I emerged from my family of origin into the adult world at a time when new possibilities were happening for young women.  It was the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, and the women’s movement was in full swing.  But along with excitement and enthusiasm for a future ...

My relationship with my father was tepid, punctuated by occasional violence. Like many men, I swore I’d never treat my child the way he treated me. As a young camp counsellor, my glowing evaluations confirmed that I was nothing like him. This was an understandable, ...

Students of Bowen theory find all sorts of ways to make the theory their own, often beginning with a single idea that commanded their attention. The point of this series is to describe how one tidbit gleaned from Bowen theory has stuck with or influenced ...

Will history recall 2020 as the start of a new civil rights movement? This year’s events have certainly moved me.  Violent policing of people of color, widespread protests, a deadly virus that disproportionately affects Blacks  – all have prompted me to examine my role in ...

“White people have to see how they will benefit from racial equality.” Ibram Kendi, author of How to Be an Anti-Racist, uttered these words in response to a question posed at the University of Pittsburgh’s recent Diversity Forum – “Can white people be engaged in ...

My daughter-in-law recently called me after her school district's superintendent announced tentative reopening plans for the upcoming school year. Like parents the world over, she and my son are torn among the varied options to provide a safe school reentry for their children in light ...

I just finished reading the book When I Was White, a memoir by Sarah Valentine, Ph.D., who found out she was Black at age 27. It served as a vivid illustration of what Bowen theory describes as “the family emotional unit.” Ms. Valentine’s narrative centers ...

Turn on the news today and you will see people in the streets protesting and demonstrating. These movements are activated around the question of race and the role it plays in our society. The question has become personal for me as an opportunity to deepen ...

[ Editor's note: The WPFC blog posts every 2 weeks - "Searching for Self in This Time Outside Time" was written on May 14, 2020. Still the search for self is always important, and during this time of high emotions and concern perhaps even more ...

Is there a therapist alive who has never tried harder to solve a client problem than his or her client?  Dr. Murray Bowen’s family research spoke to this dilemma and led to the surprising conclusion that families asked to simply explore and describe their functioning ...