Elisabeth LaMotte
Spencer recently spoke with Huffington Post about the controversy sparked by this New York Times opinion piece: I Married the Wrong Person, So Glad I Did You’ll find Spencer’s powerful perspective at this article’s conclusion, and you can check out experts from her full answers below: What Therapists Thank About Staying in a So-So Marriage…
Read MoreSpencer recently spoke with Huffington Post for an article about committing to one’s “second-choice”. Below is some interesting Q & A with Spencer’s insights about a complicated and controversial topic. Do you think this dynamic of going with the second choice when the first is not available is more common than people realize or care…
Read More
Practically speaking, preparing for foot surgery feels surprisingly like preparing to have a baby. I stopped taking new therapy clients two months prior to my surgery date in an attempt to mold my work/life balance into the most manageable place during the 3 to 6 month recovery period. Not since giving birth two decades ago…
Read MoreWe all know people who seem to need to be in a romantic relationship no matter what. The short answer is that typically people who “cushion” the end of one relationship with the beginning of another do not have a clear but rather a fragmented sense of self. So they need another person in order…
Read More
As a systems therapist, family roles and dynamics are an important area of exploration. Developing a deeper understanding of the roles directly or indirectly assigned in childhood helps therapy clients reflect on how such roles are internalized and carried into adult careers and adult relationships. Developing a grasp of how past roles play out in…
Read MoreSpencer Northey recently spoke with Huffington Post about how to recognize when you are in a toxic friendship. The full text of her answer follows. They are not a “Friend of Your Relationship” I first heard the term “friend of the relationship” used in the book Not “Just Friends” by Jean Coppock Staeheli and Shirley…
Read MoreA reporter reached out from The Huffington Post asking if it was normal to feel “guilty” — about enjoying life post COVID, dining out, traveling — and requested comments from a broad group of therapists. Both Spencer and Elisabeth contributed thoughts on this important, complicated topic and we feel honored to both be a part…
Read More
Lucy Barton, a relatable and compelling underdog admired by readers everywhere, is back for a third round in Elizabeth Strout’s magnificent continuation of a journey that began in a small New York City hospital room. Fans fell in love with Lucy reading the novel showcasing her name. My Name is Lucy Barton (2016) and the…
Read More Discovering infidelity leads many couples to seek therapy. The road to repair such a betrayal is a painful one that takes patience, commitment and hard work. As a couples’ therapist who believes in the power of prescriptive film-viewing, I often suggest that couples working through the discovery of infidelity watch movies on this topic. The…
Read More Years ago, I worked with a therapy client who reached out when she learned that her twenty-three-year-old daughter was addicted to opioids. Remembering early days of motherhood, my client sobbed recalling her struggles to balance a demanding career as an academic with her daughter’s pleas for attention and affection. Her daughter’s needs were obviously understandable.…
Read More