Johanna Touzel

Answers to patient questions

• Couple Therapy
  why won't my husband stop smoking even though he knows it bothers me? he knows it puts a strain on our relationship but he still does it. he promises to stop but then after a few months, he does it again. whenever he picks up the habit again it starts slowly, and then he falls right back into it. I am so frustrated to the point of having a headache because I am tired of repeating the same thing repeatedly. It always feels like a betrayal every time he starts smoking again because I put my trust in his words when he says he understands the strain his smoking has on our relationship. Whenever I find out that he has smoked, my mood changes. Then our day gets ruined then I start feeling guilty or responsible for the ominous atmosphere that has been created. But I can't accept this bad habit. He sees the strain it has on our relationship but I don't know why he just won't make up his mind. I wish he would just stop making promises that he can't keep. He could just tell me that he can't quit smoking just because it bothers me and that if he is ever to quit someday it will come from him. And he won't be quitting just because of me.

  • welcome to the systemic and interactionnal approch of Palo Alto, which I'm practising. It's a strategic approach and I love the situation you're describing...because the method is tailor made for that type of interactional problem you are describing.

    

    Johanna Touzel

• General topics
  What body focused therapies would you recommend for burnout (to complement talk therapy)?

  • I'm practising systemic therapy based on family and systemic constellations. You will feel with your body t the different elemnts of the system we will define together and place on the floor, and your body sensations will provide you with decisive information, which your brain has sometimes not access to. A very powerful tool which allows people to get connected to inconscious but precious information.

    

    Johanna Touzel