My brother Jerry is a theater professor. I have been fascinated by the overlap in our professional lives. When he directs, he is trying to make the relationships and action onstage real and believable. When I work with couples I am trying to facilitate the same in a marriage, make the dream of closeness real and believable to each person.

Marriage is many things–a tax break, a social status, a legal contract, an expression of religion, an intended lifetime bond. It has been described as bliss, a ball and chain, half a chance of failing, and a symbol of God’s love for humanity.

Introduce the thought to your mind, “I am whole and complete within myself.” It is a simple thought and has obvious logic. I am simply me. What else could I be? Within us there is a quiet knowing of its truth.

At some point in your life you likely had a pet, and right now you may share your life with a beloved pet. Think for a moment about your pet, about that special connection. Now, quietly breathe your pet’s name.

Where is my wise mind? The easy and obvious answer–within me. But where? Many people I meet in my practice as a psychotherapist have either lost touch or never known the presence of their own wise mind. They have come to a dead end–a lack of faith in their own life. They are pushed around by painful feelings and trapped in circles of irrational thought.

You may wonder about the name of my blog. The Wise Mind is a concept that has come to the fore in psychotherapy circles. It is based on the notion that human consciousness is in three parts.