Terry & Chris Copeland

Christine and Terry are both licensed psychologists and have been in practice for a very long time. We are both close to retiring from the mental health work in three or four years. This is a second marriage for both of us and we are having a ball. We play music together a couple of hours a week. Chris has a lovely voice and played flute in a chamber quartet for ten years before getting together with Terry who played in a bluegrass group for almost 25 years. We are part of the Tango ‘cult.’ We go to many festivals and having taken individual lessons almost weekly for six years. From Terry’s point of view we’ve spent a lot of money and time to dance this badly. Terry takes long motorcycle trips when Chris is visiting her daughter in London and her other daughter and two grandkids in the Palo Alto area.

True North

I’ve been a fan of neuropsychology for the past several years—learning about the amazing things the brain can do. However, the issue of being psychologically healthy has been around this planet for several thousands of years. I think the following four points are in all cultures and all religions in one form or another. I … True North

Talking to Think vs. Thinking to Talk

Terry mentioned the fact that many couples don’t talk much, with 27 and ½ minutes a week being about average. But talking isn’t the only way of communicating, and as Terry pointed out, shared activities play a vital role in keeping a couple’s connection alive. In looking at how we do that “dance” of connection, … Talking to Think vs. Thinking to Talk

BENCHMARKS FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP

When you ask 400 physicians and 700 therapists the question, “How do you know when you’ve seen a good marriage?”—you get the same answers in the same order. In my world, this has become one of the benchmarks I quickly use when I meet with a couple. The five markers are: 1. The frequent and … BENCHMARKS FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP