Elisabeth LaMotte

What Do Married Men Dread Hearing from Their Spouses?

By Elisabeth LaMotte / June 2, 2016

“I know it’s late, but we need to talk!” The tension between women wanting to talk and men wanting to sleep is the stuff of standard sitcom fare since the days of I Love Lucy. Nevertheless, there’s an epidemic of sleep-deprived couples lacking adequate communication. As a result, sex is often less frequent than one…

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Marley & Me

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 25, 2016

Director: David Frankel Screenplay: Scott Frank and Don Roos Based on the book Marley & Me by John Grogan How do I balance the demands of my job and the needs of my kids?  Should I work or stay at home while the kids are young?  Should I take the job that pays the bills…

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This Naked Mind; Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 10, 2016

Annie Grace opens her 2015 self-help book about alcohol use by asking a provocative question: “What if, by reversing years of unconscious conditioning, you could return to the perspective of a non-drinker?” Grace proceeds to talk readers through her strategy to return to a mental state where the desire for a drink disappears.  She blends…

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High Fidelity

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 3, 2016

Director: Stephen Frears Screenwriters: John Cusack, D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, Scott Resenberg Review by Nick Bastion in a collaboration with Vixen Daily In continuing my musings on my favorite romantic movies, I thought I’d move onto another off-beat choice – High Fidelity. Adapted from Nick Hornby’s acclaimed novel published twenty years ago last month, this 2000 film stars John Cusack…

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What’s a Difficult Topic Couples Should Discuss if they are Contemplating Marriage?

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 1, 2016

Sex can be an uncomfortable topic, but an important one. And “sex” extends beyond all aspects of the physical relationship to include flirtation, sensuality and monogamy. If a relationship is becoming serious, and you expect your partner to be monogamous, it is worth discussing what monogamy means to you in the short-term and in the…

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The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

By Elisabeth LaMotte / April 22, 2016

Kim Edwards, 2006, 401 pages, Penguin Books Relationships and intimacy are an expected focus in psychotherapy.  Most clients reach out to our practice because something is happening — or is not happening — in an important relationship or in several relationships. Some action-forcing event often makes it clear that something has to change in order…

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When Breath Becomes Air

By Elisabeth LaMotte / April 4, 2016

Some books are so special, articulate, and profound that the pages read as if the book has written itself.  Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air leashes words together in poetic combinations that are both a revelation but also obvious.  Sentences seem as if they were waiting to be placed beside each other with remarkable beauty and clarity.…

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Looking to Improve Your Relationship?

By Elisabeth LaMotte / April 3, 2016

What’s one small thing someone can do today or this week to improve their relationship, even a little bit? Use “I” statements. Don’t say: “YOU are so checked out, we haven’t had a date in weeks!” Instead, say something like: “I’ve been feeling less connected lately and would love to spend a night out just…

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Spotlight

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 22, 2016

Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight deserves each and every award and glowing review.  A constellation of riveting acting performances coalesce to shine necessary attention on the epidemic of clergy members’ abuse of young boys and the gruesome cover-up methods that became a horrific routine.  The film industry’s top critics and award judges have ensured that Spotlight receive…

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What are the signs that a marriage has what it takes to go the distance? And what are the warning signs that spell trouble?

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 22, 2016

Every relationship is different, and some signs of trouble may not be optimal from a therapist’s perspective but may truly work for a particular couple. For example, if one person is an admitted workaholic, but the other person genuinely enjoys time to themselves, the synergy may work well. Couples tend to choose one another for…

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