The blog · Dr. Strand
Notes on couples, relationships, and therapy.
Written by Dr. Michael Strand, a licensed psychologist in Austin, for couples and individuals deciding whether therapy is right for them.
Why Do We Keep Having the Same Fight? How to Break the Cycle
You keep having the same argument over and over because a real concern has become tangled up with a familiar pattern of reactions that makes it harder to resolve.
Can a Relationship Recover After an Affair? What Healing Really Requires
Can a relationship really recover after an affair? Yes, some couples can rebuild. But recovery doesn't happen just because two people decide to stay together, and it rarely means going back to the relationship as it was before.
What Type of Couples Therapy Is Most Effective? Comparing Gottman, EFT, and Other Approaches
No type of couples therapy has been shown to work better than the others, but that is not proof that they work equally well, and the research behind each approach varies a great deal. What the evidence does support is that couples therapy helps many distressed couples, though not all.
Am I Expecting Too Much From My Partner? Understanding Healthy Needs and Unrealistic Expectations
Wanting care, respect, and support is not asking too much. Problems arise when a legitimate need gets locked to one rigid strategy, or when a clearly expressed need keeps going unanswered. Here's how to tell the difference.
Meet the therapist behind the blog
I'm Dr. Michael Strand, a licensed psychologist.
I see couples and individuals in my Austin office and online. Here I write about couples therapy, relationships, and what to expect when you start.
Licensed psychologist in Texas since 2017, and online in most U.S. states through PSYPACT
Trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method Level 3, and IFS for couples, IFIO Level 2
Supervised psychiatry residents and psychology postdoctoral fellows at Baylor Scott & White Health
Start with a call.
Fifteen minutes, free. Tell me what's going on, and we work out together whether this is the right fit.