The Relationships We Live In

In this episode, Peggy Chan, director of program at the ISS Family Institute, shares her experience working at the relationship between young married couples and their in-laws, how she is thinking about her own retirement, and how the exodus of a younger generation from Hong Kong has impacted both that generation and the generation above that finds themselves suddenly bereft of the relationships that were so central to their lives.

Jenny Brown is the founder and former director of the Bowen Center in Australia. She is the author of the book “Growing Yourself Up: how to bring your best to all of life’s relationships” and has a forthcoming book “The Parenting Paradox: how to love your children by giving them space to grow,” set for release in June 2026. She is the architect of the Parent Hope Project which applies Bowen Theory concepts to parenting, focusing on empowering and supporting parents in today’s complex world. She lives, works, and writes, in Sydney, Australia.

The links to acc...

In this episode with Kathleen Cauley we explore relationship systems, couples counseling, paths of personal growth, and the concept of vocation.

Kathleen Cotter Cauley, M.Ed., LMFT, is in private practice in Falls Church, Virginia. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Florida, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Ms. Cauley was born and raised as the third of four children in Duluth, Minnesota. She moved with her family to Pittsburgh, Pa., for high school, and attended college at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana.

She moved back to Pi...

In this episode, John Bell and I discuss bringing systems thinking to congregations, the ministry, and non-profits. We share personal stories of growth, and explore the concept of spirituality as it relates to the present and to people's lives.

John Bell is an ordained United Methodist pastor. John became interested in Bowen theory after hearing Peter Steinke say, "Good leadership rises above the anxiety of the group." He has spent the last 30 years putting these theoretical words to practice in congregational, family and civic life. In addition to training and mentoring clergy, John works with non-profit leaders...

John & Nick Engels are the founder and partner of Leadership Coaching Inc. which helps leaders manage relationship opportunities and challenges, promote self-clarity, and reduce anxiety in their workplaces and families.

https://www.leadershipcoachinginc.com/

In this episode John and Nick use real life examples to illustrate the challenges they face in their work with leaders and organizations, and how they work at these issues from a novel perspective using systems thinking. As a father and son partnership they also discuss their own journey of succession in their family business, highlighting how openness and...

In this episode with Kathy Wiseman and Teresa Edmondson we discuss the relationship side of family wealth transfer, how organizations operate as emotional units, and how families can address business and financial challenges by taking a broader, systemic view of the problem.

Kathy and Teresa's collaborative project is The Family Portfolio, which offers a new approach to navigating the intersection of wealth and family. It engages and calms the family, drawing out the latent wisdom and unseen solutions necessary for the family to resolve their wealth transfer dilemmas and concerns. You can visit The Family Portfolio @ https...

In this episode of "The Relationships We Live In" Dr. Laura Havstad and I explore Bowen Theory as a framework for the field of psychology, the concept in theory of societal regression, and the importance of an ecological approach to change.

Dr. Laura Havstad is a Clinical Psychologist, and has been practicing in Sonoma County, California since 1980. She obtained her PhD from the University of Southern California, and her approach is rooted in Bowen theory, which she studied directly from the pioneer, Dr. Murray Bowen at the Georgetown University Family Center from 1976-1980. In 1989 she began “Programs in...

In this episode Jake Morrill discuss his work with organizations and leadership from a systemic and relationship perspective, his journey as an organizational and leadership coach, and how his early family life shaped his trajectory.

Jake is the founder of Generation to Generation Leadership Coaching (https://www.gentogenleadership.com/) and a faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. He’s spent nearly two decades as a minister, has coached family businesses and nonprofits through big transitions, and even served as a U.S. Army Reserve chaplain.

Jake brings Family Systems Th...

In this episode Jake Morrill discuss his work with organizations and leadership from a systemic and relationship perspective, his journey as an organizational and leadership coach, and how his early family life shaped his trajectory.

In this episode with Katherine White, direct of Living Systems (https://livingsystems.ca/about/) we discuss the professional development of therapists, couples counseling, perspectives on family issues, and the challenge of thinking broadly and systemically about real life challenges.

Dr. Kathleen Smith is a licensed therapist and writer who lives in Washington, DC. Her books include Everything Isn't Terrible and True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself. She is a faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and author of the popular newsletter, The Anxious Overachiever.

Visit Dr. Smith @ https://kathleensmithwrites.com/

In this episode we discuss the difference and significance of systems thinking, specifically Bowen Theory, we explore relationship patterns and dynamics, and investigate what make marriages tick.

Dr. Smith is a trustee of the Casey Family Programs foundation based in Seattle Washington. This 2.6-billion-dollar operating foundation has a mission to provide, improve – an ultimately prevent the need for – foster care, and operates in all fifty states, District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Member (2018-present.) Chair of board (2021-present)

Walter Howard Smith, Jr.’s career focuses on the use of Bowen family systems theory to understand the functioning of families, organizations, and social groups. (1978-present) Dr. Smith has focused on understanding how family functioning from this perspective leads to family violence, partic...

In this episode Erik Thompson and I explore a range of topics from parenting and intimacy, to meditation.

Erik Thompson is the founder and president of Thompson Leadership Development (www.thompsonleadership.com), an executive coaching firm designed to assist high performing teams in becoming exceptional leaders together.

Trained as a leadership psychologist, Erik Thompson’s focus is on the DNA of successful teams. He uses this knowledge to challenge high-performing leaders to expand their impact.

Through thousands of meaningful conversations with senior leaders, Erik was inspired to launch the LeaderSight interview po...

In this episode Jim Rudes, PhD and I bring the audience in on a conversation we have been having for a few years; looking at the world, ideas, and psychology from a relationship perspective.