Remember the old admonishment, “Do what I say, not what I do.” This was the family motto in our home! Perhaps your parents said this to you at one time and, conceivably, you have even heard yourself say it to your children. I heard it often growing up, and it wasn’t...
Parents, teachers, and adults working with children can often feel baffled at the misbehavior of their kids. Sometimes it seems poor behavior is unstoppable, even with the best interventions. And perhaps most difficult, that misbehavior can really push the buttons of the adult trying to stay...
Therapy is so much part of my world that I sometimes forget how mysterious the concept is to many people. When I first started seeing clients, I heard the same joke over and over: "Do your clients come in and lie on your couch?". A very Freudian comic book-esque scene popped in my head, with a...
Wouldn’t it be great to marry your best friend? In a world that’s mired with divorce, affairs and couples choosing to stay together ‘for the kids’ sake’, is it possible to turn things around? Can we — starting with you and your spouse — create a...
Picture yourself somehow wedged between a slippery pickle, a slab of hot peppery pastrami and slathered with spicy, wet mustard. Sounds sticky, right?!?! That is what many Generation X’ers and Baby Boomers are facing right now, being considered the Sandwich...
“Don’t miss out on this year’s Must-Haves!”, “We’re Slashing Prices!”, “Don’t be left out in the cold!” I’m bombarded with anxiety producing declarations, and all I’ve done is look through my mail. And so it...
You can find yourself experiencing compassion fatigue not only as a professional caregiver, such as a nurse, doctor, therapist, counselor, etc., but also as a result of being a full-time caregiver for a hurting family member, close friend, church small group leader, lay counselor, or any other...
One thing I believe wholeheartedly is that we ALWAYS have choices. In any given situation there is usually more than one option to choose from. Granted, those options may not be preferable, or even comfortable, but there are always multiple options to choose from. Decision making is a...
Planning a fabulous and fun holiday season is much like planning a wonderful meal. We must plan our menu, know our recipes, collect our ingredients and then prepare, in order to be able to enjoy. Much the same can go into planning for our mental health during the holiday seasons, being...
There is always a silver lining, but sometimes you have to search for it. Being grateful isn't also something that comes naturally to most people, more often it is a mindset and attitude that is cultivated with intention. Our brains are wired with the negativity bias to look for what might go...
