Among the many emotional pains we encounter in life, those caused by betrayal stand out as some of the most damaging. This is because betrayal encompasses a host of violations including interpersonal expectations, morality, trust, safety, comfort and much more. These violations can cut so deeply, they will change who we are…but that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Why is betrayal so devastating? In order for someone to feel betrayed, trust must have existed befor

Many people — particularly those of certain generations or certain personality types are not inclined to share their life experiences. Whether we call it strength, stoicism or privacy, it dictates that emotional expression is equivalent to neediness.

How family narratives shape end-of-life experiences When the end of life is on the horizon there is often a need for a unique type of conversation-one that reveals thoughts and feelings that have never be talked about. While the concept of broaching such a conversation often seems frightening, it can arise organically-in the middle of an ordinary afternoon, in the pause after an activity or in the quiet that follows a meal. These are opportunities to make space for thoughts

"Why am I here?" he asked. "Are you asking why you are alive?" I responded. For ninety-seven years, her father had been a man of action, not words. Emotions lived in what she came to think of as his vault—a place so deeply protected that even he seemed to have forgotten the combination. He was stoic, traditional, someone who showed love through providing and protecting, not through emotional expression. Then The Thief arrived; a relentless degenerative illness that systematic

"Grief is the other side of the coin that is love. You can't have love without grief." When she spoke these words to her father, she was struggling with the overwhelming sadness of watching him decline. Every day brought new losses, new dependencies, new reminders that the strong man who had shaped her entire understanding of security was slowly disappearing. She questioned the nature of suffering, unsure of how to understand what his subjective experience was. Was he sufferi

There is a moment when you realize your parent is no longer your protector — you are theirs. “I was walking beside my 95-year-old father as we made our way back from the restroom during a family vacation when I noticed it — evidence that his body had betrayed him in the most basic way. Confused and concerned about how to manage this difficult situation, I did all I could think of in the moment. I quickened my pace and positioned myself directly in front of him, creating a h