The world we live in is obsessed with success and what it means to be successful and the stigma of medication. It is easy to see why some people view a setback or a mistake as a failure. It can be a blow to an individual's ego and self-esteem if they think this way and [...]
"What's the big deal? It was just emotional abuse." I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard this sentiment being expressed whether it is directly from a client, a perpetrator, or commentaries made by media forums, the general public, or other social networks that reflect a lack of awareness about the ramifications of emotional abuse. [...]
You always hear that it’s important to give it your all in a relationship- your 100%. Sometimes there’s the exaggeration of giving it your 110% or even 150%, which is actually impossible unless you’re dealing with volume, but this isn’t meant to be a science lesson. Instead, with relationships, I think you should give it [...]
Most of us carry around messages we received in childhood about the world, about others, and about ourselves. We receive messages from the outside world--our family members, friends, teachers--all throughout our lives. The messages we receive about ourselves can be positive or negative. The negative messages we receive, even at an early age, can lead [...]
There are times when we create problems for ourselves or over complicate things in our lives. Sometimes we believe that EVERYTHING is urgent and must be attended to right now OR ELSE. Sometimes emergencies can feel very commonplace. This sense of urgency oftentimes drives the behavior of people with controlling or obsessive personalities or those [...]
Many parents struggle with determining the most effective way to respond when their child is distressed and provide validation. Sometimes what might feel like the best response can actually make the situation worse. The scenario below highlights such a situation: David is 15 years old and later his parents have noticed him acting out in [...]
Mindfulness has become almost a buzzword in our culture. Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment without judgment. Current research has found that there are practical applications for mindfulness in therapy. Karen Hooker and Iris Fodor's 2008 article on mindfulness and children provides practical examples for how to teach children mindfulness skills. Children and [...]
What if you didn’t ever use 'what if?' Simply put, since you can put that phrase in front of everything, why put it in front of anything? It no longer has any significance if its use is so universal that using it would imply that any potential scenario is possible. How could one possibly plan [...]
Many of us have a stereotype of what an addict or alcoholic is. Some people assume that drug and alcohol addiction is a problem that only certain kinds of people face; this could not be further from the truth. There are many misconceptions about drug and alcohol addiction that can affect not only the addict [...]
We all want a wonderful relationship that will last our entire life. Unfortunately, current statistics have 40-50% of marriages ending in divorce. How do couples go from a great relationship to mediating through lawyers? How does anyone maintain a healthy relationship in or out of a marriage? First, relationships take work. I often use the analogy [...]
