Often when one twin contacts me to request help with a specific twin issue, she has an underlying assumption that I will or should suggest seeing them together. Even if she has had prior experiences in therapy with her twin where little is accomplished, she resists the notion of discussing the issues independently. When I listen to her rationale in favor of conjoint therapy, I wonder about the one twin’s capacity or willingness to confront the conflicts on her own. […]
Category Archives: Psychology
The Wonders of Therapy
I met a former patient of mine one day for coffee. We had not seen one another since she graduated from college. Like many college graduates, Shelley, who is a twin, is looking for a job and feeling quite frustrated. She is fortunate to be able to live with her family while she is job hunting and making some money by waiting tables. The issues that Shelley and I worked on about three years ago are no longer bothering her. […]
Beware Twin Denial
On the last day of a New Zealand Multiple Birth Association conference, I chaired a panel of adult twins who volunteered their time to answer questions posed by moms of younger twins. Many of the questions presented to the panel addressed issues about twins being compared, their individuality, and the importance of knowing who is older. It was interesting that the twins who introduced themselves all remarked if they were the older one! The panel members seemed to agree that […]
Postpartum Depression: The Graphic Reality
Allie Artz, a young woman suffering with severe postpartum depression, has graciously given me permission to share her blog about her ongoing experience managing this condition since the birth of her son. I have only included a few paragraphs of her narrative but encourage you to click on the following link to read more about it in vivid detail. To those who have not experienced this horrifying state of mind and to clinicians who are unfamiliar with the thought processes […]
Twins: Addicted to Opioids and Each Other
I recently did a consultation about a pair of twins who became addicted to opioids after one of the teenage girls sustained a knee injury during a gymnastics competition. The girls are fourteen years old and have been devoted to training and performing since they were five years old. Both were highly gifted, motivated, and driven to excel. They spent practically every waking moment together training, practicing, and competing and had very little time for other activities or relationships. Gymnastics […]