be related to many different factors but an obvious place to start is by asking yourself, if you are a parent, […]
Building Family Rituals
For more help with Key #4, Sharing Time Together… When you ask adults about positive experiences from their childhood, it is no surprise that many of their answers involve favorite family traditions. One of my fond memories growing up (which will surely date me) is Sunday night dinners, the only night we were allowed to […]
