Happy New Year!

Whether you have the power within you or whether you have your support system (that could include your therapist in Los Angeles) that advocates for you or whether you embrace your community of peers, chosen family or relatives, it can be a wonderful year ---

Read more about Dr. Strayhorn's practice and philosophy...

Merry Christmas and Happy Universal Holiday Season!

There is just so much to do on Christmas day.  Opening presents, driving to families, preparing dinner.  Quality time is difficult to muster.

To change the pace go back in time with NPR Christmas Stories. Or Old Time Radio Christmas.
Back in the day when radio was the primary form of entertainment it allowed the family to congregate and LISTEN.

The Athlete's Mt. Olympus is Mt. Everest

The Heavens Might Not be Meant for Mortals.  And Hero's Can Go Crazy if Not Honoring the Gods! 

Please see previous blog on Climbing Mt. Everest as a Goal:  How interesting that the spirit

Healthy and Happy Couples Do Exist

And why not be one of the fortunate ones in a happy relationship!  With life terminating at any given unforeseeable accident isn’t it worth trying to have a happy relationship before life passes you by?  For many of us we have no idea what a happy relationship looks like.  And when we do find such a relationship we often are not sure what we have.  Moreover, at other times we criticize or over-scrutinize the relationship ultimately destroying what was once good.  If you are needing a check-in or an exploration of a positive loving relationship I recommend a quick glance at What a Healthy Relationship Looks Like.  

We are Definitely in the Thickness of the Holiday Season.

Am I Horrible for Dreading Dealing with My Partner's Family?

In answer to this question? NO!

Even if you love them it is just daunting and complicated. Ever watch the movies Family Stone or Home for the Holidays? Well, all holidays are not so cheery and easy breezy. What does it mean if you are in a relationship and how does that relate to spending time with relatives? What about in-laws?  Whether you love your in-laws and are trying to make them happy or you (between you and me, come on, you can tell me -- just between us) have to struggle through meaningless dialogues just to get through the family gathering it can be challenging for many.

We might not have the fortune of a mother that is understanding and unconditionally accepting of you spending time with your significant other’s family.  Moreover, there could be comlex options (or negotiations) that range from alternate holiday visits (this year mine, next year yours); to the majority of the holidays being spent with one spouse’s family; to spending time with your family, apart from your spouse, during the holidays.

Working Toward Long Term Relationships

Can You Have a LTR (Long Term Relationship)?

I am really liking this article Signs that Your Relationship Can Last a Lifetime.  How often have we read wordy articles only to say “why didn’t they just say that in the beginning,” or “I had to wait that long to get what I needed?”  With that being said:  

Stress and Holidays

Getting Through the Holidays and How to Manage Them!

It is no secret that the holidays can cause stress.  A recent 2015 Healthline survey that measured holiday stress shows that overall the majority of respondents were stressed. However, more gen Xers reported feeling stressed (65 percent) with baby boomers (62 percent) and millennials (61 percent) neck and neck.

How do we manage the holidays with a happy outcome?  I found an article on managing holidays and creating memories during the holiday season that might be worth pondering.  Although there are specific items in the article

AND THEN ZEUS DIED...

When is Disclosure and the Analyst’s Sharing of Information Appropriate?

I have had unending suggestions from personal friends that I should share personal stories in my blogs “to increase traffic….to get more hits…to get more followers. ...people will identify with you if you share…” My response is always an educational discussion of the therapist in the analyst/analysand relationship with regards to treatment.  It is not that disclosure is a sin in the psychodynamic or psychoanalytic world (the old school theorists might argue that it is) but that an analyst’s role in the purpose and ethics of disclosure is not to be taken lightly and is of ethical concern.

Which becomes intricate and delicate in the era of social media and contemporary technology.  Although complex, anyone can appreciate the struggle that a well trained analyst faces in today's shift in the ideology and introduction of Self-disclosure and the new transparency in treatment.  

Isolation and Managing Communication in the New Era of Relationships

I came across this article discussing isolatory experiences in relationships.  How to Cope When You’re Feeling Lonely and Invisible in Your Marriage.  This feeling of invisibleness and loneliness in marriages is an occurrence not uncommon.  What this article lacks