by Rhett Smith | Jul 3, 2014 | Marriage
I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage these last few weeks for several reasons. Whether it is with the couples I work with, or my own personal marriage…I have come to realize that we just can’t do marriage on our own. We can throw all the tools at...
by Rhett Smith | Jul 2, 2014 | Men
“Each man is a bridge, spanning in his lifetime all of the images and traditions about masculinity inherited from past generations and bestowing–or inflicting–his own retelling of the tale on those who ensue. Unresolved depression often passes from...
by Rhett Smith | Jul 1, 2014 | Faith
When I work with people in therapy we often talk about the importance of being physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy. And one of the primary ways that many people who foster their spiritual growth is through their participation in the Bible. That...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 30, 2014 | Marriage
I wish couples would go to counseling on a regular basis as a part of their commitment to being intentional in their marriage. I wish couples would go when their marriage was in a good spot, so that they can take it to an even greater spot. But the reality is, in my...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 27, 2014 | Leadership
“Weak leaders are the ones who only extend the benefits of the Circle of Safety to their fellow senior executives and a chosen few others. They look out for each other, but they do not offer the same considerations to those outside their ‘inner...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 26, 2014 | Marriage
Last week I came across this article that stated, being ignored is worse than being bullied. I had to stop and think about that statement for a second. Nevermind the article and the research, I wanted to just think about that statement, especially since we hear so...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 25, 2014 | Intentional Living
Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. I described the pace of life in my current ministry. The church where I serve tends to move at a fast clip. I also told him about our rhythms of family life: we are in the...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 24, 2014 | Intentional Living
In yesterday’s post Running as an Antidote for Anxiety and Depression, I told you about why I love running and how it has transformed my life. One aspect that I didn’t tell you about is how running not only helps with my anxiety and depression, but...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 23, 2014 | Depression
I love running! It has completely changed my life. I have loved running since I was a little kid. I loved running and playing with friends. I loved field day and running the sprints and the longer races. I ran track in high school. But somewhere along the way running...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 20, 2014 | Anxiety
“What’s the difference between anxiety and worry?” That was the question posed to me the other day. It’s such a great question, and honestly, I don’t know if anyone has ever asked me that question before, which is sort of surprising in...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 19, 2014 | Therapy Practice
When I was fresh out of graduate school I was so eager to get my hours, gain experience, and actually make some money for a change that I was willing to work with anyone. Many of you can probably relate to that. And in those first few years of working on my hours I...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 18, 2014 | Marriage
I love working with couples in marriage counseling, pre-marital counseling, dating…it’s often a lot of fun. This video reminds me of how funny our differences as men and women can be. They are often very painful. But hopefully we can laugh at ourselves...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 17, 2014 | Marriage
I’ve posted before that when couples fight, the argument is rarely about the issue. We think we are talking about money. Or sex. Or parenting. Or in-laws. But it rarely is about those things. Before long (usually within a few seconds) we are questioning whether...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 16, 2014 | Therapy Practice
One of the first things that people do when they walk into my therapy office is comment how nice it is. They talk about how relaxing it feels…often finishing their observations with a comment something along the lines of “it doesn’t even feel like...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 13, 2014 | Marriage
“I want to think more about what connecting is and why I believe it is at the center of powerful relationships. If connecting is at the center of healing, then disconnecting must be at the core of what needs healing. In our therapeutic way of thinking,...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 12, 2014 | Anxiety
One of the most important tools in helping anxiety is often one of the most underrated and underutilized. And that is breathing. And I think it’s often overlooked because we take breathing for granted. It’s something we do all day long without much...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 10, 2014 | Therapy Practice
Compared with finding a therapist in a big city, signing up for text-message therapy was a breeze. All I had to do was open an app on my phone, pick a username, and type my first message. Predictably, the first thing I wrote my new therapist was a question: “Hi....
by Rhett Smith | Jun 5, 2014 | Therapy Practice
When I ran a survey a couple of weeks ago, most of the survey results from therapists and graduate students expressed their concern and desire about “how to find clients.” Almost no one expressed an interest in the location of building a practice or the...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 4, 2014 | Marriage, Restoration Therapy
Four years ago I was presented with an amazing opportunity that changed the way I thought about marriage (my own and the couples I work with), and how I work with couple’s in a therapeutic context. I went up to The Hideaway Experience in Amarillo, Texas to...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 3, 2014 | Marriage, Restoration Therapy
“Somehow, even though we know that certain thoughts and behaviors are bad for us and are rooted in our own self-reactivity [negative patterns of coping], we return to those behaviors and usually find that these actions further assault our identities as human...
