Posts Tagged ‘Marriage’
Should Kids Have a Say?
I have a question that the shows airing Thursday and Friday made me really think about.
First, here’s a quick overview of the family I had the privilege to meet and work with. I wonder what you would have told them: Not long ago, 26-year-old Kristin wrote that she and her five — count ‘em five — sisters were convinced something really disturbing was going on with their mother, Carole, who until recently, had been very close with them. Carole, according to her daughters, seemed to be adopting some new and troubling behaviors: being secretive, getting spray tans (significant because it was something they say she would never do), shopping for sexy clothes at stores targeted to much younger women and uncharacteristically, taking a mysterious weekend trip to Las Vegas, supposedly with her girlfriends. (more…)
And Now, the Other Woman
You ready for a little controversy? OK, you ready for a lot of controversy? Then get ready for Monday’s show, because you may be yelling at the screen for this one, but it is important and really interesting!
On the show, I’m going to be interviewing the fabled “other woman.” Five of them, in fact, and all of them members of the online group “Mistresses Anonymous.” All of them openly talk to me about why they became mistresses to married men. They also talk about what they have to endure as mistresses. And I have to tell you, what they have to say is so intriguing that I think this show easily could have gone three hours in length. (more…)
A Page Torn from the "Duh" Journal
It probably won’t come as any surprise to you that I get absolutely flooded with “scientific” studies from friends, colleagues, researchers and even some of you viewers with a great sense of humor, who believe you have uncovered new insights to human behavior — or at least like a good yuk-yuk moment. I love getting these.
Sometimes I’m thinking, “Jeez, this must be our tax dollars at work!” Somebody, probably you and me, is likely funding some of this “research!” Anyway, I thought I would clear a bit of my inbox. Who knows, maybe there is something here you really didn’t know. If so, you are either a guy with a football where your brain is supposed to be (I swear, I get that way this time of year!) and would be out of your emotional depth in a street puddle, or have been in a coma for a few decades. Anyway, enough smarty-pants remarks. Here’s the current crop with a few observations (more smarty-pants remarks).
The Anniversary Men
Jay and Erica
Talk about time marching on. This week, my 29-year-old son, Jay, celebrates his third wedding anniversary, just as I celebrate my 33rd! Good grief, I must be getting old. First, because I have a 29-year-old, and second because I’ve been married 33 — count ‘em — 33 years! I started thinking back on my third anniversary and reflecting on where I was in my life compared to where Jay and the world is on his third. Times, they are a changing!
I was 28 on our third anniversary, Jay is 29 on his, so some similarity there. Robin and I were living in a fairly small North Texas community, where I was just starting my practice as a clinical psychologist. I was an absolute dyed-in-the-wool workaholic, literally working 18 to 20 hours a day. I had a clinical practice (Fees were about $35 or $40 an hour!) I’ve always kind of had a strategy of marketing my education in non-traditional ways, so in addition to a typical therapy practice, I also saw patients at the hospital for pain and chronic disease management and rehab, and I even did work in the corporate arena, doing management and leaderships training for businesses like banks and manufacturing plants. I worked relentlessly and stayed very, very busy. I was just totally on the run, determined to conquer my corner of the world! (more…)
