Introducing Midlife Boulevard Mental Health Columnist Dr. Margaret Rutherford

Editor’s Note: This week we’re happy to introduce Dr. Margaret Rutherford as our Mental Health Columnist. Dr. Margaret specializes in the treatment of anxiety and depression in adults. Dr. Margaret is available to answer your confidential questions in future columns – email her at  askdrmargaret@NestAche.com.

We all have some wisdom.

Sometimes we are going through things in life where we lose sight of what we know.  Or we become someone we don’t like.  We have fears that we didn’t expect to have.  Anger that won’t subside.

We hit a snag.

I am thrilled to have been invited by Sharon and Anne to write a mental health column for Midlife Boulevard.  I have been a practicing clinical psychologist for over 20 years.  Briefly in Dallas, Texas.  Mostly in Fayetteville, Arkansas where my husband and I have also parented a now 19 year-old son.

My work has been varied.  Mostly adults, some teenagers.  Lots of couples.  You can’t really “specialize” too much in a smaller community, so I am probably more akin to a family physician than a gastroenterologist.

I did have a professor from the university call me “the proctologist of his soul” one time.  I never quite knew how to take that.

I have treated anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, post traumatic stress.  Poor self-image.  And lots of relationship problems.  Affairs, “communication issues,” lack of intimacy, parenting problems.

Anything that keeps folks away from living a full, meaningful life.

First, our hope is that you will pose questions for me to answer, or suggest topics for me to discuss.  Confidentiality is of course vital.  So your identity will be completely protected, if you so desire.  My ethical integrity is based on this, so you can count on it.

I also realize the imitations of “internet therapy”.  It is no substitution for being in the room with a really good practitioner.  But I would hope that I could offer ideas or information.  A base from which to begin to grow or change.  Or support in going the way you are!

Second, I also want you to share YOUR wisdom.  We can have discussions as well.  You might not pose a question as much as comment about a mental health or relationship issue.  We will have discourse!!!  I have learned so much from my patients through the years.  In fact, sometimes I feel as if I serve as a conduit of information – flowing from one patient to the next.  So that they can all learn from one another.

I will look forward to learning from and with you.  I will hope that my experience as a psychologist will be helpful to you.