• Nobel Prize-winning scientist and author of the book Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality, Venki Ramakrishnan unpacks the complexity of aging and offers corresponding reflections on living in this University of Chicago Podcast episode.

• The Couples Therapy documentary series (available on several streaming platforms) showcases three couples in treatment with psychologist Orna Guralnik; in an interview with Washington Post Live, Guralnik discusses her involvement in the series. 

• "The Teen Brain," a new short/documentary, depicts the neurological evolution of the adolescent brain.

• A new study of corporate leaders finds that humility is linked to a range of positive factors in the workplace, displacing previous assumptions about characteristics of managers necessary for success.

• Parenting for Brain, an information-based website providing scientific findings and advice regarding parenting, describes "overparenting" and its consequences.

• Intelligence and kindness are identified as the two most attractive traits in a romantic partner, research demonstrates.

• In this TED Talk, Suleika Jaouad discusses her experience of surviving leukemia, her recovery, and the impact of her experience on moving forward with her life.

• Enhancing Emotional Intimacy in Couples: Connection, Vulnerability, and Communication

• The Power of Group Dynamics in Therapy: Nurturing Connection, Support, and Here-and-Now Processing 

• Exploring the Use of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy



• On Seeking Discomfort



• Attunement

The Men's Group Seminar: Generational Diversity in the Workplace

The most recent nomenclature on generations depicts six: Generation Z (born 1997 to 2012); Generation Y/Millennials (born 1981 to 1996); Generation X (born 1965 to 1980); the Baby Boom Generation (born 1946 to 1964); the Traditionalists/Silent Generation (born 1928 to 1945); and the Greatest Generation (born before 1928). Research suggests that the contemporary workplace features a significant representation from each of the first five generations indicated above. There is also evidence that people are working later in life, a trend that will continue to increase the degree of interaction between multiple generations in the professional domain. 

Each generation is associated with certain qualities and characteristics linked to the sociopolitical circumstances and corresponding values of their formative experiences. Some social commentators argue that these associations are nothing more than stereotypes. Others suggest that significant sociological factors ("lifestyle or age effect”; “period effect”; and “cohort effect”) determine distinct differences between generations, especially when it comes to work; varying orientations toward the value of work, work style, career and workplace preferences, and motivation/retainment have been documented. An overarching dilemma is the gradual shift in perspective from a “work-centric” ideology (Baby Boomers) to a “person-first mindset” (Generation Z and Millennials), which obviously sets the stage for contrasting perspective on all aspects of work, including the perceived value of work and the effort level put forth. 

Given the presence of multiple generations in the workplace and the factors at play which generate significant differences between them (the so-called “generational gap”), closing the generational gap is a considerable challenge. Survey data indicate that leaders acknowledge the importance of multigenerational workforces for business success, “yet lest than half of companies included age diversity” in onboarding and training platforms.

In the next meeting of the Men’s Group Seminar on Saturday, April 27, 2024 (10:15 to 11:30 AM), we will explore the generation gap in the contemporary workplace. We will discuss the many approaches to “bridging” the generational gap, including those of some well-known management consulting firms that devote a substantial portion of their practice to this topic. Areas targeted include flexible work arrangements, multigenerational collaboration, and supporting multigenerational teams. We will also consider other voices in the field who suggest that gaps between generations are largely fictitious and can be explained by individual (rather than cohort or group) differences and other socio-economic factors. Our central focus, however, will be a podcast interview with Megan Gerhardt, Ph.D., author of Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce. 

To register for this upcoming seminar, please see the directions below.

The Relationship Group Seminar: The Mysterious Psychology of Replication

A woman who suffered the sudden tragic loss of her father during childhood finds herself, as an adult, continuing to be abandoned by her romantic partners due to infidelity, moves to other cities for career purposes, and, even death. Her experience of her own life seems darkly fated, out of the bounds of her own control, perhaps even after significant therapeutic intervention and concerted attempts to identify partners whose lives are stable and who appear to have the capacity for long-term commitment.

Replication is a psychological term that refers to the phenomenon of re-occurrence, or repetition, of an especially salient and typically painful situation, experience or interpersonal/relational dynamic. A large body of theoretical work from the Freudian tradition and, more recently, from the field of interpersonal neurobiology, describes the apparently universal tendency to replicate pivotal scenarios again and again across one’s lifespan, even despite efforts to halt the distressing re-occurrence once and for all. 

The consulting room of psychotherapy, the place where clients seek refuge from further re-traumatization, is not immune to replication. While clients optimally obtain a “corrective emotional experience” from their therapist, it is more often the case that replication occurs, i.e., the client and therapist unconsciously collaborate to shape a “re-enactment” of some segment of the client’s past (as well as of the therapist’s), rekindling old wounds in the here-and-now in an environment designed, paradoxically, for healing.

In the next meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on Saturday, April 27, 2024 (11:45 AM to 1:00 PM), we will explore the mysterious and uncanny nature of replication and attempt to understand its psychological mechanisms. In our discussion, we will consider the many interesting approaches as to how and why replication occurs. As a wholly unconscious process, replication appears to defy even the most earnest conscious efforts to extinguish it. The theory of unconscious mastery of trauma, as well as other explanatory frameworks that may motivate replication, will be discussed.    

To register for this upcoming seminar, please see the directions below.

New Psychotherapy Group Forming

This therapy group aims to help individuals involved in current or previous relationships involving narcissism and codependence dynamics. In the safe and supportive atmosphere of the group therapy format, individuals will learn about these dynamics more deeply and explore the emotional and psychological pathways for overcoming them. The group will consist of didactic and experiential components to aid in the recovery process. This is a therapeutic experience and entry into the group will occur only after a pre-group screening interview and preparation phase. Referrals are welcomed (please contact me at 949-338-4388 or at jt@jamestobinphd.com).