Strategies and mindsets for developing Marriage Mastery, Parent Training, and Self-Mastery.
See Jonathan's other related blog projects in the sidebar:
- The Q&A Series
- The GR Masters Project
- The 52 Love Songs Project
- The 365 Love Quotes Project
- Rock Therapy
- In the News
Vid Interview: Marriage Therapy as Divorce Prevention
Jonathan Sherman, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from MarriageEnvy.Com speaks with Utah Family Law TV regarding marriage therapy as divorce prevention.
Responsible Fathers are the Bravest, says Charles Bronson
"Don’t you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun? Well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility..."
Depression & Suicide Prevention: It does Get Better. There are SO Many Reasons to Live. Thank You for Staying Here!
This is article is long. It's not short and pithy. There are no quick fixes to depression and suicide. Quick, cliched, trite, pat answers don't work. Real answers take time and patience and lots of empathy and love. I am going to share some things here, though, that aren't elsewhere from my clients and my experiences together which may be helpful in addition to all the great information that is out there on this topic.
Dear Moms Who Feel Bad, Guilty, or Not Good Enough on Mother's Day,
As a family therapist and parenting expert for 20+ years I have heard mom after mom after mom tell me how guilty they feel because they didn't do this or that right in their parenting, how they should have done, or should be doing, more, who are stuck in the comparison trap of how other mom's seem to be able to do it all, and on and on and on. I have a three words for them and three words for you...
YOU Have Something Unique to Contribute
I remember when I started to realize that others aren't the expert in my life. That I had something unique and powerful to contribute. That I could...
Happiness Is Now. Reject the "I'll be happy when..." Myth
A LIE I often hear is some variation of: "Happiness is outside of me" or "I'll be happy when...." Here are some insights from Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism on experiencing happiness now.
Make Angry or Happy Cookies... They taste the same
Too often we base our behaviors on our emotions: so if we feel loving to our partner we act loving, but if we feel upset we act upset. And while that makes sense, it also makes for relationships that are only as stable as our emotions... which means not very. Instead...
The 1st-Ever Batman vs. Superman vs. Spider-Man DANCE-OFF!!
I give you the first ever Batman vs. Superman vs. Spider-Man DANCE-OFF!! Cast your vote in the comments below!
GREAT Proposals: Ray's 148 Day Unusual and Sweet Proposal to Claire
Claire said, "I had no clue!" :-) Well done, Ray. Congrats to you both!
Finally Politicians I Can Get Behind! 5 Funny Campaign Ads
I'm very much a moderate, which is super beneficial as a marriage and family therapist where being able to see both sides is a great asset. However, politically, being a moderate drives me nuts as there's never a candidate in a polarized bi-partisan system that appeals fully to me. Ah well. However, there are a few (fictional) politicians I've found that I can get behind—not necessarily for their politics but just for their sheer honesty. So if you, like me, need a breath of fresh air amidst the political circus here are five funny campaign ads to give you a chuckle...
Family Fun: Killer Candy Land
The following is just complete nonsense. My 21 year old son, 16 year old daughty, and I played made this up one Sunday afternoon. Obviously it's a little kid's game they wanted to play for nostalgia's sake. I groaned and complained it's so boring. So we agreed we would make it more interesting by calling it "Killer Candy Land." Here are the rules...
Are You a "Real Man"?
My son, with the fantastic beard, shared this video from BeardBrand founder, Eric Bandholz. Amen! In school and society I grew up with that "real men" macho stereotypical, limiting crap. I'm grateful that at home my more sensitive, creative self was supported and "real man" crap wasn't taught in my home. But boy I really struggled with it at school and I didn't feel I fit, but I sure did try... So what is a "REAL" man?
Guest Blogger: "Hyde, Hulk, Gollum, and I: An Exploration of Our Dark Sides"
Our bad emotions are what people usually call their dark side, C. G. Jung likes to call this part the “shadow”. But just as everyone’s personality is different, everybody’s dark side is different too someone could have problems controlling their anger, frustration, sadness, etc. These differences can be explored by looking at Dr. Jekyll from the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Marvel’s super hero Dr. Bruce Banner, the character Smeagol from the trilogy The Lord of the Rings, and myself.
Guest Blogger: "Behind Closed Doors," by Anonymous
I’m a victim of emotional and sexual abuse.
It’s taken me 11 years to own that sentence. It has not defined my life, but it has haunted my life. Now that I can own it, it no longer owns me.
Parenting > Marketing Disconnection: When Did "You don't have to connect with your kids" Become a Selling Point?
This car ad is touting quiet, non-interactive children as a primary benefit of a car with built-in wifi. Now bear in mind I'm a big tech fan and readily welcome advances. However, I'd rather hear my child in her boredom come up with something imaginative like "I'm jumping on a chocolate chip trampoline" than have them plugged in and tuned out.
Our Vintage RoadRunner Camper Project
Documenting fixing up our vintage RoadRunner camper trailer. Kara and I have wanted something like this for years. I normally don't detail such a project, but there's little online about the RoadRunner and the L & M Manufacturing Co, I thought I'd put what I found all here in one place for the benefit of others. This post is an ongoing draft that will be updated as the project progresses.
Self-Mastery: De-fusing Triggering Words with CBT
"Sometimes words can become your worst enemy. Clinical psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapist Dr Jane Gregory tells how to defuse their power." —Helen Zaltzman, The Allusionist Podcast
ADHD: Classroom Discipline When I Was a Kid
This cartoon sparked a memory. I was an ADHD kid back in the day when ADHD was not known or understood. Back then Little Jonny was "lazy, distracted, distracting, creative, a class clown, and smart." This combination usually led to the need for Little Jonny to be frequently disciplined. We didn't have IEPs back then to accommodate for different "learning styles." I remember the following discipline methods I received on a regular b
Father's Day: The Ultimate Dad Joke Duel
For all you dads, and for all you children who've ever had to endure your father's corny jokes and bad puns, this one's for you:
Uncle Jon's Obvious Observations: #1-30
I ran this series of silly, sarcastic, mild rants on Facebook and they garnered a lot of funny responses and even interesting conversations.