Recently I had a session with a young man who complained of angry outbursts. He wanted them to stop. When I questioned him further, he explained his very difficult and uncomfortable situation. He had relocated to a new country three years ago as a young adult, following his parents, who had wanted the move. He didn’t speak the language, nor did his family. His current girlfriend, a native of the new country, was unsure about how much she wanted to commit to him and didn’t see herself leaving...

Or how psychoanalytically trained therapists listen… A friend of mine used to tell me how useless therapy was for him, because “all I would do was vent.” He would complain mostly about his spouse, his children, and the unfairness of everything. Perceived snubs, office drama, boring weekends – all of it- would be spooled out in fifty-minute diatribes that he hoped would alleviate… something, somehow. The therapists would offer unworkable solutions… (“let’s bring your wife in and tell her how...

Why your therapist should not (only) be a screen...