Books

Us

By Elisabeth LaMotte / October 2, 2015

Us David Nicholls 396 pages, 2014 “It was dizzying, really, to be in love at last.  Because this was the first time, I knew that now.  Everything else had been a misdiagnosis – infatuation, obsession perhaps, but an entirely different condition to this.  This was bliss; this was transformative.” Despite pages of engaging writing about…

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The Art of Fielding

By Elisabeth LaMotte / September 24, 2015

The pursuit of meaningful work is a common topic in therapy.  Especially in a town like Washington, DC, where the question “What do you do?” is an unfortunately mandatory opener in most social settings.  The answer to this question can provoke anxiety and self-doubt, especially among those who are facing a professional fork in the…

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The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 14, 2015

Gary D. Chapman, Northfield Publishing How can couples who want to make their marriage work regain the loving feelings from earlier years?  This is a question asked by many clients in couples therapy and obviously an excellent one.  One challenge is that the whirlwind passionate experience of falling in love is magical — in part…

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Let’s All Hold Hands and Drop Dead

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 31, 2015

Three Generations One Story Elaine J. Cooper Group therapy is one of the most difficult forms of therapy, but it is also perhaps the most effective.  World renowned group therapist Elaine J. Cooper’s new book, Let’s All Hold Hands and Drop Dead; Three Generations One Story, is part autobiography, part biography and part guide for…

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 19, 2015

Author: Jeff Hobbs Scribner, 2014, 416 pages College life is under a microscope of of significant recent media attention.  The massive promotion surrounding Frank Bruni’s new book “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be:  An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania” makes a convincing case that an Ivy League education is not necessarily in…

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The History of Love

By Elisabeth LaMotte / February 15, 2015

Nicole Krauss, 2005, W.W. Norton & Company With Valentine’s Day approaching, love is in the air and on peoples’ minds.  As a therapist, I notice that December through February is my busiest time of year.  February, not surprisingly, is a month when clients in therapy want to talk about love.  As a big believer in…

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The Undertaking

By Elisabeth LaMotte / January 18, 2015

The Undertaking A Novel by Audrey Magee Finalist for the Baileys Women’s Prize Conversations about the difference between infatuation and love are commonplace in a therapist’s office.  Many clients seek therapy when a relationship fueled by intense infatuation does not mature into love.  It is often useful to explore one’s own patterns in relationships and…

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The Children Act

By Elisabeth LaMotte / October 30, 2014

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,…

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Crossing to Safety

By Elisabeth LaMotte / October 1, 2014

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…

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Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage

By Elisabeth LaMotte / September 12, 2014

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…

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