Elisabeth LaMotte
Writer and Director Richard Linklater’s unprecedented film Boyhood breaks new cinematic ground by employing an eleven year filming schedule beginning in May, 2002 and continuing through October, 2013. By filming for a few days each year, Linklater’s characters authentically age in concert with his storyline. Many folks aware of this cinematic masterpiece admit that the…
Read More
Each holiday season, many of our therapy clients reflect and prepare emotionally in an effort to make the most of their upcoming visits with family. Family visits can be psychologically intense experiences that are especially meaningful for those who are in therapy and hoping to break out of long standing patterns and dysfunctional family…
Read MoreOne of my clients’ most common concerns boils down to being profoundly overscheduled. The sensation of feeling too busy to get everything done can generate tremendous anxiety. Careers and relationships do fill our lives with multiple commitments, but today there is tremendous pressure to do more. In most instances, however, no one is forcing us to…
Read More
Romantic relationships are complicated, intense, beautiful entities that can be challenging to nurture and sustain. Today’s persistent emphasis on high-speed solutions, high-tech communications, and ubiquitous social networking can compromise the development of a simple, organic union between two like-minded people hoping to find love. For those who struggle with sexual addiction, a long-term committed relationship…
Read More
In a society that emphasizes internet sensations, the joys of finding meaningful work can take a backseat to the celebration of viral videos and social media phenomenons. Jon Favreau’s 2014 comedy Chef explores what it means to choose to pursue a passion for the sake of the work itself, rather than for the praise or…
Read More
Can a marriage be saved following infidelity? Is it okay to cheat if a marriage has become sexless? If infidelity is discovered and a couple wants to stay together, how do they find their way through? Such questions are frequently raised in couples therapy if one or both partners have strayed. Ian McEwan’s 2014 novel,…
Read More
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Robert F. Kennedy Many clients enter therapy because they have experienced a significant failure or rejection. Job loss and breakups are among the most difficult blows and can trigger a level of emotional pain so intense it becomes physical. But failure and rejection are…
Read More
What makes a marriage work? What makes a relationship last? How does work influence marriage? How does marriage influence work? How important is it to make time to see friends? These are questions that come up frequently in psychotherapy. Wallace Stegner’s 1987 classic novel on love, literature, friendship and marriage illuminates the timeless quality of…
Read More
257 pages, Simon and Schuster Molly Wizenberg’s blog, Orangette, was named the world’s best food blog by the London Times. Her lively 2014 memoir about her husband Brandon’s dream of opening a pizza joint in Seattle and what happens along the way says as much about maintaining a healthy, happy albeit imperfect marriage as it…
Read More
Most of us experience some form of social anxiety. We may feel nervous before a social gathering or slightly agitated during group activities. In the extreme, social anxiety compromises the ability to connect to another person in an intimate relationship. Jean-Pierre Ameris’ 2010 French film “Les Emotifs Anonymous” is a comedic but meaningful study of what happens…
Read More