We’ve all been there: standing at an airport baggage claim, waiting for our luggage to emerge while wondering if it’s intact or if it even made the journey at all.

Now, imagine that each suitcase represents the emotional baggage we carry into our relationships—past trauma, unhealed wounds, fears of intimacy, and unmet needs.

We’re not alone at the baggage claim; everyone brings something, but how we handle it together determines the quality of the relationship.

This blog post delves into the idea of emotional baggage and how it affects relationships. We’ll explore the psychology behind emotional baggage, practical steps for unpacking it, and how love, patience, and communication are the keys to lightening the load.

Along the way, we’ll cite research to understand why we carry certain emotional luggage and how couples can manage it with empathy and humor. After all, relationships, much like travel, are smoother when we’re prepared for the journey.

We all know America has a soft spot for train wrecks—the kind we can’t stop watching, even when we know we should.

Reality TV has become the perfect outlet for our collective need to rubberneck, and nothing captures that better than Donald Trump’s rise from reality TV star to president.

The connection between Trump’s role on The Apprentice and his political success isn’t just a wild theory; it’s now backed by research that highlights how The Apprentice helped shape Trump’s image and boost his political career. And the kicker? We let it happen.

A new study published in the American Political Science Review shines a light on how Trump’s portrayal as a tough-talking businessman on The Apprentice helped him gain traction during the 2016 Republican presidential primary.

The show didn’t just entertain—it laid the foundation for one of the most unprecedented political campaigns in U.S. history.

So, how did a reality TV show help make a reality TV star president? The answer lies in the way entertainment media shapes political perceptions, sometimes more than traditional news outlets.

Narcissistic parenting is a complex and emotionally damaging experience for many children.

One of the most challenging questions about narcissistic parents is: How easily do narcissists discard their children?

This issue is closely tied to emotional estrangement, a painful dynamic where children are treated as expendable if they don’t meet the parent’s needs.

In this post, we’ll explore the recent social science research that sheds light on this troubling phenomenon, discuss emotional estrangement, and examine how cultural narcissism plays a role in shaping this behavior.

In an era where feelings have replaced facts, it seems Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs have joined the cultural march toward prioritizing ideological purity over clinical competence.

Once designed to train therapists to effectively treat individuals and families, MFT programs are now preoccupied with turning out social justice warriors armed with advocacy jargon rather than therapists armed with practical skills.

But hey, who needs to understand how to actually help a family when you can sit around discussing privilege for hours on end?

To explore how the MAGA movement (Make America Great Again) might evolve, we can draw on historical patterns of populist movements, psychological theories of group dynamics, and current political and cultural shifts.

In this post, I’ll speculate on how MAGA might change or adapt in the years ahead, perhaps even productively.

“Make your bed before you take over the world" is deceptively simple advice with roots in both ancient wisdom and modern psychology.

It’s not just about tucking in some sheets and fluffing pillows. It’s about the human need for control, structure, and the kind of discipline that eventually leads to bigger accomplishments.

As a seasoned family therapist, I’ve come to see this idea as a brilliant metaphor for life—and believe me, I’ve heard enough chaos and emotional bedlam over the years to know a good metaphor when I see one.

If you’ve ever caught yourself staring at your phone, wondering why it’s taking your partner more than 30 seconds to respond, you might be familiar with anxious attachment. The good news? You’re not alone.

Enter Reddit’s r/AnxiousAttachment, where relationship anxiety meets the comfort of knowing that plenty of others are unraveling at exactly the same time.

For anyone who’s ever spiraled into overthinking because of a "seen" message that never led to a reply, or had their entire day thrown off by a partner’s neutral response (seriously, what does “sure” even mean?), this subreddit is a kind of therapy, mixed with humor and a hefty dose of "we're all in this together."

If you’ve ever found yourself emotionally distancing from someone at the first sign of intimacy, or if you’ve perfected the art of ghosting as a method of self-preservation, you might just find a home in the world of the Avoidant Attachment subreddit.

Yes, that’s right—there’s a thriving community of people who get that look of panic in their eyes at the word “vulnerable” and would rather jump out of a moving car than have “the talk.”

The Avoidant Attachment subreddit (r/AvoidantAttachment) is a safe haven for those who dance the delicate tango of keeping relationships at arm’s length while simultaneously pondering why they feel so alone.

As a family therapist, I’ve spent a lot of time pondering what makes a person “morally exceptional.”

Is it their ability to empathize, their sense of fairness, or maybe their knack for handling those chaotic PTA meetings with grace?

Turns out, these questions are at the heart of a new study published in the Journal of Personality, which sheds light on the traits that separate morally exceptional individuals from the rest of us mere mortals.

And guess what? Empathy, guilt-proneness, and moral identity top the list—so, maybe your grandma who never lets anyone leave the dinner table hungry was onto something all along.

Recent research published in Biological Psychiatry reveals intriguing insights into how different types of early-life adversity can lead to unique patterns of brain development.

The study found that children who experience emotional neglect tend to have younger-looking brains.

In contrast, children exposed to more severe adversities, such as caregiver mental illness or socioeconomic hardship, often show signs of older-looking brains. These findings shed light on how diverse early-life experiences shape the brain in distinct ways.

In an era characterized by Cultural Narcissism, where self-promotion and the relentless pursuit of personal validation often overshadow collective well-being, the notion of quiet hope emerges as a powerful antidote.

This concept, subtle yet profound, speaks to the resilience found in everyday moments, the belief in gradual change, and the deep-seated trust in the possibility of a better future.

As we navigate the complexities of a post-Trump world, marked by division and disillusionment, the role of marriage and family therapists becomes increasingly crucial.

If you're a parent, you've probably heard that building a secure relationship with your child is one of the best things you can do for them. But how exactly do you go about doing that?

That’s where the Circle of Security Parenting (COSP) model comes in.

It’s a simple yet powerful way to help parents understand and meet their child’s emotional needs.

In the book Raising a Secure Child, authors Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, and Bert Powell walk us through this model, offering practical advice on how to raise children who feel safe, loved, and ready to take on the world.