I am grateful for over 40 years working in psychotherapy with adult individuals and couples. Before retiring as a clinical psychologist, I practiced and taught psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, utilized Internal Family Systems, and I companioned people in spiritual direction. In addition to a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, I earned a pastoral ministry certificate. And now I’m being called to more …
I now have the opportunity to reflect and write in a variety of experience-near creative ways on two profound human experiences. One is how difficult it is to distinguish Love (aka God or ultimate Mystery) from love. To paraphrase someone’s wisdom, of course we are not God, but we’re certainly of God. We actively feel Love most when we are loving or loved.
The other human experience is one of our most continual and profound life conflicts: how much do we strive to develop and flourish (even pray to do so), and how much do we accept and appreciate our limitations. Of course, this isn’t a black-or-white dichotomy. Everyone has strengths to develop and limitations to adjust to. However, as I learned throughout my career and personal life, this conflict is most obvious when we ourselves or those we care about have chronic or recurrent challenges that bring suffering—from relationship difficulties to being immersed in the consequences of trauma to facing physical illness or death to drug addiction or some emotional illness.
This website is dedicated to creative experience-near responses to the recurring suffering in our lives, the love we give and receive, and Love that holds and companions all.