You just found out you’re the partner of a sex addict.  You’re in shock, you’re hurt, you no longer trust your addicted partner. You may not even trust yourself.  You need someone to talk to.  Your family and friends may not understand. You fear they will pass judgement on you if you decide to stay …read more

In a previous blog Narcissist Victim Syndrome (October 2018), Katie Sanford discussed narcissistic tactics and the symptoms of this syndrome. Here, I would like to outline the cycle/phases of narcissistic abuse that lead to the syndrome. It is a very secret and deliberate game that you don’t even know you are playing. By the time …read more

PTSD Caused by Relational Trauma An “Invisible” Disorder that Can go Undiagnosed When I used to hear the term “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” I generally only thought of combat veterans and the trauma they experienced that could lead to PTSD. Combat can certainly induce PTSD. However, other types of trauma can also lead to PTSD. In …read more

Download COVID-19 Resource Guide   Our world has been thrown into turmoil as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. What some of us may have thought would be a brief period of quarantine and social isolation has turned into a chronic anxiety-ridden time, where many have struggled with both their medical and mental health.   …read more

As a Jew living in America, it saddens and terrifies me to acknowledge that anti-semitism is still alive and well here. My family and I fled from anti-semitism when we left the Soviet Union as refugees in the late 1980’s, in the hope of reaching safety in the United States of America, the land of …read more

If someone is in or has been in a relationship with someone who is a narcissist, they may be experiencing something called Narcissistic Victim Syndrome as a result of domestic violence in their relationship.  Narcissists often look charming on the outside but commonly cause great pain and trauma for their partner. Narcissists may be emotionally …read more

As with many repeating patterns, domestic violence has a cyclical nature that follows 3 stages. Knowing these stages is helpful to identify these abusive patterns in a relationship. There are 3 stages that we will look at: tension building, explosion, and the honeymoon.   The Tension Building Stage In this phase of the domestic violence …read more

In light of October being National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I interviewed a therapist who specializes in working with victims of domestic violence as well as court mandated perpetrators of domestic violence. Her name is Brianne Baker and she is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Santa Clara County, California. She has been …read more

A Guide for Partners   If you recently discovered your partner’s sex addiction, you are probably experiencing a myriad of emotions that you have to negotiate while, somehow, keeping up with your daily responsibilities.  To add to that difficulty, if you and your partner have children together, you also have to figure out how to …read more

Understanding the Intake Process and Getting Started with Therapy by Cira Winarto, MA, AMFT   If you are reading this, that means you have found our practice and that you are interested in starting therapy. I am glad you found us, and I also understand that it is a challenging time for you right now. …read more