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Spencer Northey spoke with HuffPost about whether the popular approach of gentle parenting can also be an effect relational strategy in the romantic realm. Gentle parenting is a soft spoken supportive parenting strategy that many parents find enhances their connection with their children and improves listening skills for the family. Several experts made salient points…
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Social workers understand that change is important and necessary. During times of crisis, we can find a myriad of opportunities, especially if we are willing to adapt and pivot. This is one of many inspiring themes discussed during a wonderful conversation with Liam O’Sullivan and David Wilkerson. The authors joined me as guests of the…
Read MoreI recently had the fascinating opportunity to speak with the University of Pennsylvania School of Public Policy and Practice (SP2) researcher and professor Dr. Allison Werner-Lin about her groundbreaking research exploring the intersection of genetics and family life. The link below takes you to the National Association of Social Workers podcast, Social Work Talks, to…
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 MoreDuring these unprecedented and unsettling times, it feels clear that none of us will come out of this fight against coronavirus the same way we went into it. I found it therapeutic to write about my early experiences as a therapist going into the quarantine and felt honored to have the opportunity to share these…
Read MoreFrom a psychological perspective, marriage is , in part, about separation from one’s family. It’s about making your partner your number one most important person. For most people, up until the point of engagement, one or both parents fill that role. This transition can feel incomplete when a fiancé and a beloved parent have never…
Read More(This Q&A was orignally posted in Huffington Post Relationship’s “Ask an Expert” segment of their newsletter.) My best friend and I had a falling out and recently have been trying to reconnect. What’s your advice for getting through the tense, awkward small talk? It’s hard when we used to be able to talk about everything.…
Read MoreReflecting on current dating trends, it is useful to pinpoint a distinction between “backburner” communications and “cushioning”. The former typically refers to a strategy of communicating on dating apps or social media with a few people while dating others. Backburner communications typically occur in the early stages of dating, and ideally the flames are extinguished…
Read MoreOne way to think about the concept of self-esteem is to focus on what it means to have a strong sense of self. People with a solid sense of an independent individual self are able to balance separateness and togetherness, and they are able to feel calm an contained on their own. They are able…
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