I watched neglected puppies whimper to the voice of Sarah McLaughlin, and I broke into tears. The tiny mutts were helpless and lonely and I felt it as if I was the one left to huddle in a cold crate. … Continue reading
Author Archives: On the Yellow Couch
Not enough. A borderline love story.
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I hugged my naked knees to the cave of my chest and noticed my heart still twitching in the sand beside me. I watched myself crawl out of a hole and grab ahold of the flesh with my biggest, reddest claw. Blood; observed in the trance between alive … Continue reading
Dear disappointed child (A letter from Santa)
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Santa writes a letter to my 7 year old about the things that really lead to happiness. And, -spoiler- it isn’t more toys and video games. Continue reading
What Children Really Want… (Guest post by Jaclyn Weatherhead)
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This post by North Carolina therapist Jaclyn Weatherhead spoke to my own observations about the consumerism mentality (mainly how it fails to fulfill adults and children alike) …. And she was kind enough to offer her writing as a guest post for me. … Continue reading
How to assemble a Christmas tree (if you too are mechanically inept)
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Welcome back to the only mental health and family blog that repeatedly reminds you that you aren’t the only one who struggles and also offers you unusual ways to manage those struggles. In this post, I present to you a … Continue reading
Yes, failure IS an option (unless you live in a bubble.)
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Failure? Say what? You mean like the time my sister got the dance company solo instead of me? The time I poured my soul into a DECA competetive event, only to receive a 63%? The time I showed up for … Continue reading
It’s okay if you’re not feeling grateful.
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In recent months I’ve noticed that gratitude has been gaining traction as the next “big thing” in pop psychology. Neuroscience even shows that a little intentional appreciation generally has measurable positive effects on emotional well-being. But. This trend toward casually … Continue reading
My conversations with killers (while pregnant)
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I spent most of 2007 and 2008 working as a psychologist-intern at two Chicago-area maximum security prisons. I was also pregnant. The smells of sweat and urine and feces made me throw up only once the whole time, and later the prison … Continue reading
Want some good relationship advice? Couples therapists dish.
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I recently asked 7 couples therapists to weigh-in with their answers to some important relationship questions. If you are married or in a long-term-monogamous (LTM) relationship, take a couple minutes to read what the experts have to say. Better yet, read it … Continue reading
Want a good relationship? Find someone who kisses your scars.
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I’ll never forget the scene. I was 16, in a convention center filled with 2000 other teenagers, sitting in an uncomfortable chair and listening to a sweaty motivational speaker shout cliches from a stage. We were all members of an … Continue reading
ON THE YELLOW COUCH 