Therapist Merle Yost of Unspoken Boundaries on Five Keys to Happy, Lasting Marriages

/

Below is the first couple paragraph’s of an article from Nancy Landrum based on her interview with Merle Yost. You can read the entirety of the article at this link or watch the interview at this link.

Marriage is a complex journey that combines love, partnership, and mutual growth. To explore the foundations of successful marriages, we are talking to experienced marriage and family therapists. who guide couples through their challenges and triumphs. This series will delve into professional advice and strategies that foster long-lasting, fulfilling relationships. As a part of this series I had the pleasure of interviewing Merle Yost, LMFT.

Merle James Yost is a California LMFT in Private Practice and Open Mind Health and has been Licensed since 1995. He is a Humanistic, Somatic, Eye Movement, Desensitization (EMDR), and Reprocessing psychotherapist who works with people to heal trauma and make sense of their current situation to heal and find a resolution. He has also published six books on various topics, including management, long-term couples, gynecomastia, and self-help. He also teaches workshops on Energetic Boundaries to make people’s lives easier.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what inspired you to become a therapist?

Psychotherapy saved my life. Growing up in a cult, isolated from the world, and sexually abused for years, there was a lot to unpack about me and the world that I had little understanding of. I was severely dissociated and had limited social skills. I had been successful in business management, and while the therapy I did made me a good manager, I was much more interested in going deeper and helping people heal instead of managing them.

Marriage: This article is about marriage, but legally married or not, it applies to most couples. Also, 98% of this applies to both heterosexual and same-sex couples. No matter the configuration, any couple will benefit from the information here.

Marriage is one of the most consequential choices we make in life and the one we have the least training and understanding. Relationships are advanced self-work. We get to see who we are when there is no one else to blame, which can be impossible for some people.

What are some common misconceptions about marriage that you frequently encounter in your work?