It is hard for so many of us of all ages to apologize sincerely. We have found in our therapy work that an apology or the lack of one can be pivotal in a relationship and yet we hear the struggles many people experience when they do not make them or may not receive them. What we are referring to are those smaller day-to-day moments when we misstep by saying or doing something hurtful. We wanted to talk with you about why we don’t do them, how to work with that for you and your child, and what a true apology sounds like.

We will begin with an example that demonstrates the underpinnings of our difficulty apologizing.

Betty was in therapy with one of us when her 10-year-old son Lucas started feeling socially isolated. An outgoing boy, he had a group of friends who did a lot of things together on weekends. One of the group was his best friend, Thomas. In recent weeks, Lucas was sulky around the house and........

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