I just submitted an essay I was asked to write for a professional journal that explores the relevance of the therapeutic relationship to the practice of psychotherapy. The article's research reinforces what you would suspect: more than any other single variable, the quality of the therapeutic relationship is what most determines treatment outcomes.

But, the article goes further. It reveals that relationship is one of the core features of life itself. Every living system, from single-celled creatures to humans who are the most complex living being on earth, cannot exist separate from a cascade of interconnecting relationships - cell-to-cell, organ-to-organ, person-to-person, etc..

From before birth and throughout our lives, relationship quality is what defines our health or the patterns of our illnesses or maladies. The quality of our connections - our attachments to caregivers - early in life has a powerful shaping effect on our brain’s growth and development. Thankfully, while early life experiences can shape the directions our lives take next, more and more evidence reveals how effective psychotherapy can be in helping us get back on the path toward fuller health, no matter our background experiences.

At PIH, our commitment is to bring our best relating skills to each and every one of you as we work together to address your needs.

Take care...and welcome to 2019!