MIRA KIRSHENBAUM

Mira Kirshenbaum has an international reputation as a therapist for individuals, couples, and families. She is co-founder and clinical director of The Chestnut Hill Institute. A sought-after speaker, Mira is the author of nine award-winning books, some national and international bestsellers. She has appeared many times on the Today Show and has been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.

A smart reporter asks some smart questions

Every once in a while we run into a really on-the-ball journalist who asks good questions, reminding us that the source of the best journalist is informed curiosity.  This was one of those times.

Q:  Do you think that nowadays people split up to soon? Why do you think that? Read the rest of this entry. »

The European press chimes in on our time-starved lifestyle

Think of it like this:  If Europeans are suffering from working too hard and not having enough time for their relationships, then we must have it really bad.  Well, they are.  And so here are some quite intelligent questions from a Dutch reporter about this whole issue. 

Q:  Why do you think that making time for your relationship is the first thing that suffers when couples are under time pressure? Read the rest of this entry. »

The toxic lifestyle of the American family today

It may be about the worst thing that could happen to a parent.  You go to your car and there in back in the child seat is your child, dead.  You forgot about him, you miscommunicated with your spouse…however it happened, it’s the last thing you wanted, and now the nightmare is the reality. 

But how does something like this happen? Read the rest of this entry. »

Good news:  you can now follow MiraKirshenbaum and DrCharlesFoster on Facebook and Twitter.  That way you’ll get fast-breaking updates about the latest blog posts, quick tips to make your life better, and other news.  C U there!

Journalist gets personal with me

Well, here we go.  This is the raw Q and A from a journalist who recently got into my personal issues with the whole cheating thing. 

Q:  How did it feel listening to husbands and wives talk about infidelity? Read the rest of this entry. »

The ultimate top 10 do’s and don’ts for having a happy marriage

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for us to post this list again.  Great!  Here it is:

If you want a long, happy marriage, all you need is a bathroom mirror.  Then write down these 10 do’s and don’ts, tape them to the side of your bathroom mirror where you can see them every day, and you’ll be all set.  Of course you actually have to do the do’s and not do the don’ts, but that’s a mere detail.

You don’t have to be a genius or a saint for the two of you to stay happy with each other.  You don’t have to be perfectly matched.  Love is a strong, healthy force—you actually have to work to kill it.  All you have to do to keep it alive is nurture it a little bit and avoid screwing it up too badly.  And it will be there for you when you’re in the years to come.

Okay then, in no particular order, here are our ultimate, best ever, top 10 most important do’s and don’ts: Read the rest of this entry. »

Journalist asks about how to decide what to do if you’ve been cheated on

This was one of those situations where a journalist for a magazine for mostly younger women asks one simple but all-important question.  In this case, the question was, “Do you stay in a relationship with someone after you find he’s cheated on you?”  Here’s my answer: Read the rest of this entry. »

A journalist asks what to do when an internet date has lied

A guy I know—a good guy, a great guy—has recently started dating again after many years off the market.  Here’s his report: “Everybody lies.”  That’s it.  Every woman he’s been out with (and, he assumes, every man these women have been out with) has perpetrated some sort of fib or fraud. 

That makes this question from a journalist today so on point:

Q:  The gist is: What should I do if I show up to an internet date and discover I’ve been misled—even lied to?  Read the rest of this entry. »

What good sex is really all about: the latest interview

After Mira’s appearance on the Today Show, a lot of interview requests came in from various magazines and TV and radio outlets.  And the funny thing about these interviews is that they all have a particular focus or point of view.  Here’s one from a men’s magazine (not one of the sleazy ones).  It came up in the context of affair prevention.

By the way: although this is written for men, everything here is just as useful for women.  We’ve found that what works for men works for women too.  We all want to be wanted, we all want our partners to care about what we need and how we feel.  And we all want the trust that comes from feeling that the other person wants to understand us. 

Now here’s the interview:

Q:  Can a better sex life help prevent cheating? Read the rest of this entry. »

Is marriage good for your health?

Well, is it?  Is marriage good for your health?  It matters what the answer to this question is.  A lot of us are wondering whether we should or shouldn’t get married or get out of being married.  We know a lot rides on our decision.  The wrong answer could mean the difference between a lifetime of misery and a lifetime of joy.  But how do we sort it all out? Read the rest of this entry. »