by Harper West | Sep 13, 2017 | Conflict Avoidance
Megan is a 20-something woman who arrives at her first therapy session complaining of “ADHD” and mild “anxiety.” She gets easily distracted studying for her college classes, can’t seem to complete tasks on time, and gets a bit panicky when she fears failing in...
by Harper West | Sep 6, 2016 | Conflict Avoidance, Relationships
I recently saw a male client who was upset about his wife’s possible affair. She had been staying out drinking on weeknights until 1 am, leaving him with the kids. For years she had also been under-functioning in the home, so that he had to do most of the childcare...
by Harper West | Jul 29, 2016 | Conflict Avoidance, Shame, Uncategorized
A few nights ago when I got undressed I discovered that I had a price tag hanging off the back of my shirt. It was clearly visible all day long to 10 different clients as they walked behind me to my office, yet not one person said anything. I was first...
by Harper West | Jul 20, 2015 | Relationships
I had a patient describe her husband as someone who bites his tongue for days about an issue, then becomes angry at her out of the blue. I said: “Oh, he is afraid of conflict,” and she looked at me quizzically. “But he gets angry and we fight. He seems to like...
