“We never have sex anymore,” my new client, the mother of an 11-month-old, tells me plaintively.  “Is that normal?”  Her husband stares at the floor like he’s waiting for a shot: Just let it be over quickly.

“That’s definitely normal,” I reassure them.

“And our conversations have gotten so boring,” she continues. “We don’t have time to really talk.  Or we’re too nervous to really talk.  We’re always on alert.  At any minute, we can get interrupted.  Our son will need something.”

“That’s normal, too.”  Is it ever.  Though my little interrupter happens to be a female, nearly ten months old, I know what my client is talking about.  Intimately.  I debate whether to share that with her.

As if modern life wasn’t hectic enough with constant demands on our time and attention, we’re also expected to successfully navigate all of our relationships too. Often with little help outside of our own experience. While experience can be a great teacher, it can also derail us into ruts.

Worse yet, we may not even realize the communication, attachment and relationship ruts we get into.

The good news is that help is now at hand.

That’s why I’m pleased to introduce Bonding Time with Holly Brown, LMFT. The blog centers around the importance of attachment and emotional bonds, and how we struggle to stay connected to our partners, our children, and ourselves.

“As a new mother, I know this challenge intimately,” Holly tells me. “It is an ongoing one for me, and I would like to share that with others.” We’re honored to have her share her experiences and skills with us.

Holly Brown is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. She treats a host of mental health and relationship issues. Not to play favorites, but she particularly loves couples work, and is a practitioner of emotionally-focused therapy (EFT.) She’s also a new mom, and the author of two novels. You can learn more about her here.

Please give Holly a warm Psych Central welcome!