First Person

Creative personal essays on life and family
Article September 1, 2023
Arnoldo Cantú

There’s a big, hairy problem shadowing our field: what, exactly, is a mental disorder? Is using diagnostic language helping or hurting our clients? The way... Read more

Article September 1, 2023

Just This, Nothing Next

Facing Old Age with Trepidation and Grace

Getting old is often a surprise, even when we’ve spent decades trying to get comfortable with the vicissitudes of aging. Read more

Article August 3, 2023

Awakening the Warrior

A Black Psychologist’s Battle with Racism
Broderick Adam Sawyer

"Like my father before me I’ll continue to wage war against racism, confident that awareness will hold my aim steady." Read more

Article July 1, 2023

The Tech-Free Vacation

A Family's Search for Lost Connection

Is there anything trickier for modern-day parents than separating a 13-year-old from an iPhone, even if it’s just for a few days? Read more

Article July 1, 2023

The Art of Dating Your Ex

A Therapist Finds Love Where She Least Expects It
Alissa Hirshfeld

What would you do differently if you could rekindle love with your ex? Read more

Article July 1, 2023

Coming Out As Plural

Setting the Record Straight on Dissociation

We all dissociate in some way to cope with the uncertainties of life, so why are people with dissociative identities often feared and misunderstood, even by... Read more

Article June 29, 2023

Therapist, Your Pain Matters Too

Battling Burnout with Boundaries

When mental health professionals compare their problems to that of their clients, they risk falling into the trappings of comparative suffering and missing the... Read more

Article April 28, 2023

Hunting for Harry

Can a Lost Marriage Be Retrieved?
Campbell Gregson

When losing your spouse in a bookstore helps you find perspective. Read more

Article April 28, 2023

Dating Again in Your 70s

A Couples Therapist Joins Match.com

Even when you've spent your entire career teaching people how to have relationships, finding love is still a risky, humbling, and unpredictable... Read more

Article March 1, 2023

Drowning in Debris

A Daughter Faces Her Mother’s Hoarding
Deborah Derrickson Kossmann

When a hoarding mother won’t face her illness, what choice does a daughter have? Read more

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