Being trained as a Marriage and Family Therapist means that I view challenges through a systemic lens. In other words, I see individuals and couples as a combination of the systems of the world around them: families of origin, friendships, romantic relationships, society at large, and the world. It seems as if this perspective is more important than ever, as our society is more openly acknowledging the tremendous flaws in the assumed systems at play. There are so many aspects of our systems that are internalized without conscious thought, and the more we are able to recognize how external influences affect us, the more we can choose our own realities.