Category: The Psychology of Connection

topographia

The alchemy of our lives is found in the way we meet the Other. Here, we move beyond the surface of relational dynamics to witness the sacred and the shadow within our human connections—from the warmth of kinship to the friction of our adversaries. By examining how we bond, break, and rebuild, we honor the messy, vital struggle of connections that either feed or frustrate the soul.

  • The Karma of Leaving

    The Karma of Leaving

    Show me the way in which the child was left, and I will show you the way in which that child grows up and later leaves others and ultimately leaves himself.

  • What is Love?

    What is Love?

    Love is the power within us that affirms and values another human being as he or she is.

  • Trauma Bears & Bees

    Trauma Bears & Bees

    I can handle a lot of projections–but my, do they sting.

  • Stop and Listen

    Stop and Listen

    Collectives breed dysfunction by demanding conformity. Demonizing the “other” fuels destruction, leading us down a path we reject in personal relationships yet justify as patriotism or faith. Projecting our darkest parts onto others is madness. More and more, I see wisdom in the Quaker approach to life

  • The Blessing

    The Blessing

    People who have been blessed carry the weight of that blessing with them their entire lives and have something of substance to pass on to others.

  • If People Were Stray Animals

    If People Were Stray Animals

    If people were stray animals, we would all be worth rescuing. Groups of rescuers would band together, forming networks whose only purpose is to give care and comfort to the abandoned.

  • Thank You, Tante Waltraud

    Thank You, Tante Waltraud

    “I’ve lived a beautiful, wonderful life and enjoyed every minute. I’ve done and had everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  • Breaking Up

    Breaking Up

    Without psychological separation, we don’t know where we end and the other person begins. Our projections veil the reality of things until we withdraw them and set ourselves and others free.

  • Reconstituted Kinship

    Reconstituted Kinship

    Open adoption, when approached with clarity and goodwill, operates on an additive rather than subtractive logic. Extended birth and adoptive networks can form a cooperative matrix centered entirely on the child’s sense of security and identity.

  • Anchoring the Middle

    Anchoring the Middle

    The midlife years demand a complex relational pivot: balancing the authority required to launch children with the gentle reciprocity required to support aging parents.