This blog is written by the clinicians at Jonah Green and Associates, a mental health practice based in Kensington, MD that provides quality services for children, teens, families, and adults. It is intended as a resource for families who are seeking to expand their knowledge about mental health and mental health services, and also as a resource for families who are seeking quality mental health services, especially in the mid-Atlantic region.
Most of us have heard the recommendation: When you’re upset with someone you love, use an “I-statement.” Instead of “You never listen to me,” try to talk about your own feelings and experience. It’s good advice. But in my work as a couples and family therapist, I’ve noticed something more complicated: Not every sentence beginning
Each year, several colleagues and I teach an online couples and family therapy training program for mental health professionals. While we learn concepts and techniques, much of the training happens experientially. Trainees practice “therapy” by role-playing as therapists and family members. The “therapists” get feedback, make mistakes, and try again.
Families naturally come to therapy focusing on problems. Eager to address grief, trauma, or conflict in a safe environment, conversations circle what isn’t working—how people hurt others from what they say or don’t say, who is at fault, and what feels broken. Therapists must make space for people to express and hear each other’s
Amelia and Hunter hadn’t spoken to each other for a couple of days. An argument about bedtime with their son had lingered, leaving both parents irritable and emotionally distant. A few mornings later, their six-year-old, Felix, asked his father quietly, “Daddy… why aren’t you talking to Mommy?” “I’m busy with work,” his dad replied, gently
David worked hard to build a stable home and believed he and his wife shared a commitment to family. When she left him for another man, his world fell apart. Divorce was painful, and his relationships with his children became strained. Years later, David carries deep anger toward his ex-wife for “destroying the family.” He