By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) WHAT’S THE GOOD DINOSAUR ABOUT? In an alternate timeline, the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs misses the Earth. Millions of years later, an evolved, intelligent Apatosaurus embarks on an adventure with a human child. IS IT ANY GOOD? (GRADE: B+) Disney and Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur is one of the most visually-stunning films I’ve ever seen; that ...[Read More]
THE GOOD DINOSAUR Family Movie Review
Movies for Mother’s Day
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) For moms everywhere, here are my favorite examples of cinematic maternal love. Here's my favorite movies for Mother's Day. BACK TO THE FUTURE What if you could travel back in time and see your parents as teenagers? Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) jumps from 1985 to 1955 and is stunned that his conservative mother (Leah Thompson) was much more like hi ...[Read More]
7 Things Amazing Dads Do
By Jonathan Decker, Clinical Director, LMFT While some dads are deadbeats and some mothers truly do an amazing job raising kids on their own, the lasting effects of a great father cannot be underestimated. I should know, because my dad is amazing. I say this neither to boast nor to gush, but rather because, in both my personal and professional opinion, he's got this dad thing pretty much figured o ...[Read More]
How to Help Men and Boys Be Honest, Accountable
By Jonathan Decker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Note: this article represents a combination of the author’s insights and information from the book How to Improve You Marriage Without Talking About It, by Steven Stosny Ph.d and Patricia Love. For the record, dishonesty, manipulation, and blame-shifting aren’t exclusively male problems. We all know women and girls who do the same. Also ...[Read More]
Should You Ever Apologize to Your Child?
By Jonathan Decker (Clinical Director, LMFT) For some time I have been struck with just how many of my clients, while dealing with their own mental, emotional, or relational struggles, mention that they had a parent who “always had to be right,” and “never took accountability for anything.” While they cannot ultimately blame their parents for their own behavior, the fact is ...[Read More]