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“There is nothing more profoundly healing than the act of solitary reading,” Harold Bloom, PhD (1930–2019)  Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and Sterling Professor of Humanities at […]

In Part 1 of this column, we described the shame-bond that can hold a couple together, when each partner hands the other a disowned Part to carry in what Martha Sweezy calls “you be me instead of […]

A couple we will call Dana and Marcus came in already certain about who the problem was. Dana described Marcus as careless with money, secretive about spending, forever needing to be managed. Marcus […]

I recently went through a bout of intense overwhelm. It felt like my job responsibilities, the social events I’d agreed to lead, and preparing for my upcoming classes and future job recruiting were […]

In Part 1 of this column, we described romantic “chemistry” as a protector Part at work, a young and frightened exile organizing attraction toward whoever seems most likely to soothe its wound. […]

A client we will call Maya had ended four relationships in six years, each of them with a man who seemed at the start almost too good to be true. He was generous and financially established, quick to […]

The opening of the Obama Presidential Center this summer (2026) in Chicago provides a good opportunity to reflect on the iconic portraits of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama from 2018. Kehinde Wiley […]

We all experience conflicting emotions—especially when facing difficult situations or decisions. This often means balancing our own emotional needs, perhaps championing one part of ourselves over […]

Most of us can probably remember our best teachers. And even if we never pursued a formal education, there are likely people whose actions and words we found meaningful enough to help guide our […]

Internal Family Systems teaches a difficult truth: the parts of us that cause the most harm are often trying, desperately, to protect something they believe is on the verge of annihilation. In […]