Monogamy and Polyamory: Reflections of a Couples Therapist

Monogamy and Polyamory: Reflections of a Couples Therapist

Every individual enters romantic relationships with a unique set of ideas and values based on their family systems, cultural norms, spiritual traditions, and past experiences. In many relationships, these remain unspoken, leading to disappointments, misunderstandings, and betrayals. The best gift partners can offer each other is to begin saying some of these out loud, so that there is opportunity to meet each other more often than disappointing each other and to create conscious and intentional commitments.

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The First Noble Truth

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The First Noble Truth

When I was first introduced to buddhist philosophy, I thought it was negative. I did not understand the focus on suffering and on death. The first teaching has to do with the reality that sickness, old age, and death are a part of life for all of us. In my buddhist community, our daily chants and contemplations include the line, “death is real and comes without warning.” This is followed by a contemplation of our precious human birth and a commitment to make the most of our time here. 

Being a Couple in a Volatile World

Being a Couple in a Volatile World

During the last few weeks, every person I saw in the Bay Area was clearly impacted in some way by the changes in our political climate. As a couples therapist, I witness the impact of this on people’s intimate relationships. Those who are feeling fear, grief, and anger about the political situation need to turn to their partners for support and care. But, for many couples, this is not easy.