After over 21 years of working with couples and families, I have found one common thread: we are highly attracted to our shadow.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ We unknowingly partner with people who embody the very strengths...

When we let ourselves FEEL, even the hard stuff, sometimes we wanna run from it. But in my 20 years of helping people heal and 43 years of musical self-medicating, myself, I can tell you, feeling is...

The T-Word: How NOT to be a typical man   You've heard it before. The sarcastic-toned critique from someone who is sick of your $#!+. After some discovery of your failings--the trash you didn't...

  Please pardon this extremely personal story that I need to share. One year ago tonight, I was at work. I was in the middle of a session and my ten-year-old kept calling my phone. It was...

out to surge into an area that will likely gain me some haters. Good. Bring it. I’m not talking about a new area of discussion just in this article; I’m talking about in my whole life. In my career....

Summer brings such mixed feelings for people, it seems.  Kids are loving life without the rigors of schoolwork and parents are often stressed about the demands brought on by their children...

I was recently inspired by a 70-year-old client who was dealing with boredom in retirement.  Someone suggested she use meditation and she tried it but found she was already to "internal."  She felt...

  Tonight I (re)learned a powerful truth. My wife's truck wouldn't start.  We've been fortunate enough to not have major car troubles for a long time but tonight I thought our luck had changed...

  Health IS Happiness Ever noticed how sick you feel every time you're stressed or worried? Your entire body suffers. Even the slightest pain gets worse. This goes both ways. When you're ill,...

I have often asked my clients to create for themselves a mission statement. I've never shared this before but here is mine. I encourage everyone to define their values, figure out what is important...

We often hear of people talking about "just checking the boxes." Some of the tasks in life have to do with basic necessities and people talk about just checking the boxes as if it is a bad thing. I...

I guess I was in a talkative mood. My wife eventually got upset with my enthusiasm but I felt compelled to survey three different couples at the Cheesecake Factory while she and I were waiting for...

Sometimes I find that people are unable to apologize. These are often the people that will say, "you can't just say I'm sorry and everything be okay." Perhaps to them apologies are empty and...

So the phrase “holding space” has been gaining popularity in podcasts and blog articles out there in self-help land and I just wanted to share some thoughts about what it means and a few tips on how...

Tonight a client asked me to share this with her, so I decided to post publicly so you can read it as well. This is a thought adapted from  book called Please Understand Me by David Keirsey which...

An ancient scroll tells the story of a teacher who sat on a hill, sharing wisdom for a crowd of people who followed him to the mount. The writer of this brief was only the recorder, not the speaker....

Its not what you think. I’ve been working with couples and families for 18 years and something I hear over and over is excuses about why things can’t be done better. I’d like to focus on excuses in...

What Is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out...

Three times in my football career I tore ligaments in my knees and needed surgery.  It was never the dreaded illegal block or some vicious hit; maybe that would have made it seem more like real...