Couples counseling is continuously evolving. At the forefront of recent developments is attachment theory, originally a study of how children bond with their primary caregivers. This theory, as applied to adults, basically states that the way we learned to bond with those who raised us, leads us to partners with whom we can create a similar pattern of attachment. This pattern then gets acted out in our committed, on-going relationships. Read more...

For many adult daughters, the mother-daughter bond is a tenuous balance of both positive and negative feelings, connection and autonomy. And for some, the bond is greatly affected by conflicting individual needs. After a particularly tumultuous weekend with my own 92 year-old mother, I began thinking of the many stories I have heard from my clients of their struggles for both love and autonomy with their mothers. These stories fall primarily into three groups: abandoning mothers, narcissistic mothers and symbiotic mothers. Read more...

I am a father and a month ago I received a phone call from my 37 year old son that went something like this: "Hi dad! I want to talk to you and what I am about to say may not please you... I have decided to quit my job; sell my house and all of my belongings. I am going to invest some of the house profit and I am going to take the rest and travel until I run out of money or decide to stop. I may end up living somewhere else all together." Long silence on my end... then I had an overwhelming feeling of joy. My son had come to the threshold of his "Heroes' Journey." Read more...

Whether extroverted and loving the social world or more introverted and blossoming in solitude and quiet, the need to communicate permeates our lives beginning with our first breath. The baby's cry is clear and simple: "Food please, are you there? Something doesn't feel good, or it does!" As we live, communication's complexity is revealed. Verbal and non-verbal statements, logical linear thinking or intuitive gestures, we are constantly saying something to those around us. The need to be better understood, or to understand another, is often what motivates a person to seek therapy. Read more...

Chinn Street Groups:

Separation/Divorce/Transition Group for Women: ongoing weekly support group for women in any stage of separation from a long term relationship. Facilitated by Shonnie Brown, M.A., MFT

Co-Parent Empowerment Group: six week class focusing on shared parenting issues: managing and diffusing anger, de-escalation of conflict and effective communication skills. Facilitated by Shonnie Brown, M.A., MFT

Ongoing Men's Support Group: open to men interested in working on recurrent relationship issues including anger, addiction, communication and parenting. Meets Tuesdays from 6-7:30 PM. Facilitated by Kevin Cooper, MFT

Recovery Support Group for Women: for women who are currently active members of a 12-Step fellowship and who want additional support in dealing with the many issues that can emerge when recovering from addictive patterns in life. Ongoing, Monday evenings 6-7:30PM. Facilitated by Gudrun Zomerland, MFT

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