Divorce

Sing Street

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 21, 2017

Sublimation is a freudian concept defined as the conversion of an unacceptable impulse or desire into an acceptable and even desirable form of expression. Unacceptable impulses are expected reactions to painful and traumatic experiences and are often discussed during the process of therapy. Director John Carney’s 2016 musical coming-of-age film Sing Street celebrates how song-writing…

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Dancer

By Elisabeth LaMotte / September 17, 2016

“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche Dancer, Director Steven Cantor’s intense documentary about the ballet’s “bad boy” Sergei Polunin hands viewers a backstage pass into the inspiring, beautiful and unforgiving world of classical ballet. Candid interviews, home movies, and news clips are pieced together to follow…

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Ricki and the Flash

By Elisabeth LaMotte / December 2, 2015

“Marriages come and go, but divorce is forever.” Nora Ephron This provocative quotation would be a suitable tagline for Jonathan Demme’s 2015 film Ricki and the Flash, released for on demand viewing this week.  This unexpectedly moving tale explores the long-term impact of divorce and maternal estrangement.  When a crisis in their adult child’s life…

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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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Boyhood

By Elisabeth LaMotte / December 28, 2014

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…

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Begin Again

By Elisabeth LaMotte / October 21, 2014

“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…

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Her

By Elisabeth LaMotte / June 10, 2014

As a therapist working with adults in their twenties, thirties and forties, many of whom are single, I frequently discuss the way that technology affects dating and relationships with my clients.  I often wonder what the future will look like, and how much farther the internet revolution will infiltrate and impact the human experience of…

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The Broken Circle Breakdown

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 9, 2014

Director: Felix van Groeningen, Screenwriters: Carl Joes and Felix van Groeningen 2012, 112 minutes, Netherlands, Belgium Many people reach out to a therapist when they are facing a crisis or a tragedy and therefore at their most vulnerable.  While conflicts and challenges related to religious faith are not at the forefront of my daily work…

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Kramer vs. Kramer

By Elisabeth LaMotte / February 13, 2014

Directed by Robert Benton, 1979 Considering divorce?  When relationship dynamics hit an all-time low, and life stressors hit an all-time high, divorce can start to feel like a possible solution.  Granted, many, many divorces are necessary.  Many divorces, however, can be avoided.  For some couples contemplating a split, viewing the 1979 Academy Award winning divorce…

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The Fitzgerald Family Christmas

By Elisabeth LaMotte / December 20, 2013

THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS Edward Burns , 2012, 99 minutes  Navigating the holiday season with divorced parents is somewhat like walking a tightrope: at any moment one can plunge into dangerous territory, and it requires tremendous balance, skill and practice to avoid disaster.   People with divorced parents spend countless holidays practicing this precarious act.  Sadly,…

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