Getting a Strong Start with Reactive, Fighting Couples: Five Important Strategies

High-conflict, emotionally reactive couples are on the rise. In today’s charged world, many of us are seeing more couples who escalate quickly, struggle with emotional dysregulation, and arrive in therapy not to grow but to push for their partner’s change. These dynamics can easily pull clinicians off balance – especially early in treatment when patterns […]
5 Strategies for Treating Highly Volatile Couples

All couples engage in some conflict when they’re in therapy. But some can’t seem to manage themselves for even a few minutes without exploding into rage, resentment, blame – or dissolving in tears. Why Volatile Couples Present Unique Challenges in Therapy If you’re treating a volatile couple, their repetitive, heated responses to your questions lead […]
Betrayal Trauma and Infidelity: What Therapists Need to Know

When couples come in after an affair is revealed, the presenting issue is often labeled simply: infidelity. But what sits underneath that word is much more complex – and much more painful. It’s not just about sex. It’s not only about deception. It’s about a unilateral decision to blow up what was previously a mutual […]
Infidelity, Political Tension & Real Therapy Moments: Part 2 of Conference Highlights from the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium

Once again, I am on a plane with some time to write. I’m glad to complete part two of the Networker Conference highlights for you. I’ll start with the workshop I presented on Infidelity, then summarize a keynote panel on Therapy in a Polarized World, and also two clinical workshops demonstrating therapy unfold in real […]