As part of The Family Institute's mission, we are committed to using clinical science to improve the effectiveness of our interventions. Clinical Science Insights distills our research expertise in a way that is relevant to both clinical practice and everyday life.
In this forum, our postdoctoral fellows, clinical staff and affiliates share their expert knowledge on a variety of topics relevant to families today – from child development, to innovative treatments for depression and anxiety, to best parenting practices, to the latest research on what works in couples therapy – just to name a few. These succinct summaries of the latest empirical research and theory on issues relevant to families are written for professional and lay audiences alike.
Navigating the Transition to Parenthood
In “Navigating the Transition to Parenthood,” Katherine Collison, Ph.D. provides an overview of the physical and emotional changes that take place during and after pregnancy, information about postpartum depression and anxiety, and recommendations for resources and strategies that can help parents navigate this transition.
Long-Term Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Child Development
In “Long-Term Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Child Development,” Rachel Foster, Ph.D. first explores how developmental scientists predict children might be impacted by the pandemic based on t
Navigating Mental Health Crises
One of the many things we’ve learned over the past two years is that crises happen. And no matter the type of crisis, knowing what to expect can help. This is especially key in responding to mental health crises, which have many moving parts and often involve the emergency room. In fact, from 2006 to 2014, one in eight visits to the ER were due to mental health or substance use — a number that has only increased during the pandemic.
How to Make Sense of Procrastination
Imagine sitting down to complete a task you’ve been putting off. Maybe it’s a big task with lots of different parts; maybe it feels overwhelming, and you don’t know where to start; maybe it’s a task that feels mundane and that you have to do frequently. What emotions come up when you imagine yourself getting started on this task? What thoughts? One thing is for certain: We’ve all been in this situation, when the thought of starting a dreaded task is so unpleasant that we’d…
When Politics & Culture Disrupt Family Relationships
Do you love someone whose beliefs are so different from your own that it feels nearly impossible to bridge the gap? Therapist Aaron Cohn, Ph.D., LMFT, poses this question in his powerful new paper on navigating disrupted family relationships. Following the pandemic and the most divisive presidential election in recent history, many of us are intimately familiar with difficult family dynamics. But LGBTQ+ individuals, including Dr. Cohn himself, have faced this challenge for…
The Marriage Benefit
It has long been understood that there is a connection between long-term relationships and health. There is also a reciprocal relationship between marriage and health, where not only is marriage affected by illness, but the quality of marriage can actually influence the course of an illness. Dr. Sher explains why it’s important to include the spouse/intimate partner in both physical and mental health treatment of the ill spouse, and outlines the three primary ways that The…
The Value of Difficult Moments in the Client-Therapist Relationship
Among the many predictors of good outcome in therapy, none is more powerful than the relationship between client and therapist (Safran & Muran, 2000). Put simply, without a strong enough relationship, or therapeutic alliance, the client and therapist cannot do meaningful and effective work.