I recently thought to myself, "Hey, I should keep better track of my readings, trainings, and helpful therapeutic ideas I come across," since one day I might want to peer back in time to remember just how much I've forgotten. There's always something more to learn (and relearn) in this line of work. By posting some of it here, I hope it holds me accountable to my anonymous readers and lets people know what's going on in those noggins of ours.
Here’s a quick look at some of the topics we’ve been exploring lately:
Ricky continues to hone his knowledge and insights regarding couples therapy, with a recent refresher on his Discernment Counselling skills—helping couples who aren’t sure whether they want to stay together, separate, or simply figure out what comes next. He’s also been revisiting some of Michelle Weiner-Davis's books and continuing to build on his Gottman training and knowledge.
One area he’s been particularly interested in is defensiveness in relationships—what happens when one person feels criticized, blamed, or misunderstood and instinctively starts protecting themselves. Learning how to slow that cycle down and help couples actually hear each other is a big part of effective couples work.
Jennelle has been learning more about supporting women through perimenopause, as well as working with parents whose children are struggling with anxiety and OCD. She’s also been digging into the unique challenges of parenting during the “middle years” (ages 6–12). A common thread through all of this is helping parents better understand what their children are experiencing and find practical ways to support them—while also recognizing that parenting can be pretty demanding at this stage of family life.
Nothing too fancy—just continuing to learn, stay curious, and bring new ideas into our work with clients.
Other random books I've read (or reread) recently:
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The Hilarious World of Depression by John Moe
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Feeling Great by David Burns
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Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
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Having It All by Corinne Low
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Us by Terrence Real
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Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking by Allen Carr
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On Having No Head by Douglas Harding
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Psych: The Story of the Human Mind by Paul Bloom
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Warriors and Worriers: The Survival of the Sexes by Joyce Benenson
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The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time by Maria Konnikova
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Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt
(I warned you that it was random.)
