I Quit Being a Therapist so I Could Be a Better Husband

I asked my wife what it’s like to be married to a clinical psychologist. Her answer changed our lives.

Ali Mattu, Ph.D.
Human Parts

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A photo of the writer and his wife on their wedding day.
Photo: Jacquelyne Pierson

“I love that video of your wife talking about what it’s like to be married to you.”

That wasn’t what I expected an HBO director with years of TV experience to say while on set in Brooklyn, filming a series of mental health videos for HBO that launched in the fall of 2019.

“Seriously? I did such a bad job editing that one. I sorta gave up and just threw it up on YouTube.”

“That’s what I like about it. It’s just an honest conversation about your relationship. It’s rare to see a couple talk like that.”

The YouTube video she was referring to was something I put together seven months ago for Valentine’s Day 2019. I make videos about mental health and demystify what it’s like to be a therapist. I thought it would be fun to have my audience ask my wife questions about what it’s like to be married to a psychologist. The whole video came together in a few hours. I hadn’t thought of it again until this director brought it up.

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