Relationship Physics

In seventh grade, I took the Kuder Preference Test, an antiquated predictor of what we 12 year olds might do when we grew up. I scored in the 98th percentile in both art and social work. And by diggity, I became an artist and clinical psychologist. I am, therefore, uniquely suited and trained to write and draw a book about the workings of relationships. I studied art at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and graduated with a BFA from The University of Pennsylvania. I was a fine artist until age 34 when I switched career paths to become a clinical psychologist. I graduated with an M.A. in clinical psychology from The Antioch Graduate School of New England in 1985. I completed a two year externship at The Brattleboro Family Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont. There, I was fortunate to study with Lynn Hoffman (former clinical director of The Ackerman Institute in NYC) and her colleagues from BFI. They were all cutting-edge thinkers in my field of interest. Through my association with BFI and Hoffman, I studied with other leading thinkers like Stephen Gergan (social constuctionist), Mary Catherine Bateson, Harry Goolishian, Gianfranco Checcin, Tom Andersen, Michael White and many others. I am indebted to them all. I had a private practice in Woodstock, Vermont for over twenty-five years. For many therapists, working with couples feels like jumping into quicksand, but I liked working with couples. During those years I learned that most people are visual learners first and that words follow. I heard compliants from my clients that relationship self help books had too many words and too much blame. I had become recognized among my colleagues and clients for my ability to distill complex ideas into visual descriptions. Relationship Physics is a natural outgrowth of my observations and skills.