
How To Cope with Things Outside of Your Control
Imagine the following scenario: You are in a large, beautiful interior space with everything you need to accomplish any task that is put before you or…
Why People Don’t Change Until They Have To
I became a therapist thinking that people just naturally wanted to change, grow, get better, become healthier… and how cool was that going to be to…
Mental Health Symptoms To Not Ignore
There are hundreds of symptoms that can indicate a mental health issue is developing, but it can be difficult to know when to pay attention to…
How To Kick A Food Addiction
How do you get over an addiction to food? You’re Not Addicted to Food To be clear, you can’t have an addiction to food. Or if…
You Can Do Better Than “So, How Was Your Day?”
“So, how was your day?” Fine. “What happened in school today?” Nothing. You’re trying to connect. You’re trying to get them to open up. But even…
Uh Oh…It’s Fall Again
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, then that first cool hint of air, untinged by the humidity of summer, doesn’t make you feel all excited…
Falling Out of Love Is Not the End
I’m Not IN LOVE Anymore I know you’ve heard this. You might have said it. “I LOVE her, but I’m not IN LOVE with her anymore.”…
Keeping Grandma Healthy
Would You Know What To Do? You get the phone call that your 79-year-old grandmother has just been admitted to the hospital and when you get…
How to Take Mental Health Meds Safely
Mental Health Medication If you take psychotropic medications, meaning anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, or anti-psychotic medications, it’s not unusual that at one time or another…
Your Best Life Habits
As a psychologist, I’ve given this a lot of thought, because no matter what someone coming into therapy says they want to work on, eventually, the…
Should Psychotherapy Sessions Hurt?
“No pain, no gain!” Is psychotherapy supposed to hurt? Is it necessary to wear waterproof mascara to every session? Are you going to be a royal…
How to Get Things Done When You’re Just Not Feeling It (#NoMotivation)
I’m Just Not Feeling It So, I asked, “You have to wait until you’re able to “get into” doing a chore before you can do it?”…
Graduation Dance
Graduating from a school, college, or program is supposed to be one of those “happy” events we celebrate, falling in the same category of major life…
“I Don’t See Myself Getting Better”
The Curtain Falls You might have just hit a rough patch. Or maybe those feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt are part of a larger problem that…
Where Are My Happy Pills?
I know there’s no such thing as a “happy 🙂 pill.” But for some people, there are some medications that come close. The issue of psychotropic…
What’s Your “Baby?”
Babies…cute, cuddly, sweet, adorable. Right? Well, yes… and no. Now I know some people love taking care of babies and I have incredible respect for anyone…
Dealing with Bipolar Disorder?
If you’ve been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, then I don’t have to tell you that you are dealing with one of the most challenging mental health…
What Your Mirror Can’t Show You.
Have you looked in a mirror lately? You were probably looking for something: spinach stuck in your teeth from lunch, a stain on your shirt, another laugh line. “The mirror…
How Steady Is Your Relationship?
COMFY? How Stable is Your Relationship? Take your typical 4-legged wooden stool. It’s nice and stable…if it’s got all 4 legs. You can probably even manage…
I’m Tired of Being a Survivor
Have you survived something very difficult in your life? A tough childhood? A major trauma? An abusive marriage? It takes a lot to go through the…
Who left your Mood in Charge?
Does This Sound Like You? You set goals for yourself, but if you don’t “feel like it,” you do nothing about them? You have plans for the day,…
I Didn’t Put RELAX on my To Do List!
Maybe this isn’t your problem. Maybe your problem is you’re relaxing TOO much and the dishes have been sitting in the sink in the kitchen for…
Self-Esteem Is YOUR Job
Self-Doubt and Low Self-Esteem Not sure if you’re all that sexy and attractive? Do you constantly need approval from others? Are you never sure that you…
What Can Kwanzaa Teach Me?
In the spirit of the holidays at this time of year, I decided it was time to learn more about Kwanzaa. All I really knew about…
Can You Have Too Much Downtime?
Most people I know complain about their pace of life being too fast. “Crazy-busy” fast. They are trying to find a way to add that 25th…
Dump It On the Table!
I’ve Got Some Emotional Baggage Here… “I’m sorry I’m dumping all of my problems on you.” How many times have I heard this from a client?…
Daily Emotional Dialysis
Filtering Difficult Experiences I’m a big fan of the emotional equivalent of “emptying the trash.” By writing in a journal people get in touch with their…
Take Another Look At Cognitive Therapy
What do you see when you look at this image? Do you see a carved goblet? Or do you see two faces, almost touching their noses?…
Decide on the Daily
Everyone is looking for a good “life hack,” something that makes life easier and better. Here is one that definitely does both: it’s what I call…
Managing Holiday Stress and Post-Holiday Let-Down
Still, gearing up for the holidays or dealing with the aftermath of them? Either way, it can be stressful. Here are some tried-and-true tips for getting…
Please Don’t Try to Change
Don’t Try! I mean it. Don’t try to change. Not one thing. Not your bad habits, your bad behavior, or your bad attitude. Surprising advice from a…
How To Avoid Getting Sick
Who Gets Sick? When Dr. Sheldon Cohen and his team at Carnegie Mellon University studied which participants became sick after having a cold or flu virus squirted in…
Face It
When I am working with clients in therapy, I often share with them this piece of universal wisdom: The extent to which you are willing to…
Getting a Jump on Seasonal Depression
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, then that first cool hint of air untinged by the humidity of summer doesn’t make you feel excited for the…
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